A grassroots coalition of clergy from across Indiana has come together to take a stand against anti-trans legislation. Today the coalition sent an open letter to the Governor and all Hoosier state legislators pleading with them to stop legislatively targeting transgender people. The letter, signed by 87 clergy, says, “The Holy Scriptures of each of our faith traditions repeatedly exhort us – Christians, Jews, Muslims, etc. – to make every effort to protect the vulnerable. We are writing you because we all need to rise to that call on behalf of transgender people in Indiana.”
The letter notes that, “In recent sessions of the Indiana General Assembly, at least 16 bills were filed – and some passed – targeting transgender people. There were bills attempting to prevent gender affirming medical care, to deny trans people the ability to amend governmental identification documents, to restrict the ability of local schools to support trans students, to restrict the ability of teachers to share accurate factual information, to interfere with the ability of parents to make vital medical decisions for their children, etc., etc. This must stop!”
The convener of the clergy group, Rev. Jeff Miner, LifeJourney Church, Indianapolis, said, “Most of our political leaders have the impression that people of faith in Indiana uniformly favor legislation restricting the rights of transgender people. Our letter makes clear that’s not the case. Many, many of us stand with our transgender neighbors.”
Rt. Rev’d Cate Waynick, Bishop Diocesan, res., Episcopal Diocese of Indianapolis, said, “Our transgendered sisters and brothers are among the most misunderstood and vulnerable persons among us. Our lack of complete understanding must not stand in the way of their human rights. Empathy and charity must always defeat prejudice and fear.”
Brandon Wallace, Minister of Christian Education, North United Methodist Church, Indianapolis, said, “I work with trans youth each week, and they are some of the most profound, loving, kind, and caring individuals any parent would be proud to have as a child. It breaks my heart to think that these same beautiful and vulnerable souls are the very ones that our system seems to care least about. Please help guide us to shape laws in our state that help us to align with our professed belief that ALL people are created equal and are afforded the same rights as everyone else.”
The clergy coalition continues to accept additional clergy signatories and will periodically send updates to Hoosier political leaders. Rev. Miner said, “This is just the beginning. We intend to mobilize people of faith across the state in our congregations and beyond to find our voice and stand strong against further legislative attacks. Our faith is not about fear. It’s not about hate. It’s not about attacking the most vulnerable. It’s about listening and learning and love and living in peace and celebrating the diversity of God’s creation. Our faith calls us to love our neighbor as ourselves.”
Clergy who are interested in being part of the trans justice Initiative are invited to contact PastorJeff@LifeJourney.church. The complete text of the clergy letter and all signatories to date are shown below.
Text of Joint Clergy Letter on Trans Justice
Dear Indiana Senators and Representatives:
We, the many diverse undersigned Hoosier pastors, rabbis, imams, ministers, and religious professionals, are writing you an open letter to publicly express an urgent spiritual concern.
The Holy Scriptures of each of our faith traditions repeatedly exhort us – Christians, Jews, Muslims, etc. – to make every effort to protect the vulnerable. We are writing you because we all need to rise to that call on behalf of transgender people in Indiana. In recent sessions of the Indiana General Assembly, at least 16 bills were filed – and some passed – targeting transgender people. There were bills attempting to prevent gender affirming medical care, to deny trans people the ability to amend governmental identification documents, to restrict the ability of local schools to support trans students, to restrict the ability of teachers to share accurate factual information, to interfere with the ability of parents to make vital medical decisions for their children, etc., etc. This must stop!
Many people of faith, and faith leaders like us, stand against the legislative targeting of transgender people. Bills such as the foregoing not only restrict basic civil rights, they also create an environment that whips up fear and threatens the safety and wellbeing of transgender people.
All of this is contrary to basic Scriptural precepts such as, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” Leviticus 19:18, and “Whatever you do to the least regarded among you, you do it unto me.” Matthew 25:40. The Scriptures are crystal clear that, in every age, we must defend the oppressed.
We respectfully ask you to do everything in your power to halt the targeting of transgender people and to focus legislative efforts on a positive agenda that will build unity among Hoosiers, address the real problems facing our communities, and make Indiana a more attractive place to live, work, and locate businesses. As faith leaders, we believe in a Creator who made a beautiful and complex universe, which we should embrace rather than fear. We honor that Creation when we welcome every person in their multiple expressions of the Creator’s design. We are stronger when we stand together!
Sincerely,
Rev. Jeff Miner, Lead Pastor, LifeJourney Church, Indianapolis, Letter Coordinator, 317-260-9620
The Very Rev. Dr. Gray Lesesne, Dean and Rector, Christ Church Cathedral, Indianapolis
Rev. David Mellott, PhD, President, Christian Theological Seminary, Indianapolis
Rt. Rev’d Jennifer Baskerville-Burrows, Bishop, Episcopal Diocese of Indianapolis
Rt. Rev’d Cate Waynick, Bishop Diocesan, res., Episcopal Diocese of Indianapolis
Rev. Dr. Timothy C. Murphy, Senior Pastor and Teacher, Plymouth Congregational Church, Ft. Wayne
Rev. January Simpson, Pastor, Cross United Church of Christ, Berne
Rev. Duane Carlisle, Senior Pastor, West Lafayette First United Methodist Church, West Lafayette
Rabbi Brett Krichiver, Senior Rabbi, Indianapolis Hebrew Congregation, Indianapolis
Rev. Izzy Harbin, Senior Pastor, First Congregational Church, Elkhart
Rev. Dr. Chad Abbott, Conference Minister, Indiana Kentucky Conference United Church of Christ
Rev. Kenneth Scott Bowie, Pastor, St. Peter’s United Church of Christ, South Bend
Rev. Dakota Christian Roberts, Associate Pastor for Operation, St. Peters UCC, Carmel
Heather Kenison, Diocesan Youth Minister, Episcopal Diocese of Indianapolis
Rabbi Dr. Aaron Spiegel, Executive Director, Greater Indianapolis Multifaith Alliance (GIMA), Indianapolis
Pastor Sarah Haas, Associate Pastor, Friedens United Church of Christ, Indianapolis
Rev. Dr. Michael Landon, Spiritual Director, Christ Church Cathedral, Indianapolis
Minister Becky White, Director of Children’s Ministry, LifeJourney Church, Indianapolis
Rev. Tandy Adams, Indianapolis
Brandon Wallace, Minister of Christian Education, North United Methodist Church, Indianapolis
Rev. Shannon Abbott, Senior Pastor, Westview Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Indianapolis
Rev. Aaron Hobbs, Senior Pastor, Broadway United Methodist Church, Indianapolis
Rev. Marc Hayden, Indianapolis
Rev. Terry Daniel, Pastor, Metanoia: Church of Transformation, United Church of Christ, Indianapolis
Pastor Robert Ferguson, Minister of Social Justice and Outreach, LifeJourney Church, Indianapolis
Rev. Lisa Schubert Nowling, Lead Pastor, First United Methodist Church, Bloomington
Rev. Bryan Langdoc, Senior Pastor, Gobin Church, Greencastle
Rev. Sharon L. Baker, Retired, Bloomington
Rev. Mary Dicken, Clergy, United Methodist Church, Indianapolis
Rev. John Gantt, Retired, Indianapolis
Rev. Sara Ofner-Seals, Associate Pastor, Plymouth Congregational Church, Ft. Wayne
Jerusha Van Camp, Candidate for Ministry of Word, Presbyterian Church USA, Evansville
The Rev. James T. Said, Vicar-in-Charge, Good Samaritan Episcopal Church, Brownsburg
Rev. Dr. Calvin Brandenburg, Clergy in Residence, Good Samaritan Episcopal Church, Brownsburg
Rev. Yvonne Brandenburg, Clergy in Residence, Good Samaritan Episcopal Church, Brownsburg
Pastor Bambi Alridge, Worship Arts Pastor, LifeJourney Church, Indianapolis
Rev. Nicole L. Shaw, Pastor, First Congregational United Church of Christ, Angola
Rev. Annette Hill Briggs, Senior Pastor, University Baptist Church, Bloomington
Rev. Laura Beth Buchleiter, Spiritual Director, Leaderwise, Indianapolis
Rev. Chris Duckworth, Pastor, New Joy Lutheran Church, Westfield
Rev. Daniel Meyers, Indianapolis
Markus Dickinson, Director of College & Young Adult Ministries, First United Methodist Church,
Bloomington
Rev. Adrianne M. Meier, Senior Pastor, St. Thomas Lutheran Church, Bloomington
Rev. Paul Justice Snyder, Senior Minister, Central Christian Church, New Albany
Rev. Dr. Heather Thiessen, Minister of Word and Sacrament, Presbytery of Ohio Valley, Bloomington
Rev. Tom Bozeman, Minister, First Unitarian Church of Hobart
Rev. Claire T. Ackleow, Pastor, Faith Lutheran Church ELCA, Jeffersonville
The Rev. Canon Jodi Baron, Canon & Sr. Associate, Christ Church Cathedral, Indianapolis
Rev. David Zier, Pastor of Congregational & Spiritual Care, LifeJourney Church, Indianapolis
Rev. Kevin Toth, Associate Pastor, Crawfordsville
Rev. Katie Romano Griffin, Senior Minister, All Souls Unitarian Church, Indianapolis
Rev. Dr. Sarah Lund, Senior Pastor, First Congregational United Church of Christ, Indianapolis
Rev. Lori Bievenour, Senior Pastor, St. Peters United Church of Christ, Carmel
Rabbi Meir Bargeron, Congregation Achduth Vesholom, Ft. Wayne
Rev. Michael C. Cooper, Pastor, Metropolitan Community Church of Illiana, Portage
Rev. Dr. Rachel Metheny, Senior Pastor, Meridian Street United Methodist Church, Indianapolis
Rev. Julia Corbett-Hemeyer, Chaplain, Unitarian Universalist Church Muncie
Rev. Dennis McCarty, Minister Emeritus, Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Columbus
Rev. Daniel Parnell, Senior Pastor, East Street Apostolic Church, Indianapolis
Rev. Bob Nowak, Co-Pastor, Pleasant View Lutheran Church of Indianapolis (ECLA)
Rev. Sarah Nowak, Co- Pastor, Pleasant View Lutheran Church of Indianapolis (ECLA)
Rev. Kate Penney Howard, Senior Pastor, North Christian Church, Fort Wayne
Rev. Jennie Barrington, Settled Minister, Unitarian Universalist Church of Tippecanoe County,
West Lafayette
Rev. Kevin A. Bowers, Pastor, Bethany Presbyterian Church, Lafayette
Rev. Dr. Amy Lindeman Allen, Indiana Christian Church Associate Professor of New Testament, Christian
Theological Seminary, Indianapolis
Rev. Gale Stutz, Senior Minister, Carmel Christian Church, Carmel
Rev. Dr. Anne Bain Epling, Pastor/Head of Staff, First Presbyterian Church, Fort Wayne
Rev. Dan Miyake, Minister, Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Elkhart
Rev. Brian Shivers, Pastor/Head of Staff, Northminster Presbyterian Church (PCUSA), Indianapolis
Rev. Karen Herbst-Kim, Associate Pastor, Northminster Presbyterian Church, Indianapolis
Rev. Christe Lunsford, Minister, Unitarian Universalist Congregation, Fort Wayne
Rev. Emily Manvel Leite, Minister of Religious Education, Unitarian Universalist Church of Tippecanoe
County, West Lafayette
Dr. Timothy McNinch, PhD, Assistant Professor, Christian Theological Seminary, Indianapolis
Rev. Derrick Ramer, Pastor, Benton Mennonite Church, Goshen
Rev. Kirsteen Wilkinson, Rector, St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, Plainfield
Dr. Stephanie Kimball, Director of Lifespan Religious Education, Unitarian Universalist Church of
Bloomington
Rev. Dawn Cooley, Minister, Unitarian Universalist Church of Indianapolis
Rev. Tyler Orem, Pastor, First Presbyterian Church of Highland, Highland
Rev. Talashia Keim Yoder, Pastor, Goshen
Rev. Scott Simmons, Pastor, Faith United Church of Christ, Indianapolis
Rev. Anna Lisa Gross, Pastor, Beacon Heights Church of the Brethren, Fort Wayne
Rev. Paula Ziegler Ulrich, Pastor, Beacon Heights Church of the Brethren, Fort Wayne
Rev. Clayton Gladish, Pastor, Silverwood Mennonite Church, Goshen
Rev. Sarah Gettie McNeill, Professional Development Programs Manager, Unitarian Universalist
Association of Congregations, Bloomington
Rev. Barbara Child, Ministerial Consultant to the Executive Council of the Chalice Circles (Small Group
Ministry) program, Bloomington
Rabbi Gideon Isaacs, Temple Beit Shalom, Munster
Rev. Leah Peksenak, Pastor, Hobart First United Methodist Church and Marquette Park United
Methodist Church, Hobart
