New Jersey church celebrates transgender pastor’s transition with renaming ceremony

The Rev. Peter Beeson used to go by the name Rose.

But the congregation at St. Matthew Trinity Lutheran Church held a renaming ceremony on Sunday to celebrate the transgender pastor’s transition.

“I feel embraced by the cloud of saints,” the Rev. Beeson told WABC-TV New York.

The Rev. Beeson came out to the Hoboken, New Jersey, church last summer and has experienced little pushback from within the St. Matthew Trinity community.

Congregation member Mark Singleton said the church considers itself “radically welcoming.”

“And we really take that seriously,” Mr. Singleton said.

The pastor said it’s particularly important to affirm transgenderism now that President Trump is in the White House.

“Both I and this congregation thought it was even more important because of that,” the Rev. Beeson said. “To be a bold voice that says, ’Christians also believe transgender people are good and created in the image of God.’ “