Megan Rohrer Explained

Megan Rohrer (born 1980) is an American activist for homeless and LGBTQ+ rights and former Lutheran bishop. Rohrer is the first openly transgender minister ordained in the Lutheran tradition.

Honorific-Prefix:The Reverend
Megan Rohrer
Fifth bishop of the Sierra Pacific Synod
Church:Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
Elected:2021
Ended:2022
Predecessor:Mark W. Holmerud
Successor:Interim Claire S. Burkat
Ordination:2006
Birth Date:3 April 1980
Birth Place:Sioux Falls, South Dakota, US
Religion:Lutheran
Credits:, which produces label "Notable credit(s)"; or by
Works:, which produces label "Works" -->
Spouse:Laurel Rohrer[1]
Honorific Prefix:Dr.

Following his reception as a minister in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America,[2] [3] [4] [5] Rohrer served the church as bishop of its Sierra Pacific Synod from 2021 until asked to resign in June of 2022 after allegations of racism against one of the pastors under his care came to light. On June 23, 2023, Rohrer was removed from the roster of the Sierra Pacific Synod by letter,[6] and rostered ministers were notified by email on June 28.[7]

Early life and education

Rohrer was born on April 3, 1980, in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.[8] In 1998, they graduated from high school and enrolled at Augustana University to study religion. In college they came out as gay, and became president of the gay–straight alliance. They encountered resistance, threats, and attempted "cures" by fellow students for their sexuality. Rohrer graduated from Augustana in 2001.

Rohrer moved to the San Francisco Bay Area in 2002 to continue their studies. By this time they had come to identify as transgender. Rohrer attended Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary before transferring to the Pacific School of Religion (PSR) in Berkeley, California, earning a Master of Divinity degree from PSR in 2005 and a Doctor of Ministry degree in 2016.[9]

Personal life

Rohrer claims to be related to Nicholas of Flüe in the 16th generation.[10] [11]

Rohrer goes by he and they pronouns.[12]

Career

Rohrer was ordained in 2006, during a time when the ELCA did not allow LGBTQ pastors to openly serve.[13] When the policy changed in 2009, Rohrer became the first openly transgender person to serve as a minister in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.[14]

In 2010, Rohrer and six other Bay Area gay and transgender pastors were reinstated into the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, after the national assembly voted to allow partnered gay people to serve as clergy. The pastors' churches had previously been removed from the denomination for ordaining gay and lesbian ministers who refused to adhere to the denomination's document guiding clergy conduct, "Visions and Expectations".[15] At the time "Visions and Expectations" required that candidates for and persons on the clergy roster remain celibate outside of legal marriage and monogamous within marriage.

In 2014, Rohrer was installed as pastor of Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church in San Francisco.

In 2017, Rohrer was hired by the San Francisco Police Department as their first chaplain from the LGBTQ community.

On May 8, 2021, Rohrer was elected bishop of the Sierra Pacific Synod, becoming the first openly trans person to serve as bishop of a major US Christian denomination.[16] [17] On September 11, 2021, Rohrer was installed as bishop.[18]

On December 11, 2021, the Sierra Pacific Synod terminated the employment of Nelson Rabell-González, who presided over Misión Latina Luterana in Stockton, California, and defunded the congregation. The congregation was uninformed about the decision and Rohrer, who attended the service there the next day, declined to provide an explanation. Members of the congregation protested the decision and left the building with a statue of the Virgin of Guadalupe to worship elsewhere. Rohrer also allegedly threatened to call the police on a father and child who remained in the sacristy.[19] Later that month, the Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries suspended Rohrer from their membership for alleged "racist words and actions".[20] In February 2022, the synod announced that Rabell-González was removed for "continual communications of verbal harassment and retaliatory actions from more than a dozen victims," which Rabell-González has denied. On May 27, 2022, Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton called for Rohrer's resignation, but initially declined to pursue disciplinary actions.[19]

In 2022, Rohrer was appointed to the Local Homeless Coordinating Board, which advises the San Francisco Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing.[21]

On June 3, 2022, the governing body of the Sierra Pacific Synod considered a resolution asking for Rohrer's resignation but, if Rohrer refused, for them to be dismissed through formal adjudication. Out of the 324 legal votes cast, 183 voted for the resolution and 138 voted against. Since passage of this resolution required a two-thirds majority the resolution was defeated. On June 4, following an announcement by Eaton that she would be "initiating the discipline process immediately including suspension of Bishop Rohrer, based on additional information that has come to light", Rohrer resigned as bishop.[22] [23]

On March 1, 2023, Rohrer filed a lawsuit against the ELCA and Sierra Pacific Synod, seeking monetary damages for gender discrimination, openly hostile work environment[24] and workplace[25] harassment.[26]

On June 23, 2023, Rohrer was removed from the ELCA roster of Word and Sacrament by Interim Bishop Claire S. Burkat as a result of the denial of Rohrer's petition for On Leave from Call status.[27] [28]

Activism

Rohrer has helped the homeless in San Francisco, serving as Executive Director of the Welcome ministry to the homeless and hungry, leading the Singers of the Street choir, distributing sandwiches, and participating in a night ministry with other local pastors.[29] [30] Rohrer has also helped to grow and distribute thousands of pounds of free food from community gardens.[31]

In 2015, Rohrer started a fundraiser to raise bail for Meagan Taylor, a black trans woman who was held in isolation in an Iowa jail.[32]

In the wake of the 2016 Oakland warehouse fire, in which at least three transgender people were killed, Rohrer was called upon by the city of Oakland to provide support and assistance to the community.[33]

Rohrer has advocated for trans people who would be negatively impacted by proposed "bathroom bills" that seek to restrict restroom usage based on sex assigned at birth.[34]

In 2021, Rohrer shared their experiences of being a pastor during the COVID-19 pandemic, and advocated for LGBTQ community members to get vaccinated.[35]

Awards, honors, and recognition

Selected publications

Through Grace Lutheran Church and Wilgefortis Press, Rohrer has written a number of books for children in the Good News Children's Book Series.[40]

Children titles authored by Rohrer:

Children titles authored and illustrated by Rohrer:

Children titles authored by Rohrer with diverse illustrators:

Adult titles authored and illustrated by Rohrer:

Adult titles authored by Rohrer:

Adult titles co-authored by Rohrer:

Adult titles edited by Rohrer:

Adult titles co-edited by Rohrer:

Notes and References

  1. News: Nahmod. David-Elijah. Pride 2017: Trans pastor and police chaplain helps others. June 12, 2020. Bay Area Reporter. June 22, 2017.
  2. Web site: Chien. Jen. A shepherd finds the perfect flock. KALW. June 13, 2017. May 10, 2016.
  3. Web site: The Rev. Megan Rohrer. Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries. June 13, 2017.
  4. News: Nahmod. David-Elijah. Lutherans install trans pastor. June 13, 2017. Bay Area Reporter. February 27, 2014.
  5. News: Rosato Jr.. Joe. San Francisco Police Department Hires Its First-Ever LGBTQ Chaplain. June 13, 2017. NBC Bay Area. January 17, 2017.
  6. Web site: Flores . Jessica . 2023-07-03 . SF transgender bishop who sued is removed from ministry after Latino pastor's dismissal . 2023-07-03 . San Francisco Chronicle . en-US.
  7. Book: 20230628 Letter To Rostered Minister Megan Rohrer 1 2.
  8. Web site: Rev. Megan Rohrer. The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Religious Archives Network. June 13, 2017.
  9. Web site: Doctor of Ministry Dissertations . Pacific School of Religion . n.d. . 17 June 2017 . 27 June 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170627161212/https://psr.edu/2016-doctor-of-ministry-dissertations/ . dead .
  10. Web site: Bishop-elect Megan Rohrer. 2021-05-10. Twitter. en.
  11. Web site: 2021-05-09. Lutherans elect Megan Rohrer first transgender bishop. 2021-05-11. Religion News Service. en-US.
  12. Web site: Rohrer . Megan . Megan Rohrer (@mmrohrer) on Instagram . Instagram . March 3, 2023.
  13. Web site: DeSantis . Rachel . Lutheran Church Elects First Transgender Bishop: 'A Place in History That Means a Lot' . People.com . 23 April 2023.
  14. Web site: Rohrer . Megan . Reverend Dr. Megan Rohrer - I Am Beautiful. Cosmopolitan.com . Cosmopolitan Magazine . 23 April 2023.
  15. News: Martinez-Cabrera. Alejandro. Gay and transgender Lutheran pastors reinstated. June 14, 2017. San Francisco Chronicle. July 26, 2010.
  16. News: O'Donnell . Paul . Lutherans elect Megan Rohrer first transgender bishop . May 10, 2021 . . May 10, 2021.
  17. News: Bowman . Emma . Megan Rohrer Elected As 1st Openly Transgender Bishop In U.S. Lutheran Church . May 10, 2021 . . May 10, 2021.
  18. News: September 11, 2021 . Transgender Bishop Steps Into Historic Role In The Evangelical Lutheran Church . . March 12, 2022.
  19. Web site: Molina. Alejandra. ELCA presiding bishop releases report examining removal of Latino pastor by Bishop Rohrer. Religion News Service. June 2, 2022. June 3, 2022.
  20. News: Ferrannini . John . Lutheran LGBTQ group accuses trans bishop of racism . December 24, 2021 . . December 23, 2021.
  21. Web site: Local Homeless Coordinating Board . 2023-07-07 . hsh.sfgov.org.
  22. News: Flores. Jessica. S.F. transgender Lutheran bishop resigns amid controversy over removal of pastor. San Francisco Chronicle. June 6, 2022. June 6, 2022.
  23. News: Burkett . Eric . Racism at heart of trans bishop's exit, but corruption allegations surface . June 11, 2022 . . June 10, 2022.
  24. Web site: Miller . Emily McFarlan . 2023-03-09 . Former Bishop Megan Rohrer, forced to resign over Latino pastor's removal, sues ELCA . 2023-03-12 . Religion News Service . en-US.
  25. Book: Rohrer V Pacific Sierra 2023 Workplace Harassment.
  26. News: Bharath . Deepa . Transgender pastor claims bias, sues Lutheran denomination . March 3, 2023 . . . March 2, 2023.
  27. Book: 20230628 Letter To Rostered Minister Megan Rohrer 1 2.
  28. Web site: Flores . Jessica . 2023-07-03 . S.F. transgender bishop who sued is removed from ministry after Latino pastor's dismissal . 2023-07-05 . San Francisco Chronicle . en-US.
  29. News: Downing. Shane. Faith-Based Meetup Distributes PB&Js To The Castro's Hungry. June 14, 2017. Hoodline. May 20, 2016.
  30. News: Fagan. Kegin. Transgender pastor preaches to the choir with love. June 14, 2017. San Francisco Chronicle. October 9, 2016.
  31. Web site: Distinguished Alumni/ae. Pacific School of Religion. June 14, 2017. January 8, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190108224125/https://psr.edu/about/oia/distinguished-alumniae/. dead.
  32. News: Ennis. Dawn. Minister Raises $2,000 Bail for Black Woman 'Arrested While Trans'. June 14, 2017. The Advocate. July 20, 2015.
  33. News: Melendez. Lyanne. Heartbreak in LGBT community for lives lost in Oakland Ghost Ship fire. June 14, 2017. ABC San Francisco. December 6, 2016.
  34. News: Robinson. Joshua. Trans pastor visits Missoula amid "bathroom bill" news. June 14, 2017. ABC Fox Montana. March 30, 2017.
  35. Web site: Rev. Megan Rohrer on #TDOV2021 and #VaccinateSF . San Francisco Department of Emergency Management . May 10, 2021 . March 30, 2021 . YouTube.
  36. Web site: Martin. Diane. Dalai Lama Honors Lutheran Church's First Transgender Pastor. Human Rights Campaign. June 13, 2017. February 24, 2014. March 11, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170311093151/http://www.hrc.org/blog/luthern-church-ordains-first-transgender-pastor. dead.
  37. Web site: 2014 Honorable Mentions. Unsung Heroes of Compassion. June 13, 2017.
  38. Web site: Winners 2014. The International Film Festival for Spirituality, Religion, and Visionary. June 14, 2017.
  39. Murrow. Lauren. Johnson. Sydney. Saluting 37 Soldiers of Social Change. June 14, 2017. San Francisco Magazine. November 19, 2015.
  40. Web site: Books. Wilgefortis. June 14, 2017.

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