These resource pages provide a range of information and signposting on transgender and faith, including links to other organisations, news, research and pastoral care resources.
Christian and trans support organisations
European Forum of LGBT Christian Groups
The Sibyls is a member group of the European Forum of LGBT Christian Groups. The European Forum is an ecumenical association of LGBT Christian groups in Europe, which aims to achieve equality and inclusion for LGBT people, within and through Christian churches and other religious bodies. With over 40 member groups from more than 20 countries in Europe, the European Forum works for freedom of religion for LGBT people, for human rights, for the dignity of LGBT people, and for an affirmative discourse on human sexuality.
Sibyls is the first and only trans group out of more than 40 member groups in the European Forum. The Sibyls was elected into the Forum in May 2018. The late Elaine Sommers from the Sibyls had been a previous co-president of the Forum and Shanon Ferguson has also played a leading role. Other members have contributed too.
This year’s annual conference (in-person only) will be in Venlo in the Netherlands. The Forum held its June 2019 Annual Conference at the University of Kent in Canterbury. As well as contributing to the main conference, the Sibyls organised a transgender pre-conference as part of this event.
If you would like to get involved in the Eurpoean Forum, please email [email protected]
One Body One Faith
It is the conviction of the members of OneBodyOneFaith that human sexuality, sexual orientation and gender identity in all their richness are gifts of God gladly to be accepted, enjoyed and honoured as a way of both expressing and growing in love, in accordance with the life and teaching of Jesus Christ. Therefore it is their conviction that it is entirely compatible with the Christian faith not only to love another person of the same sex, but also to express that love fully in a personal sexual relationship;
We believe that expressing our gender and sexuality with integrity is important as a way to grow in love and discipleship; we long for the day when Christians fully accept, welcome, affirm and offer equality to everyone in their diversity,
Membership of OneBodyOneFaith is open to anyone who accepts and shares our Conviction, however they identify in other aspects of their life, wherever they are in their journey of faith or belief.
https://www.onebodyonefaith.org.uk/
Accepting evangelicals
www.acceptingevangelicals.org
Accepting Evangelicals is a open network of Evangelical Christians who believe the time has come to move towards the acceptance of faithful, loving same-sex partnerships at every level of church life, and the development of a positive Christian ethic for gay and lesbian people.
Affirm
affirmingbaptists.org.uk
Affirm: The Network of Baptists affirming Lesbian & Gay Christians seeks to engage with Baptist churches and members to achieve greater understanding and acceptance of LGBT people. Affirm has recently started to work with the Baptist Union of Great Britain to give pastoral support to LGBT people within the Baptist family.
Belfast: faith and pride
faithandpride.org/belfast-pride/
It is run by a group of gay Christians, who have accumulated experience as Anglicans, Catholics, Christadelphians, Methodists, Non-Subscribing Presbyterians, and Presbyterians.
Diverse church
@Diverse_Church
Diverse Church is a supportive community of 80 young LGBT+ Christians in UK evangelical churches.
The evangelical fellowship for lesbian and gay christians
www.eflgc.org.uk
The Evangelical Fellowship gives the opportunity:
to meet and share experiences with other lesbian, gay and bisexual Christians
to support and be supported in times of difficulty or stress
to encourage one another in the Christian faith
to think through issues relating both to faith and sexuality
Inclusive church
www.inclusive-church.org
Inclusive Church and Young Inclusive Church are working to break down the barriers to full inclusion at all levels of the Anglican Communion. This means that it is essential that women can be bishops and that lesbian and gay people – both in relationships and single can be ministers. As part of full inclusion, they believe that Churches wishing to do so should be able to hold Civil Partnership ceremonies and blessing services for same-sex couples. They are supportive of the government’s same-sex marriage proposals. They are also working to tackle the exclusion within the church which results from poverty, mental-wellbeing, ethnicity and disability.
LGBT Catholics Westminster
www.sohomasses.com
A community that is welcoming and open to all Catholics, with an active fellowship of many lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender Catholics, as well as their parents, families and friends.
MCC – Metropolitan Community Church
http://mccchurch.org/
The Metropolitan Community Church has three Churches in the London area. They provide an opportunity for inclusive Christian worship in a variety of styles. The denomination was founded within and for the LGBT community and a warm welcome awaits you.
Quaker Gender And Sexual Diversity Community
https://qgsdc.org.uk/
The Quaker LGBT+ community, sharing personal journeys, upholding each other, organising gatherings, helping with discernment on equality.
Quest
questgaycatholic.org.uk
Quest is a nationwide pastoral support group for LGBT Catholics. We organise social and spiritual events such as Masses, retreats and an annual weekend conference.
St. James Piccadilly
www.sjp.org.uk
The LGBT Group at St James Piccadilly has members across the LGBT spectrum. It meets for a shared lunch 1pm 2nd Sunday of each month.
TWO:23 network
www.two23.net
We are a network of Christians, connected by LGBT (Lesbian, gay,bisexual and transgender) issues, who have discovered that God loves us just as we are. Our vision is to create a space where absolutely everyone is welcome, whoever you are and wherever you’re at in terms of church or issues of sexuality and sexual identity. Many of us are from evangelical backgrounds, but we now represent a broad church and aim to make all feel welcome. We meet up four times a year to worship together in central London.
YLGC – Young LGBT Christians
www.ylgc.org.uk
YLGC seeks to support Christians aged 16 – 30 who identify as Lesbian, Gay, Bi and Trans and those who are questioning their sexual, gender or Christian identity. We exist both in the real world and online with quarterly meetings and regular web chats on our forum.