by Chrissie Chevasutt, author of Heaven Come Down – The Story of a Transgender Disciple, who has been advocating on behalf of transgender youth and vulnerable people within the conservative evangelical church for the last seven years
Then… The Holy Spirit commanded Philip down the road to Samaria; Acts Chapter 8.
I imagine this road trip left Philip with something of a headache? As he trudged back to Jerusalem, he must have been pondering many things, and not just what the future looked like for the black Ethiopian eunuch he had just baptised into fellowship and the body of Christ; because, in doing so, he had violated The Law that forbade anyone emasculated by crushing or cutting from entering the assembly of God’s people.
The largely Jewish church in Jerusalem was struggling to understand just how they might reconcile their newfound faith in Jesus and the outrageous nature of his grace with the thorny issue of The Law. This meant arguments between those who clung to The Law, and those who dispensed with The Law as a means of setting boundaries for the new church; disputes on who was out and who was in, about food sacrificed to idols, unclean foods and circumcision. And now, Philip would have to explain how a eunuch was welcome in their midst.
It seemed that some had not yet fully worked out what faith in Jesus delivered them from.
Philip probably dreaded having to wade into yet another long conflict with the religious legalists within the church. ‘You’ve whaaat?!?! You’ve baptised a eunuch into the fellowship of God’s people?!?! – they are not even allowed to enter the temple!’
On the long road home, Philip was no doubt preparing his theology, to justify his actions.
The church has often struggled with issues of race and diversity, gender and sexuality, legalism and judgement. Tradition and The Law is a mother of a burden to lay down in order to embrace grace, grace for everyone. The Holy Spirit’s desire, and Philip’s desire, was to demonstrate that faith and grace triumph over Law, every time.
The Ethiopian’s baptism had been God’s will, and the proof of heaven’s overflowing grace.
And now… Reverend Helen Garton, the Minister at St Columba’s United Reformed Church, Oxford, had been watching, hearing, and praying with transgender members of the congregation, and trans and non-binary ordained URC Ministers whom she knew as friends, in the pain and struggles they were facing in their daily lives and ministries. Out of this a vision was born for an ‘Outreach and Development Worker with Transgender, Intersex and non-binary people: a full-time, three-year salaried post at St Columba’s, funded by sacrificial giving from St Columba’s members and further funds from the Wessex Synod and URC centrally.
I have now been appointed to this post. My work will be developed by listening to those who are already working very effectively in serving the transgender, intersex and non-binary community. This first year is all about research, networking, relationship-building, making connections with those who have already been working for many years in serving the community. Bringing people together, strengthening and encouraging, building cooperation and cooperatives is necessary in a grass roots up, rather than ‘top down’ culture.
What is already clear is that this new role has two distinct, but balanced, aims: first, the local, urgent and immediate pastoral needs of transgender, intersex and non-binary people in Oxford and surrounding areas, and second, to advocate and work for lasting change and improvement at a national level in every arena that we can influence, including education, health care, law, politics, arts, the media and of course the wider church. One of the first fruits will be an annual national Theology Conference for Transgender, Intersex and non-binary people in Oxford this summer.
Much of my work will be in ‘digging the foundations’ for a role that will work for the long-term future and betterment of transgender, intersex and non-binary people’s human rights, equality, provision and care. Part of my work will be raising support and funding, because we want this role to be long-haul and sustainable. The work is urgent and extremely demanding; already this year we have had two trans teen suicides local to me.
And beyond… Our detractors and oppressors argue strongly against bringing the Ethiopian eunuch into their discussion about whether God accepts transgender and non-binary people. ‘Eunuch’ had a range of meanings in ancient times, and even within ancient Jewish culture its usage was broad, just as today the label ‘transgender’ is a vast umbrella term. The eunuch in the Bible represents an oppressed and marginalised people group which transgressed and blurred the strict Jewish vision of binary sex and gender. God’s heart to the eunuchs is beautifully expressed in Isaiah 56, a prophesy of radical inclusion towards a people condemned by The Law.
The intersection of eunuch, intersex, transgender and non-binary identities is too deep, wide, vast, overlapping and obvious to ignore or dismiss.
The role with which I have been entrusted, like the baptism of the Ethiopian eunuch, is a prophetic act, a ministry of social justice and an expression of God’s outrageous love for the marginalised and oppressed. As such I pray that it marks a sea-change, a turning of the tide, in the wider church’s acceptance of us as transgender, intersex and non-binary people.
Any thoughts?