The Rev. David Weekley: Methodist minister comes out as transsexual man

In the early 1970s, David Weekley began his transition from female to male. And in 1982, he began the process of becoming a Methodist minister.

For 27 years, Weekley, now 58, married, and the father of five adult children, did not reveal his trans status to the church or to his congregations. But on August 30, he finally told his congregation at Epworth United Methodist Church in Oregon that he had been born female with a male gender identity and had transitioned decades ago.

Weekley is only the second clergyman in the United Methodist Church to come out as trans. Drew Phoenix, 50, had his ordination challenged by members of the church after coming out publicly in 2007 to his congregation in St. John’s of Baltimore United Methodist Church in Maryland. He was able to retain his ordination, but is no longer at that church.

OregonLive.com reports that, after Weekley’s sermon, in which he explained his transition to the congregation, the Rev. Bonnie Parr Philipson, metropolitan district superintendent of the United Methodist Church, told the congregation that Weekley’s status in church remained the same.

Philipson also read a statement from Bishop Robert T. Hoshibata, leader of the Oregon-Idaho Methodist conference, which said that Weekley “is choosing now to share this earlier part of his life journey honestly and openly. This decision does not, in any way, change his faith or his commitment to the ministry to which he was ordained, nor does it change his status as an elder in good standing. I prayerfully ask that his congregation, his colleagues and the United Methodist Church continue to uphold him and his family at this time.”

The Sherwood Gazette reports that, after Weekley’s revelation, members of his congregation broke into applause and affirmed their support for him. The Gazette article provides an interesting profile of Weekley’s life.

The Methodist church overall has been extremely conservative in its position toward LGBT clergy and members, and there is a possibility that Weekley and Phoenix could lose their credentials if proposed legislation banning trans people is passed at the next general conference in 2012. Hopefully, the Rev. Weekley’s courageous step will change more minds, and the conference will play host to a different attitude by then.

Update: The Rev. David Weekley has sent me the following quote: "I am very positive about sharing my story, because I believe it is the best way to help educate our society about transgender persons; there is so much misinformation out there, and fear, that it seems imperative to become active. Because some segments of the Church  are responsible for a portion of this misinformation and fear, it seems even more critical for others to hear a positive and personal faith story from a transgender person."

He also supplied the photo of himself, above.

Update: Here is the Portland Tribune story referred to in the comments below.