An introduction to trans theology with Frazze Jehrlander
Hello! My name is Frazze Jehrlander (they/them), and I work as a priest in the Church of Sweden. I’m looking forward to giving the lecture on trans theology and will share some eye-opening moments from my own life that I hope will deepen the understanding of trans theology, as well as what it means to be both Christian and trans. See you soon!
Sunday service with Alex Døsvik
My name is Alex Døsvik (they/them), and I'm a priest in The Church of Norway, the biggest church in Norway. When I got ordained in January 2024 I was the first openly non-binary and trans priest to do so. I was a part of the national church democracy before I became a priest, and I have always worked for a church where queer folks, especially trans and gender non-conforming people will feel welcomed and safe - easier said than done. Now as a priest I at least want to make my congregation a good place for queer and trans people to be.
Workshop with Samuel Henry: Turning the other cheek, and being incredibly cheeky about it
Joy helps us recognise what is good for us, yet ‘turning the other cheek’ rarely sparks joy. So why do it?
When Jesus invited his followers to turn the other cheek, he definitely did not advocate passive submission. Instead, he modeled impertinent acts of defiance that made the powerful shake in their boots; he was, one might say, rather cheeky.
In this workshop, we will re-examine this instruction to explore how we too can be bold in the face of oppression. Drawing on history, we will look at how humour has served as a vital tool for awareness and mobilisation in queer struggles. Together, we will empower one another
to discover new, spirited ways of ‘turning the other cheek’ that challenge injustice with courage and wit.
* Samuel Henry is not a funny person. As a trans Christian, he is all too accustomed to having his words and actions dismissed in favour of the "expert expertise" of those who specialise in the urgent and uncanny matter of transness. There is a French saying: "All we have left are our eyes to cry". Consequently, he believes it is vital that trans people reclaim at least this: their emotions, and the creative power they hold.
Panel: From Stonewall to Transblessing
Pauline Fleck
My name is Pauline. I am a trans woman living in Leeds, a town in the north of England. I am the secretary and newsletter editor of the Sibyls, a spirituality and pastoral care group for trans Christians. I attend All Hallows Church here in Leeds, a fully inclusive Church of England church where all sexualities and gender identities are welcomed and celebrated. I am the parish safeguarding officer and an occasional preacher. I am single, divorced with two adult children and three grandchildren with whom I have little or no contact. I have a chosen family of queer children.
Em Jakobsson
Deacon, ordained in the church of Sweden, now working in Gothenburg City mission in with people in homelessness, poverty and hunger. Genderfluid.
Lewis Raey
I am a queer trans man. I will be 61 in October and came out as trans in 1997, starting a medical transition the following year. Reaching my 60s has had a profound effect upon me and helped me focus on what I wish to spend my time on. I live in Edinburgh, Scotland with my husband of 31 years. I have been active in Metropolitan Community Church for over 30 years. I have held various roles within the denomination and contributed to transgender learning and training in a Transgender 101 style series. I have run workshops at our local, national, regional and denominational level.
I am a liturgist and prayer writer having had some of my prayers published in various places. I am currently working on a Queer prayer book and have a publisher interested. I regularly create prayers for our Sunday worship services. I am committed to inclusivity, both with respect to language and to anti-discriminatory practice.
Over the last, nearly 30 years I have been involved in the creation of both secular and spiritual support groups for trans men. In 2024, I graduated with a Master of Science with Distinction in Mad Studies, a relatively new discipline that centres the lives of people with madness and mental distress. This very much reclaims and challenges medical ideas about mental ill-health and empowers people to take back their own choices about their lives.
Lecture "Gender in Flux: Early Christian Subversions of Imperial Hierarchies" with Avery Arden
Avery Arden (MDiv) lives in the US South and serves as programming chair for their denomination's intersectional queer advocacy group, More Light Presbyterians. Visit binarybreakingworship.com or blessedarethebinarybreakers.com to connect with their ministry, which uplifts trans and disabled people of faith as both recipients and crucial agents of divine blessing.