In honor of Transgender Day of Remembrance, noticed nationally Nov. 20, Vancouver United Church of Christ in Hazel Dell devoted its Sunday sermon to the message that “God makes no mistakes.”
“In the United States, our trans siblings are usually either not fully welcomed into the life of the church or seen as an abomination — something that needs to be fixed,” Rev. Steve King mentioned. “I’m sorry, but I personally don’t think that God is prone to making mistakes.”
King, who joined the church earlier this 12 months, mentioned he had all the time deliberate to include this message right into a sermon.
“A lot of churches are accepting. But the phrase that we use at Vancouver United Church of Christ is open and affirming,” King mentioned. “We’re not just open to you coming through the door. We don’t think that you are sinning because you are outside of the binary that we always talk about.”
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IF YOU GO
What: Vancouver United Church of Christ weekly service
When: 10 a.m. Sundays
The place: 1220 N.E. 68th St., Vancouver
King’s sermon targeted on the concept gender goes past the binary mannequin and emphasised how transgender individuals symbolize yet one more instance of the wealthy variety present in God’s creation, which must be celebrated.
In honor of Transgender Day of Remembrance, which started in 1999, church members in Sunday’s service learn the names of trans people who had died of violence or suicide, together with one particular person as younger as 14. The Human Rights Marketing campaign reported the deaths of at the very least 30 transgender and gender-expansive individuals in 2024.
“Places like this, you’re not only accepted but lifted and protected here,” Caraballo mentioned.
As an alternative of the same old recitation of the Lord’s Prayer, the church used a model written by the Rev. Kim Sorrells of Georgia.
This prayer mirrors the construction of the standard prayer however particularly highlights the price and dignity of transgender individuals within the eyes of God: “Forgive us for the ways that we have fallen short and failed your transgender children … as we forgive those who might have failed us. Lead us away from the temptation to be complacent in the face of injustice. But instead give us the courage to stand up and stand with your beloved children.”
King plans to proceed incorporating Sunday’s message into future sermons.
“I just want to make sure that everybody knows that they are safe here. This is a place that they can call home, no matter who you love … what your gender expression is, how you dress — it doesn’t matter,” King advised The Columbian. “You’re a person and you’re a child of God in our eyes.”