Minister Reveals Transgender Secret

Rev. David Weekley Says He Hopes to Stay in Methodist Church to Work for Change

(CBS)  A Methodist minister made a surprise announcement during a church sermon: He was actually born female.

Rev. David Weekley, of Epworth United Methodist Church in Portland, Ore., says he is a transsexual: After a difficult childhood, he had gender reassignment surgery.

Weekley said on "The Early Show" he never viewed his transsexual life as a secret.

"I viewed it as part of my private life," he said.

When Weekley revealed his past, his congregants were quiet.

"It was a pretty intense time," Weekly said. "But they were very supportive. And following the service that day, there were many, many hugs and time for conversation and questions."

Since the revelation, Weekley said he felt a burden had been lifted.

"I feel like I have more ability to pastor to my congregation, and also other people that come to me," he said. "I've had so many e-mails and cards from people all over the country and world saying they would like to return to a spiritual community and my being out there gives them some hope to do that."

Weekley added that seeking reassignment surgery was never a decision.

"From my earliest memories, I always considered myself, felt myself to be a boy. And I use that language because I was a child and that's the way I describe myself, my self-image was always that of a little boy," he said. "That's how I played. Those were my friends. It was only as I grew older that I began to understand there was a difference between how I viewed myself and how the world saw me."

However, Weekley's church may have something to say about his revelation.

"Early Show" co-anchor Maggie Rodriguez pointed out the Methodist church does not ban transgender people from joining the clergy, but they do reevaluate their rules every four years.

Is Weekley concerned that when reevaluation comes up again the Methodist church might take this up and rule against him?

Weekley said that is a possibility, which is why he's speaking out and being more public now.

Homosexuals are permitted to be in the clergy, Rodriguez said. How does he respond to a ban on officiating gay weddings?

"I'm not happy with that part of our church," Weekley said, "but I've chosen over the years to stay within it hoping to work for positive change about those kinds of things."

Deborah Weekley, David's wife, knew David only as male. But she said he revealed his secret after six months as friends.

"I've always been accepting of it," Deborah said. "... David's one of the finest human beings I know and I've always known him as a man and he's a wonderful husband and father and an awesome minister. So I've never seen a conflict with it."

[sam-kiley]

coucou
oyé oyé..j'ai une conscience ...au revoir

[barbaram99]

Yep it is more common than ye think. Out of fear they must not out themselve..Rhy..The bloody hate. My friend asked me why can women dress in male closthing. I have no asnwer to give..I am 55 and female.
My roommate is born male and has the mind of a female. I have lived with this person since 83. My friend would rather dress in ladies's things and even perfers a girl's name . Others see a male. Why is it this pastor is loved so dearly. My feiend is hated. My friend uses the herms she ,her,everything a female uses. My friend sit on the loo just as I.

[RadGal]

Congratulations Rev Weekly on your successful coming out! Another positive role model to help break down the old negative stereotypes that some people still hold about us transsexual people. People need to learn that we are just normal people who have overcome an extraordinary birth condition. If people would like to learn more I highly suggest this source of information:

http://ai.eecs.umich.edu/people/conway/TS/TS.html

[birksbme]

Jesus loves you just as much as he loves Rev. Weekley, and anyone else who had the courage to be true to themselves AND their calling.

I am proud of him, his wife, his family, and congregation. They have been very true to the Spirit. God's love, grace, and mercy abounds! You would even be welcomed.

And if we're spouting scripture... Romans 8:28 - 39

[stuart-johns1]

I cannot understand your connection between Romans 8:28-39 and this story. When I "spouted" scripture, I referenced it and explained it's relevance to this story.

Your use of the word "spouted" has a negative ring to it. Perhaps you were convicted by those references I used? If so, be grateful. But there is not one verse in Romans 8:28-39 that is relevant to this story.

[stuart-johns1]

Well I have nothing against this person at all. But I am concerned, and have been for some time, that the church has left it's first love.

Church history shows that in the 60's, when Time magazine ran the "God is Dead" cover story, Americans were leaving the churches en masse. So the church began to find new ways to attrack converts or to make converts.

They strayed from the simple power of the Gospel and began to rely on human methods to ensure conversions and attendance. Hence the watering down of God's laws and Christs expectations for believers and the entire Gospel message. We call that "easy believism".

One of God's laws for ministers is found in 1 Tim., I think in chapter three, that he must be above all reproach. Just because he has had a sex change operation should not make him reproachable. Having a sex change is not neccessarily a sin in and of itself.

But there is another little jewel the Apostle Paul wrote that is significant here. He said that all Christian's should not be as a stumbling block for the non-believers and for the brethren. Jesus Himself warned against being a stumbling block.

If I were this persons pastor, I would be forced out of conscience to counsel him this way. I would discourage him from remaining on in a leadership role in the church for the reason I mentioned above.

There is too much self serving going on in the world today and it has found a home, too, in America's churches. Anyone who is a believer and doubts that read Revelation, chapters 2 and 3.

[open_hearts_minds_doors]

Isn't it wonderful that by sharing his story, he has shown that All are loved by God - because he's an ordained Elder in the United Methodist church not by chance and not by casual happenstance, but because it was agreed after much deliberation and prayer and consideration and careful thought and more prayer that he was, indeed Called by God to do the work of Minister. If he was Called, surely he is loved - exactly as he is - which simply underscores the fact that Jesus love ALL the children of the world. I think it's wonderful that he was so brave as to tell his story and that the result is that people who have longed for a church home now believe they can find one as evidenced by the fact that a transgender man is such an integral part of one, already.

Jesus didn't reserve his teachings and his healing and his love just for a select few or only for those who met a certain criterea. Jesus' purpose for walking here on Earth with us was to show us in no uncertain terms that God's love is big enough for EVERYONE!!!!

[officially_shocked]

To the people who have left hateful comments here: If a person absolutely feels like a male but has a vagina and breasts, why do we need to judge the person for wanting to get a *****? Why do we need to judge the person for wanting the rest of the world to see him as he feels? Think about it: what if you were born with a vagina and breasts but felt like a male? What if you were defined as "female" because of your body but always were attracted to women, always felt more comfortable in male clothing, felt more at ease being addressed with male pronouns, and always identified more with males? Would you really want to have to live your life with everybody calling you a girl and thinking you were a girl just because you had female body parts? I doubt it. And I am certain you would hate feeling ostracized just because of your decision to make your body match the way you feel.

When someone is born blind people don't maliciously judge that person for being "abnormal." We don't look at a blind person and think that they are an abomination. Rather, we usually tend to see their blindness as a malfunction of the brain -- an involuntary disorder. And if a blind person alters their body (by getting eye surgery) in order to live a happier, more comfortable, more productive life, we do not label them as "immoral" or "disgusting." We simply know that it is not their fault that they were born blind. Furthermore, nobody would dare call a blind person a "second-class citizen" or a "freak" because of their blindness. A blind person is a simply a human being who happens to be different than 90% of the other human beings. Their blindness is a medical condition; their decision to try to lessen their blindness via a medical operation does not make them a "bad" or "morally wrong" person.

When a person is born with an extra arm people don't maliciously judge that person for being "abnormal." We don't look at a three-armed person and think that they are an abomination. Rather, we usually tend to see their third arm as a birth defect -- an involuntary disorder. Yes, it is rare, but it does happen. If that three-armed person alters their body (by removing the third arm) in order to live a happier , more comfortable, more productive life, we do not label them as "immoral" or "disgusting." We simply know that it is not their fault that they were born with a third arm. Furthermore, nobody would dare call a person with three arms a "second-class citizen" or a "freak" because of their third arm. A person born with three arms is simply a human being who happens to be different than 99% of the other human beings. Their extra arm is a medical condition; their decision to remove their extra arm via a medical operation does not make them a "bad" or "morally wrong" person.

But when a person is born with a vagina and the mentality of a male, people maliciously judge that person for being "abnormal." People look at that person and call them an abomination. Instead of realizing that their vagina is a medical condition that needs to be altered, we see that person as a "freak" or "immoral." Yes, it is less common for someone to be born with a male mentality and female body, but it does happen. If a blind person or a three-armed person alters their body in order to be more comfortable we do not judge them, but if someone has a sex-alteration in order to feel more comfortable, we feel the need to judge them! Furthermore, transgendered people are often called "second-class citizens" or even "freaks" just because they decided to change the wrong body parts/genitalia that they were born with. A person born with a vagina and a male mentality (or vice versa) is simply a human being who happens to be different than 99% of the other human beings; are we really so narrow minded that we cannot accept differences in other human beings?

[open_hearts_minds_doors]

Thank you, thank you, thank you for your wonderful, wise words. :)

[stevador39]

HOW DID THE 'WOMAN,' DAVID WEEKLEY, 'FATHER' A CHILD. WAS IT THROUGH A SPERM BANK OR ADOPTION. WHATEVER THIS 'COUPLE' DID, IT PROBABLY INVOLVED FRAUD OF SOME KIND.

[bobkat258]

Hmmm. I wonder where else transgenders will show up? Could be anywhere really! Maybe you will never even know! And it could be right under your nose! Hope it's not someone you LOVE.

[tomanyt]

Thanks Whimwham. But I think we can figure that out for ourselves.

[stuart-johns1]

by Whimwham October 1, 2009 3:57 PM EDT
tomanyt,
you're welcome. always glad to help the ignorant.
=============

When will you help yourself???

[babooph]

A "flock" is lead by a dog or minister-I really have a lot of respect for those dogs & notice all flocks seem to have the same mental powers,thus the dog & minister have a little more brains than the flock.

[DaVicar8]

Those crazy Methodists.

[open_hearts_minds_doors]

Yep. We're crazy enough to believe that God's love is big enough for everyone. :)