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TransFaith Online supports people of transgender and gender non-conforming experience in our pursuit of health and wholeness by cultivating the expression of diverse, gender-affirming spiritual vitality. We envision a world where people of diverse gender experiences find practical strength in their spiritual journey.
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The Interfaith Working Group (Philadelphia, PA) is the 501c3 non-profit organization that produces TransFaith Online. Please support our work today!
Communing With Our Trans Kindred — A Conversation for the Black Church
Join us in Philadelphia for this ground-breaking event, as we partner with Many Voices and the African-American Roundtable!
"[It's] is not for activists," says organizer, the Rev. Gwen Thomas of the African-American Roundtable, "it's for family."
"If my mother and her pastor had an opportunity like this one, then perhaps he'd have been able to better minister to her needs and fears about my transition. I believe he meant well, but there was no place for him to get informed or ask questions," says Minister Louis Mitchell.
Dear friends,
TransFaith Online was an initially a simple effort to help folks find resources about transgender spirituality -- but it keeps growing and evolving!
The TransFaith Network followed in 2009 as an effort to help folks connect and communicate directly. But the really exciting stuff has been happening offline, where people gather face to face or through personal correspondence.
The new TransFaith Hub is an initial step towards acknowledging just how important those in-person engagements are to our community(ies). Right now, the TransFaith Hub will highlight gatherings and projects that involve the Interfaith Working Group and/or our collaborators. For now, anyone can post events and gatherings through the TransFaith Network and they will be drawn into the Hub in a rudimentary way-- though we hope to eventually allow anyone to post directly to the Hub.
Please check it out for yourself. You can be a part of history in the making!
Chris Paige
Let the "T" not be silent
One of the challenges that transgender people face as we seek out spiritual community is that all too often "LGBT" really only means lesbian and gay. Congregations that call themselves inclusive are too often uneducated and ill-equipped to welcome a transgender person who walks through their door.
Each year, the fourth Sunday in January is designated as "International Welcoming Church Sunday." This is a time when congregations in many different denominations all celebrate our commitment to diversity – and in particular to affirming God's love for persons of all sexual orientations and gender identities.
Observed at the beginning of a new year, Welcoming Church Sunday is an opportune time to reinvigorate our welcome with education about and exploration of the transgender experience.
- TransFaith offers a "Where do we begin?" page that notes several books, curricula, and videos that might be useful in an adult education setting. Be sure to check out the new "Gender Identity and Faith Communities" curriculum that has just been released.
- Inquire with local LGBT centers and transgender support groups to see if there are speakers who might help you offer a panel presentation on transgender concerns during an adult education time.
- Consider taking up a special offering to support to support the development of the TransFaith speakers bureau -- or a local transgender support group or service organization.
- Review our InterSection on Finding a Spiritual Home to think about some of the issues involved in fully extending your welcome.
Most importantly, make a plan for how your congregation can begin to deepen its resolve to welcome and understand, to advocate and affirm people of all gender identities and expressions.
Recent News
The TransFaith Network An online community for anyone concerned with transgender...
Media interest in David Weekley's stories has continued to slowly build. He and his wife,...
Recent Additions
The program can be used in three sessions: How Do We Get to Understanding, How Do We Get to...
Free online curriculum designed to help churches and institutions address this issue of...
We are working to develop funding and programming for a TransFaith speakers bureau and TransSafe Churches network. Your contributions can help make these possibilities real!
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