Here at the Church of the Transfiguration, we are welcoming and affirming of LGBTQ people and allies. The message that God loves you as you are and for whom you were created to be is the life-affirming message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In St. Paul’s Epistle to the Galatians, he writes, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (3:28). Let us reflect on that for a moment, “there is neither male nor female…in Christ Jesus.” In the Church, the body of Christ, there is neither male nor female, but all of us are first and foremost, Christians. That is our unifying and central identity and, because of Christ’s incarnation, our other identities are affirmed and loved by God and find their home in the diverse body of Christ. If in Christ, “there is neither male nor female,” how then, can we exclude or reject based on sex or gender? St. Paul is clear and unequivocal in his affirmation for the inclusion of all believers.
The Episcopal Church has been a leading voice within the Anglican Communion for a fuller inclusion of LGBTQ Christians in the life of the Church. Some dioceses have ordained openly partnered LGBTQ clergy since 1976. In 2003, the Diocese of New Hampshire elected the Rt. Rev. V. Gene Robinson as the Bishop of New Hampshire, making him the first openly gay and partnered bishop in the Anglican Communion. In 2009, The Episcopal Church voted to support prayers being said with same-sex couples with pastoral accommodation and committed to further study the possibility of formally blessing same-sex relationships. In 2012, the General Convention of The Episcopal Church formally authorized the blessing of same-sex unions followed by a change to the marriage canon in 2015 which included same-sex marriage. Also in 2015, The Episcopal Church supported the use of prayers to celebrate and affirm a trans person’s name change and to support them in their transition.
Within the Anglican Communion, other member churches have also taken significant steps to be more fully inclusive of LGBTQ Christians within their congregations. In 2005, the Church of England, the “mother” church of the Anglican Communion, Church of Ireland, Church in Wales, and Scottish Episcopal Church allowed priests to enter in same-sex civil partnerships. In 2017, the Scottish Episcopal Church amended their marriage canon to recognize same-sex couples followed by the Episcopal Anglican Church of Brazil. Also in 2017, the Church of England supported the use of prayers to mark a trans person’s gender transition and name change. In 2023, the Church of England authorized blessings for same-sex couples in ordinary church services and approved of stand-alone blessings on a trial basis. In 2024, the Anglican Church of Southern Africa published draft prayers intended to be said with same-sex couples which include the option for blessing same-sex couples during a church service. The Anglican churches of Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and Wales also allow their dioceses to bless same-sex unions while the Church of South India has confirmed that transgender persons may be ordained to Holy Orders.
Together, these member churches represent almost half of the 105 million baptized Anglicans worldwide. Even as there are differences among the Anglican churches regarding marriage and relationships, the majority of Anglican member churches came together at the Lambeth Conference and at the Primates’ Meeting to continue a mutual dialogue and fellowship. In 2024, 30 of the 42 Anglican member churches were represented while meeting with the Archbishop of Canterbury showing that what unites us is far more than what divides us as Christians committed to walking together in the Gospel.
While these changes have been significant, they do not mark a conclusion to the need for continued advocacy and conversation around human sexuality, gender identity, and the LGBTQ community in the Christian life. Instead, we are called to always be examining how the Church, the very body of Christ in the world, can be a home of abundant grace, radical inclusion, and loving welcome. Being made of human persons, we sometimes sin by hurting other people and rejecting them. The Church is called to examine ourselves so that we can practice what we preach and repent when we have hurt others and work to heal woundedness while giving space for those stories to be told. I invite you to prayerfully think how you can show love and support for your LGBTQ family and be an ally as Christ is our ally, our Mediator and Advocate. Amen.