A Church of England vicar has formally called for a new liturgy akin to baptism that would celebrate a newly transgender person’s new identity and name.
Rev. Chris Newlands has put forward a motion for the church’s General Synod to consider.
The vicar said he was asked about re-baptism by a church member who had undergone gender reassignment.
Recalling the conversation, Rev. Newlands said: “’Once you’ve been baptised, you’re baptised.”
But the church member replied: “’But I was baptised as a girl, under a different name.”
The vicar continued: “I said: ‘Let me have a think about it.’ So we did and then we created a service, which was an affirmation of baptismal vows where we could introduce him to God with his new name and his new identity.”
Rev. Newlands said such people are subject to “transphobic bullying” and the church needs to welcome them.