Baptist News Global
Sections
  • News
  • Analysis
  • Opinion
  • Curated
  • Storytelling
    • Faith & Justice >
      • Charleston: Metanoia with Bill Stanfield
      • Charlotte: QC Family Tree with Greg and Helms Jarrell
      • Little Rock: Judge Wendell Griffen
      • North Carolina: Conetoe
    • Welcoming the Stranger >
      • Lost Boys of Sudan: St. John’s Baptist Charlotte
      • Awakening to Immigrant Justice: Myers Park Baptist Church
      • Hospitality on the corner: Gaston Christian Center
    • Signature Ministries >
      • Jake Hall: Gospel Gothic, Music and Radio
    • Singing Our Faith >
      • Hymns for a Lifetime: Ken Wilson and Knollwood Baptist Church
      • Norfolk Street Choir
    • Resilient Rural America >
      • Alabama: Perry County
      • Texas: Hidalgo County
      • Arkansas Delta
      • Southeast Kentucky
  • More
    • Contact
    • About
    • Donate
    • Associated Baptist Press Foundation
    • Planned Giving
    • Letters to the Editor
    • Advertising
    • Ministry Jobs and More
    • Transitions
    • Subscribe
    • Submissions and Permissions
Donate Subscribe
Search Search this site

Q&A with June Joplin on life as an itinerant (transgender) preacher

NewsMark Wingfield  |  September 18, 2020

Earlier this summer, June Joplin made international headlines when she used a Sunday morning sermon at her Baptist church to come out as transgender. Nearly three months later, more has changed than her gender.

The Canadian Baptist church she had served eight years as pastor narrowly voted to dismiss her and — in one of the few blessings of the coronavirus age — she has taken up an itinerant preaching ministry made possible by Zoom and Facebook Live.

June Joplin (Photo by Laur Bereznai)

Without leaving her home in suburban Toronto, Pastor June appears each Sunday in places as diverse as New Orleans, Boston or down the road in Toronto.

She spoke with Baptist News Global about her new life and experiences.

So much has changed in your life and work this summer. What are some things that haven’t changed that are anchors for you?

I’m still preaching most Sundays, so my weeks have a familiar rhythm — from text, to idea, to something like an outline, to the written word, and finally the spoken word. The process is relentless (even in unemployment), and it can be stressful. I do enjoy it, though.

I’m still running — in fact, I’ve signed up to run the same 5K I’ve run the past two years to raise money for Matthew House, and their work with refugee claimants. It’s a virtual race this year, which I think means I can run pretty much any time during October and send in my time and a photo. And I won’t have to rush across town after the race to go to church in person this year.

I’m still a parent, which means I’m having about as many conversations about Pokémon, memes and the NHL as I ever was. I’m also picking dirty clothes up off the floor and trying to decide what’s for dinner.

Shortly after coming out to my oldest child, he and I were in the car one afternoon. He said, “You know, I enjoy being around you as much as I always have, except now I’m with a girl.” I’m grateful that hasn’t changed.

How would you characterize the responses you’ve had from friends, family and even people you never met before?

One of the things I noticed early on is that the people who have kept talking to me are the people who support me and love me with no strings attached. I’ve still only received one critical message from anyone at my former church. I’ve gotten some hate mail — always anonymously — and I’m sure it’s still the case that there are plenty of people talking about me rather than to me.

The initial outpouring of support when the news came out was so wonderful. It was almost too much love and positivity to take in. I was moved to tears on a regular basis during those first couple of weeks. In some cases, I received loving words from unexpected places; and with some old friends and colleagues, conspicuous silence.

The effect this all has is, the responses that get to me are overwhelmingly positive, loving, and supportive. My best friends haven’t missed a beat — one of them messaged me the other day to say that he honestly can’t remember me having been anyone other than June. Another said that, even if she tried, she couldn’t remember my deadname anymore. One of my old neighbors told me she sees God’s love in me, that I look whole, that I look like grace and love, and that she’s glad I’m home. How beautiful!

What are you hearing from other trans folk who might have been inspired or shocked by your witness?

In my experience, trans people love and encourage their trans siblings. I get kind and caring messages from trans people almost every day. Sometimes it’s just as simple and sweet as “Hey, I thought you looked really beautiful in your last sermon video,” but often folks share extended accounts of the ways their faith journeys have interacted with their transitional journeys. A trans woman at a Baptist church in New England has been sending me regular updates as she and her pastors prepare a sort of liturgy for renaming and rebaptism. I think that’s lovely.

“I hope more churches will repent of their ignorance and create sanctuary for trans people to experience abundant life.”

I’m amazed by how many trans women seriously considered and even went to school for vocational ministry, and how many other closeted trans women are serving as clergy. I hope more churches will repent of their ignorance and create sanctuary for trans people to experience abundant life.

Occasionally, I’ll get some grief from a trans person who views religion with the same sort of hateful prejudice that conservative Christians have for LGBTQ people. It’s interesting to be caught between extreme views on either side, but that extremism seems to be rare among trans people.

Often, we talk about evangelism as bringing people to faith for the first time, of conversions and baptisms. But there’s another kind of evangelism that brings people back to faith when they’ve been estranged. How is that part of your current ministry?

I remember reading that about half of LGBTQ people in the U.S. are people of faith. I imagine that percentage is a bit lower here in Canada, but the figure is probably still significant.

It’s hard to be a trans person of faith — open, inclusive, welcoming voices in the church don’t speak with the same levels of volume and certainty as the hateful voices. That’s why I believe visibility is important. If people can see me and say, “Hey, she’s trans, and she’s a follower of Jesus, and she’s a pastor, and she’s doing it with grace, and she says I’m beloved,” maybe they can find inspiration to rediscover or rekindle their faith.

What’s it like to be an itinerant pastor in the age of coronavirus restrictions?

There are things I love about it. I don’t have to deal with the pressure to return to in-person worship services. I don’t have to sit through meetings about reopening protocols. I don’t have to feel the anxiety of whether or not we’re going to make budget. And on a personal level, I don’t have to answer theologically immature questions about whether or not it’s OK to be transgender, because the congregations that invite me to preach are generally the congregations that get it.

On the other hand, I do miss having people. Some of the supportive folks from my ex congregation threw me a socially distant, outdoor farewell party a few days ago, and it was bittersweet seeing all those loving faces (even behind masks) and knowing that we’re not connected in the same way as before.

It’s hard enough to be a guest preacher in a church with a physical presence — dropping in and out just for a Sunday. What are the additional challenges of being a guest preacher via video?

There is a disconnected feeling, but it comes with a silver lining. I’m not sure I have the emotional energy right now to connect with congregations physically — even if I were only visiting on a Sunday morning.

Preaching on video did not feel natural at first, but I do feel as if I’ve gotten the hang of it to some degree. It helps to see a woman in my monitor and to know that the woman I’m seeing is really and truly me.

What’s the most encouraging or surprising thing that’s happened to you in the past three months?

I have been surprised by all the media attention, and I have tried to conduct myself with as much poise and grace as possible. Talking to the New York Times was especially unexpected. I remember telling a close friend, shortly before coming out, “My guess is, Baptist News Global will probably do a story about me, but that’s probably all the attention I’ll get. It’s not like I’m going to get written up in the New York Times like Paula Stone Williams did.”

I guess I was wrong.

What’s next for you vocationally?

I wish I knew. I’m not terribly confident in my capacity to serve as a pastor again, but I feel like that’s where I’ll land by default. It’s a scary thing, though. The last time I set foot in a church building, I noticed a sort of panicky feeling I hadn’t felt before. And when folks have reached out to me about serving one place or another as a pastor, my anxiety spikes in a way I can’t ignore.

“I don’t really know how to work anyplace else than a church, but sometimes that feels like more of a curse than a blessing.”

I don’t really know how to work anyplace else than a church, but sometimes that feels like more of a curse than a blessing.

At the suggestion of a few of her pastor colleagues, my friend Elizabeth Mangham Lott set up a GoFundMe page for folks who’d like to support me and my family during this time of upheaval. Hopefully, people will continue to give generously enough that I can make my next vocational move more out of a sense of calling and less out of financial desperation.

And even though your public announcement is just a few months old, knowing this was something you wrestled with for years, any regrets at this point?

In terms of how I came out, and how I’ve chosen to be visible since coming out, I have no regrets at all. I know that my transition has kept some folks up at night, wrestling with the kind of consequential matters of faith churches are generally desperate to avoid. That wouldn’t have happened if I’d resigned on my own volition, gone away quietly or kept living a convenient lie.

In terms of broader timing, well, almost every trans person I know regrets not transitioning sooner. As someone transitioning in her early 40s, it’s easy to get stuck in that spiral. I am trying to learn to give myself grace and to recognize that transition itself is a grace. It’s miraculous that any of us get here, to this place of abundant life, given the enormous barriers we face.

 

Related articles:

Pastor reveals her true identity in live-streamed Sunday sermon

Church dismisses pastor who came out as transgender in Sunday sermon

Seven things I’m learning about transgender persons

Baptist church calls transgender pastor

Why being transgender is not a sin

Trans 101 for churches: ways to make a difference for transgender persons

Baptist church ordains transgender woman

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • More
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window)
Tags:preachingtransgenderMark Wingfieldpastoral lifeCOVID-19June Joplin
More by
Mark Wingfield
  • Get BNG headlines in your inbox

  • Featured

    • Ukrainians join European Baptists to help quake victims in Syria and Turkey

      News

    • Two Baptist seminaries among six ‘recommended’ by new Global Methodist Church

      News

    • Advocates for constitutional ban on female ‘pastors’ in SBC publish a list of 170 churches they deem in violation

      News

    • Former staff at Knoxville church see a familiar pattern in Northern Seminary’s complaints about Shiell’s leadership

      News


    Curated

    • Jimmy Carter’s religious values were never far from his presidency or his policy

      Jimmy Carter’s religious values were never far from his presidency or his policy

    • Pioneer of gospel music rediscovered in Pittsburgh archives

      Pioneer of gospel music rediscovered in Pittsburgh archives

    • As The King’s College faces closure, scrutiny turns to its backers

      As The King’s College faces closure, scrutiny turns to its backers

    • Communicators for Christ: how homeschool debate leagues shaped the rising stars of the Christian right

      Communicators for Christ: how homeschool debate leagues shaped the rising stars of the Christian right

    Read Next:

    Why a potential indictment of Donald Trump will matter so little to most of his Christian supporters

    AnalysisRobert P. Jones

    More Articles

    • All
    • News
    • Opinion
    • Curated
    • ‘He Gets Us’ is feeding massive amounts of data to Cambridge Analytica and conservative political groups

      AnalysisKristen Thomason

    • Ukrainians join European Baptists to help quake victims in Syria and Turkey

      NewsJeff Brumley

    • Two Baptist seminaries among six ‘recommended’ by new Global Methodist Church

      NewsMark Wingfield

    • How dare they publish that list

      OpinionArthur Wright Jr.

    • Advocates for constitutional ban on female ‘pastors’ in SBC publish a list of 170 churches they deem in violation

      NewsMark Wingfield

    • Former staff at Knoxville church see a familiar pattern in Northern Seminary’s complaints about Shiell’s leadership

      NewsMark Wingfield

    • Egged on by evangelical influence, Ugandan Parliament passes harsh new anti-gay bill

      NewsAnthony Akaeze

    • Judge’s dismissal of 36 churches’ lawsuit holds implications for other UMC departures

      NewsCynthia Astle

    • ‘Woke’: I don’t think that word means what you say it does

      OpinionRoger Lovette

    • Why a potential indictment of Donald Trump will matter so little to most of his Christian supporters

      AnalysisRobert P. Jones

    • Increased frequency of church attendance correlates with decreased interpersonal trust

      AnalysisMallory Challis

    • The Russian Orthodox Church is a big loser in the Russian-Ukrainian war

      OpinionAndrey Shirin

    • Barna finds pastors are exhausted and isolated, which could be an opportunity for change

      NewsJeff Brumley

    • On the path to immigration justice, it’s time for Biden to change course

      OpinionSalote Soqo

    • One-third of Northern Seminary students express no confidence in trustees

      NewsMark Wingfield

    • He was wrongly put on Death Row and believes you could be too

      NewsJeff Brumley

    • If a story is meant to evolve, then so are we

      OpinionKaitlin Curtice

    • Paula Faris makes a case for motherhood

      NewsMaina Mwaura

    • Sociologists find LGBTQ United Methodists, allies stay in UMC out of hope

      NewsCynthia Astle

    • Angels among us

      OpinionMary Alice Birdwhistell

    • Let’s stop treating the dignity of women as a secondary issue good Christians can disagree on

      OpinionRick Pidcock

    • First American woman appointed a missionary beat the system by funding herself

      NewsJeff Brumley

    • An Anglican in Babylon

      OpinionLee Enochs

    • Jimmy Carter leads by example one last time

      NewsMallory Challis

    • Listen to the voices of women

      OpinionKathy Manis Findley

    • Ukrainians join European Baptists to help quake victims in Syria and Turkey

      NewsJeff Brumley

    • Two Baptist seminaries among six ‘recommended’ by new Global Methodist Church

      NewsMark Wingfield

    • Advocates for constitutional ban on female ‘pastors’ in SBC publish a list of 170 churches they deem in violation

      NewsMark Wingfield

    • Former staff at Knoxville church see a familiar pattern in Northern Seminary’s complaints about Shiell’s leadership

      NewsMark Wingfield

    • Egged on by evangelical influence, Ugandan Parliament passes harsh new anti-gay bill

      NewsAnthony Akaeze

    • Judge’s dismissal of 36 churches’ lawsuit holds implications for other UMC departures

      NewsCynthia Astle

    • Barna finds pastors are exhausted and isolated, which could be an opportunity for change

      NewsJeff Brumley

    • One-third of Northern Seminary students express no confidence in trustees

      NewsMark Wingfield

    • He was wrongly put on Death Row and believes you could be too

      NewsJeff Brumley

    • Paula Faris makes a case for motherhood

      NewsMaina Mwaura

    • Sociologists find LGBTQ United Methodists, allies stay in UMC out of hope

      NewsCynthia Astle

    • First American woman appointed a missionary beat the system by funding herself

      NewsJeff Brumley

    • Jimmy Carter leads by example one last time

      NewsMallory Challis

    • Ministry jobs and more

      NewsBarbara Francis

    • Karen Swallow Prior to leave Southeastern Seminary

      NewsMark Wingfield

    • Acting chair of Northern Seminary board resigns in protest of board’s ‘official silence’ about Shiell

      NewsElizabeth Souder

    • Amid rampant antisemitism, most Americans think highly of Jews 

      NewsJeff Brumley

    • Two days after filing suit against SBC, ‘Pastor Johnny’ was preaching in Georgia

      NewsMaina Mwaura

    • ‘Pastor Johnny’ sues the SBC and Guidepost

      NewsMark Wingfield

    • UMC agency asks to monitor bishop’s case as suspicion rises

      NewsCynthia Astle

    • Polling is shifting on conservatives’ attitudes on immigration

      NewsJeff Brumley

    • Denny Burk pushes back against Rick Warren’s new understanding of women in ministry

      NewsMark Wingfield

    • Akin apologizes for tweet about slavery but is chastised by the SBC’s far-right

      NewsMark Wingfield

    • 80,000 Jews have fled Russia since Putin invaded Ukraine

      NewsJeff Brumley

    • Africa’s freelance prophets are breaking free of denominations

      NewsNyasha Bhobo

    • How dare they publish that list

      OpinionArthur Wright Jr.

    • ‘Woke’: I don’t think that word means what you say it does

      OpinionRoger Lovette

    • The Russian Orthodox Church is a big loser in the Russian-Ukrainian war

      OpinionAndrey Shirin

    • On the path to immigration justice, it’s time for Biden to change course

      OpinionSalote Soqo

    • If a story is meant to evolve, then so are we

      OpinionKaitlin Curtice

    • Angels among us

      OpinionMary Alice Birdwhistell

    • Let’s stop treating the dignity of women as a secondary issue good Christians can disagree on

      OpinionRick Pidcock

    • An Anglican in Babylon

      OpinionLee Enochs

    • Listen to the voices of women

      OpinionKathy Manis Findley

    • Stranger in the Village: James Baldwin and inclusion

      OpinionGreg Garrett, Senior Columnist

    • How can we say thanks? Reflections on the influence of Andrae Crouch

      OpinionDoug Haney

    • The SBC: ‘They are who we thought they were’

      OpinionKris Aaron

    • Blowing the whistle on wedding fouls

      OpinionBrad Bull

    • ‘Grandmas make the best banana bread’

      OpinionJustin Cox

    • Troubling the water, a gospel for the ‘unmet’

      OpinionBill Leonard, Senior Columnist

    • What has happened to suspended UMC Latina bishop?

      OpinionCynthia Astle

    • When we can’t hear our children’s cries

      OpinionSusan K. Smith

    • How I realized I had been shaped by patriarchal views of pastors

      OpinionTambi Brown Swiney

    • My home state is no longer safe for my family

      OpinionLucas Land

    • Saying the quiet part out loud

      OpinionLindsay Bergstrom

    • Tennessee representative who proposed execution by ‘hanging by a tree’ needs a history lesson

      OpinionRodney Kennedy

    • Letter to the Editor: Call out leaders’ bad behavior

      OpinionLetters to the Editor

    • Three years ago today, our world changed

      OpinionMolly Brummett Wudel

    • Sometimes it’s not a good idea to quote the Bible

      OpinionMark Wingfield

    • Shelter from the storm: The Asbury revival as Woodstock 2.0

      OpinionAlan Bean

    • Jimmy Carter’s religious values were never far from his presidency or his policy

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Pioneer of gospel music rediscovered in Pittsburgh archives

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • As The King’s College faces closure, scrutiny turns to its backers

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Communicators for Christ: how homeschool debate leagues shaped the rising stars of the Christian right

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Israeli leader halts bill against Christian proselytizing

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Trump’s arrest ‘prediction’ inflames holy war narrative and sanctifies violence — welcome to Trump ’24

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • German prosecutors examined late pope in abuse probe

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Court rehears case to protect Oak Flat, an Apache sacred site in Arizona

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Antisemitism on Twitter has more than doubled since Elon Musk took over the platform – new research

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Israel’s Reform rabbi and legislator on judicial overhaul: ‘It doesn’t look good.’

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Israel, Palestinians pledge moves to curb violence ahead of Ramadan

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Pope promotes ‘humanitarian corridors’ for asylum-seekers

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Tim Keller and Beth Moore, On and Off the Stage

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Alarmed by their country’s political direction, more Israelis are seeking to move abroad

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • 2nd Vatican official says pope OK’d ransom payments for nun

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Across the country, a push to observe Muslim holidays in school calendars

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Far-right Israeli minister finds enemy in JDC, the mainstream American Jewish aid group

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Charter school movement divided over religious Oklahoma proposal

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Racial Justice Leaders Are Calling For An End To Deadly Traffic Stops

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Russian Christians Make Theological Case for Peace

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Preemptive Love Coalition to merge with Search for Common Ground

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Buddhism Went Mainstream Decades Ago. US Churches Still Aren’t Ready.

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • AR-15 lapel pins are more than political provocation — they’re symbols of the violence at the heart of white Christian nationalism

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • US tribes get bison as they seek to restore bond with animal

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Tennessee’s drag ban rehashes old culture war narratives

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    Conversations that Matter.

    © 2023 Baptist News Global. All rights reserved.

    Want to share a story? We hope you will! Read our republishing, terms of use and privacy policies here.

    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Instagram
    • LinkedIn
    • RSS