Sunday, May 18 from 11:30am – 1:00pm
Join us for an Adult Forum on Sunday, May 18 to hear about “Reconciling Faith and Gender: Perspectives from a Transgender Christian”.
All Are Welcome! Lunch and childcare will be provided.
Transgender and Christian: A Journey of Self-Acceptance. Recently in the news, we have been hearing a lot about gender politics and policy changes. Behind all of the noise and distraction, there are real people with real life experience. We have the opportunity on Sunday, May 18th, to welcome and hear the story of a Christian Transgender Woman, Stephanie Dykes, during an adult forum after worship. As a congregation, we have an “All Are Welcome” sign on our Sanctuary. Two key Mission pillars of our congregation are “to love inclusively” and “to learn continuously.” Read more about Stephanie in her bio below, and plan to come and learn about her life experience and journey of faith. The Adult Forum will be from 11:30am – 1:00pm, and lunch and child care will be provided. Dr. Stephanie Dykes is a Lutheran transgender woman, currently living in Southern California. Dr. Dykes earned her Ph.D. in educational research and measurement from the University of South Carolina, where she also earned her master of arts in teaching. She completed her undergraduate degrees in history and administrative management from Clemson University, which is also located in South Carolina. Dr. Dykes has spoken at conferences across the United States and Canada on topics ranging from women’s and gender studies to institutional research. She has also spoken at colleges and universities across the United States about her experiences as a transgender woman. Since 2022, Dr. Dykes has marketed herself as a speaker and vocal soloist to congregations and institutions of higher learning of the ELCA. She has been accepted into the Master of Divinity program at Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary and will begin her studies in the fall 2025 semester.
