I am going to post a prompt here that we addressed in an ethics class in seminary. I know there are many here from both sides of the isle and I am curious to see the responses.
Imagine you are the pastor (or a staff member) at Mount Zion Baptist Church. One morning during the invitation, a lady comes forward and says, “My name is Jean. I’ve been listening to what you have been preaching for several weeks. I want to trust Jesus Christ as my personal Lord and Savior. I believe in the cross, the empty tomb, and his imminent return. But before you present me to the church, there’s something you should know: Ten years ago I had sex reassignment surgery. I used to be known as Gene, but now I am Jean. No one in the church knows about my sex-change.” What pastoral advice would you give to Jean/Gene? Would you present this person to the church for membership? Of course, your answer doesn’t have to be limited to what one would say during an invitation, but use this scenario as a springboard into the issue: What pastoral advice will you give?
Imagine you are the pastor (or a staff member) at Mount Zion Baptist Church. One morning during the invitation, a lady comes forward and says, “My name is Jean. I’ve been listening to what you have been preaching for several weeks. I want to trust Jesus Christ as my personal Lord and Savior. I believe in the cross, the empty tomb, and his imminent return. But before you present me to the church, there’s something you should know: Ten years ago I had sex reassignment surgery. I used to be known as Gene, but now I am Jean. No one in the church knows about my sex-change.” What pastoral advice would you give to Jean/Gene? Would you present this person to the church for membership? Of course, your answer doesn’t have to be limited to what one would say during an invitation, but use this scenario as a springboard into the issue: What pastoral advice will you give?
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