Transgender: Questions & Answers from Last Sunday’s Sermon

Over the last several days there has been much controversy on social media about Keith’s sermon. We want to restate The Crossing’s position by answering a series of questions we’ve been asked.

But before we do, we want to be clear: We believe that all trans people are made in God’s image. We affirm their full personhood, dignity, and worth. We believe that our government bears a responsibility to protect their lives, dignity, welfare, and all other rights afforded to every other person in this country. We reject all violence and bigotry against trans people. We are deeply saddened by the ways the Christian church has ignored, marginalized, othered, and hurt the trans community. We sincerely apologize for any and all ways we’ve participated in this behavior. We are clearly not a perfect church and it’s likely we have our own blindspots regarding how we have contributed to this hurt.

Do all of the organizations we support in the community agree with us?

Absolutely not. We have intentionally made an effort to partner with those who do not share our worldview, because we appreciate what they bring to our community. We support without strings attached. We never even suggest they change their perspectives, and we’ve never sought to hide ours. While we were sad to see Sager-Braudis cut their ties with us, we still value the art, culture, and creativity they facilitate. We hope our members will continue to support their efforts. We want to live in a community that can build friendships and bridges in spite of significant disagreement.

Does The Crossing advocate for political action or policy changes?

No. This was a sermon at a church for people who want the Bible’s wisdom for everyday life. It was not a stump speech. It was not an address to the City Council or the School Board. We are not trying to impose our views on society. Some have claimed that this sermon was in response to recent actions by the Columbia City Council. It was not. We preached on this topic simply because we preach through The Bible chapter by chapter, and last Sunday we were on Genesis 1:27, which addresses the topic of gender.

Was Keith’s sermon transphobic? Does The Crossing endorse or ignore harm done to the Trans community?

No, but we’re realizing that some people heard it that way, and that was never our heart behind it. Unfortunately, the vast majority of negative commentary on Keith’s sermon appears to be written by people who never watched it. The sermon began and ended with calls for compassion, empathy, listening, and supportive presence for trans people. The irony is that we weren’t trying to throw down the cultural gauntlet, but trying to help Christians in our community grow more compassionate. Many people have shared how this sermon helped them to grow in their compassion toward trans people.

What does The Crossing mean when it says people are “broken”?

In Christian circles, “broken” is a broad term for how society is not the way it’s supposed to be, and how our individual lives are not the way they’re supposed to be. Sometimes “brokenness” refers to sinful desires or sinful actions. More often, however, it refers to the ways our hearts, minds, and social experiences are not whole. We believe that all people, without exception, are broken. In our view, no one’s mind, body, sexuality, volition, or social lives are whole. Likewise, no human society is whole. Every society is tainted by brokenness. We realize that this language is offensive to people from almost every community. Yet, we believe that Jesus said he came to rescue those who know that they are not whole, that they are broken and in need of his love. This is our heart behind using the term “broken.”

Do trans people have a worse kind of brokeness than non-trans people?

No.

Does The Crossing single out LGBTQ+ people?

No. In 19 years of preaching sermons, we have spoken on this topic once. That’s one out of 1000 sermons. We welcome LBGTQ+ people into our congregation, and have many LGBTQ+ people who call The Crossing their home. However, we know we need to get much better at creating a more welcoming environment.

Some members have shared that they are experiencing tension in relationships with family, co-workers and employers because they are a part of The Crossing. How should we respond?

First, ask if they’ve watched the entire sermon. If not, send them a link: http://www.thecrossingchurch.com/gender. While they may not agree with everything in the sermon, we hope they will realize that it was our primary aim to emphasize compassion and love towards people.

Beyond that, show love, patience, and kindness. Don’t be defensive. We aren’t out to win the culture war or even an argument. We are called by Jesus to love others well. You can share that you think these are important questions that ought to be discussed in our community. That civil discourse is necessary for societies to function and make wise choices. Although we said this at the beginning, we want to reiterate that you should express that you believe all LGBTQ+ people are made in God’s image. Affirm their full personhood, dignity, and worth. Share that you believe that our government bears a responsibility to protect their lives, dignity, welfare, and all other rights afforded to every other person in this country. Share that you reject all violence and bigotry against trans people. Share that you are deeply saddened by the ways the Christian church has ignored, marginalized, othered, and hurt the trans community. Apologize for any and all ways you’ve intentionally or unintentionally participated in this behavior. Be open to hearing ways The Crossing has contributed to this hurt. We all have a lot to learn.

If you do experience any hardship as a result of this, bear it quietly and graciously. There are Christians dying for their faith, so this is a small burden for us to bear. Above all, remember that transgender is not our issue or our cause. It’s not our main thing. Jesus is. Start with Jesus. End with Jesus.

Did Keith compare trans people to Nazis?

No. To be honest it’s a ridiculous assertion. During the first service on Sunday, Keith used a picture of a Nazi rally as evidence that it’s never smart to make culture your authority because majority opinion is often wrong. After the service, Keith decided the illustration, while true, could be misinterpreted and so he didn’t use it in the second or third service.

Are we responding this way to do damage control?

Honestly, yes. A lot of misrepresentation and misinterpretation of this sermon has done harm to others. Every communicator knows that misinterpretation is at least partly their own responsibility, so we are trying to own our part by being clear.