CPC Faith Leaders

A Statement on Trans Inclusion

As ministers of the Gospel, we made a commitment to serve the Body of Christ wherever it is gathered in the Beloved Community. 

To our siblings, sisters, and brothers who are trans, nonbinary, and gender-expansive, we say, “You are loved, you are wanted, and you are welcome in the Beloved Community.” No government, no congregation, and no person can decide whether this is true, because God loved you and claimed you as “very good” when They created you (Gen 1:31). We only affirm what God already authorized.

Our ancient and sacred texts are riddled with gender-non-conforming people. Joseph and his amazing princess dress (Gen 37:3 & 2 Sam 13:18-19), Deborah the Prophet (Judges 4), Hathach the barrier crosser (Esther 4), and the man who carried water (Luke 22:10) are just a few of the Bible characters who demonstrate that gender-expansiveness is not novel, but is part of human history.

However, we also confess that the Church has not always been the Beloved Community. The Church has been one of the places of oppression, too often excluding God’s trans, nonbinary, and gender-expansive children. In the United States, federal and state governments have enacted programs erasing trans, nonbinary, and gender-expansive people from government websites and documents, from schools, hospitals, sports, and bathrooms. This is wrong, and it has been done in part because government officials believed the Church would support its actions. 

Therefore we recommit ourselves to being and serving the Beloved Community. We commit to listening to the voices of our trans, nonbinary, and gender-expansive siblings. We commit to amplifying their voices when we can. We commit to learning from their experiences. And we commit to changing how we act and how we advocate based on what we learn.

We are committed to a future where the Church is the Beloved Community that lovingly embraces all God’s children, and a future kin-dom where every government on earth respects and welcomes its trans, nonbinary, and gender-expansive members.

Endorsing CPC UCC Ministers

Catherine Alder - Ainsworth UCC
Deborah Allen - United Church of Christ Congregational
Giuseppe Amato - Parkrose Community UCC
Denise Andersen - Clackamas UCC
John Aney - Lake Oswego UCC
Derek Austin - 1st Congregational Church
Frank Baldwin - First Congregational UCC Portland
Walter Balk - First Congregational UCC Corvallis
Lynda Bigler - Ainsworth UCC
John Boonstra - Riverside Community Church
June Boutwell - Ainsworth UCC
David Brown - Ashland UCC
Jennifer Butler - First Congregational Corvallis
Caren Caldwell - Medford Congregational UCC
Andrea Cano - Ainsworth UCC
Kelly Childress - Ainsworth UCC
Alan Claassen - Lake Oswego UCC
Coqui Conkey - Ainsworth UCC
Tyler Connoley - Waverly UCC Portland
Laura Creech - Nampa UCC
Bill Cunitz - First Congregational UCC Portland
Chuck Currie - Pacific University and Ainsworth UCC
Gayle Dee - Corvallis UCC
Elizabeth Durant - Lake Oswego UCC
Linda Mines Elliott - Lake Oswego UCC
Eric Elnes - First Congregational Eugene
Adam Ericksen - Clackamas UCC
Lindsay Fulmer - First Congregational UCC Portland
Jennifer Garrison - Smyrna UCC
Sally L. Godard - United Church of Christ
Bill Greene -  First Congregational UCC Portland
Fred Grewe - Congregational UCC Ashland
Michael Grogan - Congregational Church of Lincoln City
Adam Hange - First Congregational UCC of Hillsboro
David Hedelman - United Church of Christ
John Newton Hickox - The Dalles UCC
Hilary Himan - Lake Oswego UCC
Charles Hinkle - Clackamas UCC
Linda Jaramillo - Ainsworth UCC
Steve King - Vancouver UCC
Christina Kukuk - Medford Congregational UCC
Josh Lee - Boise First Congregational UCC
Mark Lindberg - First Congregational Eugene
Robin Lunn - First Congregational Church UCC Salem
Rebecca Luther - Hillsboro United Church of Christ
Ed Martin - Vancouver UCC
Lea Mathieu - United Church of Christ
James Matichuk - Medford Congregational UCC
Frances Menlove - United Congregational Church
Louis Miller -  Congregational Church of Lincoln City UCC
Heather Miner - Nampa UCC
Molli Mitchell - Bridgeport UCC and San Francisco Night Ministry
Cheryl Moore - Ainsworth UCC
Ann Muir - Kairos Milwaukie
Caroline Murphy - Vancouver UCC
Mary Nagase - First Congregational UCC Hillsboro
ORBee Neufeld - Lake Oswego UCC
C. Bunny Oliver - First Congregational UCC Portland
Melanie Oommen - First Congregational UCC Salem
Jennie Ott - Lake Oswego UCC
Janet Parker - Lake Oswego UCC
Peg Pfab - Cedar Hills UCC
Cecil Prescod - Ainsworth UCC
Jeanne Randall-Bodman - Kairos-Milwaukie UCC
Starr Reardon - Pocatello First Congregational Church UCC
Judith Rinehart-Nelson - Beavercreek UCC
Don Shrumm - Cedar Hills UCC
Kristy Sibley - Bridgeport UCC
M. Lynne Smouse Lopez - Clackamas UCC
Paula Sohl - Ashland UCC
Vicky Stifter - Riverside Community Church UCC
Robert Tulloch - Waverly Heights UCC
Karl Vercouteren - The Dalles UCC
Andrew Wade - Bethel Congregational White Salmon
Diane Weible - Clackamas UCC
Timothy Weible - First Congregational UCC Corvallis
Karen Wood - Bridgeport UCC
Terri Wyborny - Forest Grove UCC
Caroline Zaworski - First Congregational UCC Corvallis
David Zaworski - Hillsdale Community UCC

Clergy and Lay Ministers in the Central Pacific Conference are invited to sign this statement of witness, confession, and commitment to the inclusion of trans, nonbinary, and gender-expansive people in the Beloved Community. The statement was endorsed by the Rev. Lea Mathieu, Past Moderator, and the Rev. Rob Tulloch, Incoming Moderator, who wrote it with our Conference Minister, the Rev. Tyler Connoley.

Please use this digital form to add your support by giving us your name, city, title, and church or faith community (as applicable). 

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