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Suicide is not the unforgiven sin that keeps people out of an eternity with Christ! God's plan of salvation includes mentally ill people! Your list of mental health conditions clearly places you in a place where you will have struggles. The message of the gospel is NOT that you will never have any of these. Rather it is that God will walk with you as your path through life takes you into those situations. It will probably be that you will find more relief from some than you do from others. In any case, keep up the work with mental health professionals, take your medications as proscribed and work on maintaining your relationship with God. He will not leave you.

​That attitude appears to be biblical: For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. (1Co 13:9-10) Perhaps the problem is not so much Ellen as it is how some folks misconstrue what Ellen writes.

About Advertise Contact Subscriber Login Forum Journal Spectrum Store News Voices Sabbath School Spirituality GC 2015 Education Columns Interviews Health Care An Adventist Story of Switching Sexes 15 June 2015 | Alita Byrd Print Email Tweet FB ShareThis Powered by Translate A church employee talks to Spectrum about her decision to transition from the male to the female gender, her relationship with her wife and family, and her relationship with the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Question: You are an employee of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, and in the process of transitioning from the male to the female gender. Is it possible to remain an employee of the church? Answer: I am currently an employee of the SDA church, yes, but only for a short time more. I have chosen to leave of my own accord, and gave my notice to my employer nearly six months prior to my planned departure. The senior executive I gave my notice to responded in a way that I will always cherish. After I told her that I would be leaving, her first response was to ask why. I told her that I was a transgender person, and that my journey at this time in my life was to move forward with the transition that I had begun nearly four years earlier. Her response was: “My, I wouldn’t have guessed. Do you have a support network?” I said that I did. She then asked whether my wife had a support network. I said that she did. The next question was whether my children had a support network. Again I responded in the affirmative. Over the next 15 to 20 minutes we worked out the logistics of how the information of my departure would be managed. Twice more she asked me the same three questions about a support network. I said that I hoped I would be able to continue to contribute to the institution and eventually join conversations on the subject of being transgender and Seventh-day Adventist. She said she thought that would be good. You asked whether I could stay on as an employee. The answer is not simple. If the only constraints were at the specific institution where I work, I think the answer would be that I could transition and stay. But given the broader church politic and influence, I don’t believe it is possible at present. Finally, given the connectedness of the Seventh-day Adventist Church and the thinking in some areas of the church, I believe staying is not worth the potential damage it would cause my family. So you have not been asked to leave? No. How about remaining a church member? Will you continue to attend a Seventh-day Adventist church? Do you hold Adventist beliefs? I have no intention of leaving the Seventh-day Adventist Church. I would say that I and my wife are progressive Adventists and as such we see the church as having a lot of room — more than what some would allow for. The next question is not so easy. Finding an Adventist church that will accept a “same sex” couple will not be easy, and we will not attend a church on a regular basis that will not be affirming. So the answer is that it depends on where we end up settling and whether that place has an SDA church that will be a loving, fully accepting community. (Not that every member has to agree, but we should be able to hold a church office etc.) As I said, we are progressive in our beliefs, and I have gone so far as saying that I am a cultural Seventh-day Adventist. That said, at the core of my belief I am a disciple of Christ and live my walk based on Christ’s statement of the law in the gospels when He states: The greatest commandment is to love God with all your heart, and the second is like it; love your neighbor as yourself. I connect that to Matthew 25 and the scene of the judgment with its call to treat those on the fringes as God’s children. I am not saying that there are no bounds or limits, but they must be based on principles of love that create positive, faith-building relationships. I guess the simple answer is to the question is: In large part I accept the teachings of the SDA church and its fundamental beliefs. The community of the church is something that I am deeply a part of, based on both family and personal history, and in large part my experience with the Church has been very good. Have you told any of your colleagues about your transgender experience? Yes, and to a person they have been kind, supportive, caring and concerned. They would like to see me stay, but they also understand Adventist communities and the broader forces that presently prevail within the church on this and the broader questions of LGBTQI issues. At this point all of my close colleagues know and have known for several months. Their support continues to be there. Can you tell us more about how your wife feels about your decision to switch genders? How long have you been married? I have been married for over 30 years. I will not attempt to speak for her, but I will reflect on what she says and what I believe she thinks and feels. First, she would not choose this. But our marriage has been based on a deep and enduring friendship and commitment — one grounded in love and faith. We have been faithful throughout our marriage to each other, always keeping our vows. We are both, by nature, rather non-confrontational in how we relate to others, and we both look for the best in others. This outlook has created the path that allows us to move forward together as a couple even now. She has known for nearly a decade that I am transgender and has made a conscious decision to stay with me and to keep our relationship alive. My wife has experienced what is commonly felt by spouses and families of transgender people: when someone transitions there is a sense of the person dying before your eyes. But then the person who emerges is in most ways the same, so the reasons you loved that person are still there and in those key ways the person has not changed. As my wife and I have discussed my transition in the past few weeks, she said something that really struck me, and shows what an amazing person she is. I had expressed how amazing it was to just be me, mostly not worrying about keeping up appearances. I talked about how a burden that I have carried for some forty years was finally lifting. She responded that she could understand and that she was so glad to see how free and happy I was. She went on to say that she still loved me and can’t picture growing old with anybody else. Then she said: “I appreciate that you have carried this burden for so long; now it is my turn to carry the load.” This is as deep a commitment as anyone could ever ask, and as great a gift as anyone could receive. We do hope to grow old together. Do you know other Adventists who are transgender? What has their experience been like? Yes, I know several Adventists who are transgender and several former Adventists who are as well. The experience of each is different, but the key is how family relates to them. For those who have supportive families who are within the church, they have continued their connection to the church to varying degrees. Some are regular participants and members of their local churches. One is even a local church elder. For those that have family who are not accepting, most have left the SDA church and in some cases even the larger Christian religion. Acceptance by one’s family is a very powerful thing, and when your family is there for you in positive supporting ways, even it they don’t understand, life is worth living. Tell us a little bit about your family. Did you grow up in the Adventist church? I grew up in an Adventist family. I am a 4th generation Adventist on both sides of my family. One of my grandfathers was a pastor/administrator in the church, the other was the head elder of a large congregation for 30 years or more. My parents both worked the majority of their professional lives within the Adventist educational system, with my father a university professor/administrator and my mother teaching every thing from kindergarten to college. I have three siblings. Two have spent most of their professional lives within the Adventist healthcare system as managers and leaders. One has held positions as president and CEO of several organizations. My third sibling is a very successful author and publisher. My home life was a wonderful upbringing in a loving, caring family in an Adventist community. Virtually all of my friends were Adventists and their parents were active in the church and community. I was never abused by anyone as a child. My mother’s area of professional expertise is in the area of family and early childhood development and so she was very engaged as a parent, and my father was an equal partner in the task of raising the four of us. They are still active in their church community and truly cannot go anywhere in the Adventist world without encountering someone they know. We are still a closely connected family, and I talk regularly with my parents and siblings. We vacation together about once every 12 to 18 months and these gatherings are always fun and enjoyable. My wife and I have children who are young adults who we raised in the Adventist church, with most of their schooling in SDA schools. They are both Christians, but they now question the Adventist church because of the basic tone of the church and how it views LGBTQI issues. They find an incongruence to how the church views people they know who are LGBTQI and Christian. When did you begin to feel more comfortable as a girl or woman? My journey to understanding started in elementary school. Before the age of 9 I realized that I would rather be a girl to the world, but feared the consequences of telling anyone — so I didn’t. Sometime in the mid 1970s my brother, who is four years older, came home and announced that the artist who created the album “Switched on Bach” had “changed sexes” and he wanted to know what my parents thought. I don’t remember the specifics of that dinner table conversation, but I do know that it was clear that they didn’t think you could switch, and that likely it wasn’t “right.” This insured that I stayed deeply in the closet. I came to realize that I was a “transsexual” sometime in the course of middle school when I happened across an article in one of the local daily news papers. There was an article about a young transsexual woman who had transitioned,; she had the surgery commonly referred to as Sexual Reassignment surgery (SRS). (Preferred terms to today are Gender Reassignment surgery, GRS, or Gender Conformation surgery, GCS). With this article I realized that there was actually a way to change how one’s genitals appeared from male to female, and I knew that somehow that is what I needed — that indeed I could become a woman. About the same time Renée Richards became the first “out” professional athlete to play in a major sporting tournament and series (women’s tennis). With this and a few other things I realized that there were indeed other people who were similar, but within the culture and conversation of the community, it was clearly viewed as bad. Due to the conflict with my religious upbringing I struggled to reconcile what I felt, and so I did what any good young Adventist male would do: I got married just out of college. My wife and I were young, and I was sure that this was the cure. The realization that it wasn’t was quick to arrive, and in less than a year, I knew it hadn’t changed that part of me. I continued to struggle in silence and in the closet. I struggled with God about it until finally, after two children, I realized that God accepts me the way I am. I realized that it wasn’t my choices that led to the way I am; I just am, for whatever reason, and I don’t get to know “why me?” until heaven. With that realization, I became comfortable with the idea of seeing myself as a woman, but due to my military career, and my family responsibilities I stayed closeted until my wife happened to find my boxes of clothes and accessories. By this time I was in my early 40s and I was ready to live with integrity in my marriage, and so I told her. That was nine years ago. The emergence of the internet was a powerful thing for transgender people, as suddenly there was information out there that you could find from the privacy of your home. Suddenly I realized that I was not alone. This created hope that there might be a chance at “life.” To summarize, I felt comfortable as a girl when I was somewhere between six and nine years old. Like everyone else I moved through life with its accompanying doubts and fears, but I did it to the world as a guy, and internally as a girl. In adulthood — once I resolved the spiritual conflict — I was good with being a woman. In fact I was great with it. The more I have moved through transition, the more comfortable I am. Now I’m a rather sporty 50-something woman who loves fitness and fashion and trying to figure out how things work. I love to create images of the world (through photography). I love woodworking and cooking for my family. What do you like about the Adventist church? What do you dislike? The greatest strength of Adventist churches, I believe, are the sense of community they foster, and the Sabbath. The connectedness of the faith is powerful and inviting and has been very rewarding to me and my family. The Sabbath and the rest and the coming apart have given me a connection with God and family that I believe is of divine design and intent. What I struggle with in the institutional church is that we have become a church of rule, much like the Pharisees. These rules — although well intended — have become more important than the principles that underlie them. The second thing I struggle with is that we have failed to live out the gospel as it is set out in Matthew 25. We make attempts, but we are more concerned with appearance than we are about actual practice. I fear that many will be on the on the right side of the “rules,” but the wrong side of the judgment. The final thing that concerns me within Adventism is the recurring rise of perfection doctrines within the church. The Last Generation Theology (LGT) is the latest iteration. This type of theological thinking creates this drive to create rules so that we can define perfection, and can “know” that we are indeed progressing toward salvation or are in fact saved. Where do you see yourself in five years? I hope that I will be working full time at whatever the Lord leads us to do. Given my skills and work experience I expect it will be in the area of aviation operations, doing something such as flying for a major air carrier or in the more technical part of the flying business: flight test. I could end up back in government working on issues related to transgender inclusion, but I doubt that will be full time. In five years I will have been living full time with the world seeing me as the woman I am, married to the same beautiful and amazing lady I am today. I doubt we will have grandchildren yet, but it certainly could happen. I hope that I will have been a positive, loving voice in a challenging discussion in the church and the broader society. How have you seen the church’s attitudes towards gay, lesbian and transgender individuals change in your lifetime? How do you anticipate them changing further? Clearly within the church you can find those who have moderated their tone and even their stance on LGBTQI people, but the official position stands as it does, with non-inclusion unless you are celibate as the stated policy. If, as I suspect, the US Supreme Court rules in favor of “same sex marriage” the church will likely have to moderate its stance to at least accommodate those who come to Adventism already married, just as we have accommodated those who came to the church already in polygamous marriages from cultures where that is acceptable. On the issue of transgender acceptance, the church has not taken a formal stance, although the Biblical Research Institute did issue a paper earlier this year. If the BRI paper is adhered to, we will end up in much the same place as we are with the LGB portion of the group — which is really a very unaccepting position. If you look to the millennial generation, I believe that there is hope for radical change: that our church forms a doctrine that is based on monogamous committed relationships. On the transgender front, we could save ourselves much grief and bring a great deal of healing by simply following the biblical lead as patterned for eunuchs of old. Although many in the transgender community don’t like the association, in a careful reading of the relevant scriptures one can, without manipulation, include what we today call transgender people. We can find it in both testaments, even spoken directly by Christ. Finally we see an apostle act on it by baptizing a eunuch. The subject of this interview has requested to remain anonymous at this time, because of her current employment at an Adventist institution, and the employment of family members at Adventist institutions. She hopes to speak publicly in the future.

92 years old. She simply went to sleep Sunday evening and did not wake up Monday morning, yesterday! She had no pain. It was a blessing to simply go to sleep. As it says in Ecclesiastes, there is a time for all of us. Her time had come. She had no life. Her mind had departed the scene. She was confined to bed, except when others placed her in a chair. She was total care. Often she did not recognize those who visited her. She was one of God's loved children. She was a retired SDA elementary school teacher. She was my mother-in-law.

Yes, both my wife and I feel the same: It was time as she did not have a life. She went in peace, without pain.

The story of this transgender woman's life is beautiful, and it is told tastefully and well. It's only due to the recent advances in medical and surgical technology that such a transgender can successfully take place. Many previous generations must have had persons with gender dysphoria who could do nothing about it. Only in heaven will we be able to ask Jesus about why/how such "mistakes" happened, here on this earth. I thank God for this dedicated Adventist lady who didn't let her transgender status interfere with her dedication to her religious faith. Thank you for including this story here.

Gregory, you are blessed to have had a mother-in-law who passed peacefully to her rest. My mother did the same. I hope to die peacefully when it's my time to go. We have nothing to fear for the future; in fact, it's to be a glorious new life when Jesus comes!

The Biblical Research Institute (BRI) has produced a document that speaks to transgender issues, membership and pastoral care. Probably no person will agree with everything that the document says and most people will find something to agree with in the document. In any case, this document is an attempt to bring some understanding to the issues and to give some thought as to questions that transgender people may bring to SDA congregations. It should be noted that BRI is a department of the General Conference that exists to give advice to denominational administrators. However, it is not the official voice for the denomination. Therefore, one can not truthfully say that a position taken by the BRI is the denominational position. But, it positions are clearly of interest. To access this document see: https://www.adventistbiblicalresearch.org/sites/default/files/pdf/BRI_Ethics_Committee_Releases_Statements_on_Transgenderism.pdfs

During the 1983 – 2005 civil wars in Sudan, some 20,000 young males were orphaned. Over the years, they were shuttled from country to country, traveling within Africa and to States outside of Africa. Some ended up living in the United States. One such person saw his parents alive for the last time at the age of six years. At one point in his travels, he lived with a Seventh-day Adventist family in Africa and at that time he joined the church. After life in refugee camps, he eventually came to the United States. During his travels in the U.S. he always searched for a SDA Church that he could attend. Presently, he attends that Sabbath school class that I attend. Recently we learned that he is about to become the Father of twins. He is a hard worker, employed at a low income job. The mother of the twins is also a hard worker employed in a low income position. As a class, we knew that the couple did not have anything that they needed for the coming babies—a boy and a girl. We have a fund set up to be used for needs. The class immediately authorized my wife to spend up to $1,500 to purchase the basic things that the two babies would need. Yesterday we held a shower for the couple and the class presented them with the more than $2,000 worth of things that my wife had been able to purchase, plus additional gifts that came from congregational members. As a congregation and as a Sabbath School Class, we believe in being involved in the community and in needs of its people. For more on The Lost Boys of the Sudan, see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lost_Boys_of_Sudan

My perception of Barely Adventist is that it is us laughing at ourselves. That is what I get from other Adventists when I mention it to them. E.G> ME talking about "Wham" is me laughing at me eating it. It is O.K. to laugh at yourself. Healthy people can do that.

One more thought if I may... It strikes me that A.T. Jones, a man that God used to bring showers of Latter Rain, fell because of his abusive manner. (In some ways Jones stands as a warning beacon to us all.) Yes, it is true that other factors were involved in Jones' fall, but this was not least among them: "Your work has been represented to me in figures. You were passing round to a company a vessel filled with most beautiful fruit [i.e. truth]. But as you offered them this fruit, you spoke words so harsh, and your attitude was so forbidding, that no one would accept it. Then Another came to the same company, and offered them the same fruit. And so courteous and pleasant were His words and manner as He spoke of the desirability of the fruit, that the vessel was emptied." (EGW, Letter to Jones, September 1902.)

One of the Testimonies has a comment that has stayed with me for years. To me it describes an aspect of spiritual abuse. It says that "among some species of animals, if one of their number is wounded and falls, he is at once set upon and torn in pieces by his fellows. The same cruel spirit is indulged by men and women who bear the name of Christians." (5T 59) Some people seem to think that it is their duty to be suspicious of, and aggressive towards, certain others. Some also domineer because they feel that it is their duty to keep certain ones "under control". But to me these are like James and John who thought that it entirely appropriate to call down fire from heaven. Of course they did not know what spirit they were of... they certainly did not share Jesus' spirit.

Ron and I debated for some time, concerning whether the system of animal sacrifice performed under the Aaronic priesthood, was rendered obsolete by the death of Messiah. I believe the offering of animal blood, and animal flesh is NO LONGER needed, required, or wanted by our God. I believe we will go up to worship the LORD at the "appointed times" in the coming Kingdom of God on earth. But I DO NOT believe we will celebrate these feasts with the blood or flesh, of bulls and goats (which NEVER took away sin anyway). Isaiah 11:9 "They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain, For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea." Isaiah 65:25 "'The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, The lion shall eat straw like the ox, And dust shall be the serpent's food. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain,' says the LORD." Both priest and people were COMMANDED to eat the MEAT of the Passover Lamb, and the MEAT of the Peace offering. Priests were commanded to EAT the MEAT of the "sin offering". If all the animals which formerly ate meat, will - in the kingdom - be vegetarian, WHY WOULD WE THINK that men would still be eating the meat of sacrifices????? Today - we partake of Messiah, in the emblems of His body and His blood.

I believe that Biblical passages can have more than one valid interpretation. I think that, while your interpretation is valid, there is an underlying "fear factor" in it that could cause some people who still have sin problems after they have come to the Lord to doubt their salvation and just give up. I agree with you that these verses do not say every believer must be perfect at the SC; but we both know people who think otherwise. Fear is an effective motivator; but I think God would prefer love and trust to motivate us to overcoming rather than fear leading us to self-condemnation and hopelessness. Until I read these verses as I described in my previous post, I shuddered with fear and despair on the thought of my potentially lost salvation every time I read Hebrews chapters 6 and 10. Now, I find those verses to be an encouragement to firmly believe that Jesus did a good enough job on the cross to save even a wretch like me.

​Lol and Ugh! Well since we're all being about our politics here and I'm just gonna let my hair down for you all and let the chips fall where they land and come what way. I, being a blank blank, naturally would vote for blank blank.... but has been somewhat disappointed by blank blank acting like a blank blank. Then the blank blank is looking a blank blank. Can you just imagine when I find out that blank blank is indeed .. a blankity blank blank.. I think it's way too early and want to be surprised. .

I'd vote for a woman as President, but so far, I've not been impressed with the caliber of candidates (in either party) ... the male candidates aren't looking all that sharp either... I have a feeling that once again, it's going to be selecting who I think is the best - and akin to choosing which juvenile delinquent would be best at leading a gang...

AMEN, Sojourner! These charlatans that limit and twist Gods promises of abundant life to mean nothing but material worldly prosperity are among the worst types of spiritual abusers. They prey on the poor and desperate who have no other recourse to relief from financial distress but God. The some charlatan infidel tells them to "send our ministry $100 and God promised to return your gift 1,000 - fold". So they send money than can ill afford to give away; and get nothing but "payment overdue" notices. Spiriual abuse at its worst.

“The best way to knock the chip off your neighbor's shoulder is to pat him on the back.” - Unknown

The Burial of the Dead: Rite One I am the resurrection and the life, saith the Lord; he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live; and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth; and though this body be destroyed, yet shall I see God; whom I shall see for myself and mine eyes shall behold, and not as a stranger. For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself. For if we live, we live unto the Lord. and if we die, we die unto the Lord. Whether we live, therefore, or die, we are the Lord's. Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord; even so saith the Spirit, for they rest from their labors. -The Bible

“Millions long for immortality who do not know what to do with themselves on a rainy Sunday afternoon. ” - Susan Ertz

“Real courage is when you know you're licked before you begin, but you begin anyway.” - Harper Lee

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. ” - Matthew 5:9 (Revised Standard Version) "How blessed are those who make peace! for they will be called sons of God. - Matthew 5:9 (Complete Jewish Bible)

“Difficulties in life are intended to make us better, not bitter.” - Dan Reeves

“Until the will and the affections are brought under the authority of Christ, we have not begun to understand, let alone to accept, His lordship. ” - Elisabeth Elliot