First openly transgender bishop installed in Evangelical Lutheran church
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America has installed their first openly transgender bishop, the Associated Press reported.
The church elected Rev. Megan Rohrer to serve a six-year term as bishop in May, replacing a bishop who retired.
Rohrer, who uses the pronoun “they,” will lead one of the church’s 65 synods, overseeing 200 congregations in the California and Nevada regions, according to the AP.
“I step into this role because a diverse community of Lutherans in Northern California and Nevada prayerfully and thoughtfully voted to do a historic thing,” Rohrer said in a statement. “My installation will celebrate all that is possible when we trust God to shepherd us forward.”
Bishop @mmrohrer, 5th Bishop of the Sierra Pacific Synod of the @ELCA. #spsbishop #spselca #transbishop #elca
: Gareth Gooch & Bill Wilson pic.twitter.com/kmhCmWJcYB— Sierra Pacific Synod (@spselca) September 12, 2021
Rohrer becomes one of the seven LGBTQ pastors accepted by the progressive church since 2010, when it began allowing pastors in same-sex relationships. Rohrer is married and has two children.
Rohrer previously served as pastor of San Francisco’s Grace Lutheran Church and the chaplain coordinator of the city’s police department, the AP reported.
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America has about 3.3 million members across the nation, the AP noted.
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