Transgender pastor fosters inclusive church to reinforce that everyone is welcome
Across the U.S., many faiths and religions are working toward being more inclusive of the LGBTQ+ community. But, according to the Pew Research Center, the majority of Christians still feel a person's gender is determined by their sex assigned at birth.
The "CBS Mornings" series, "The State of Spirituality with Lisa Ling," explores unique paths to faith, spirituality and religion in the U.S. The latest installment of the series focuses on a Lutheran pastor in California who is trying to form an inclusive community by just being himself.
Drew Stever lives in California with his partner Hazel, their three children and two dogs. He said his life is pretty average.
"We play board games, and we garden and we make art," he said.
Stever is a transgender man and an ordained minister in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA).
While some Christian denominations have evolved to be more inclusive of LGBTQ+ people, the acceptance of transgender clergy has been much slower. In 2015, the ELCA ordained its first transgender priest and several more followed, including Stever. Transgender clergy also serve in the Methodist, Episcopal and Presbyterian churches. But most denominations and churches still forbid it, citing the Bible verse Genesis 1:27: "So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them."
Stever said it is hard to relate this verse to modern times, because it wasn't written for 2024.
"It was written for then," he said. "When we read in the scripture that God created, man and woman, yes. And God created everyone else as well."
At Stever's home church, Hope Lutheran in Hollywood, congregants told us when he says "all are welcome," he really means it.
"Pastor Drew is a good pastor and I think he focuses on Jesus' commands, we should love God and love our neighbor as ourselves," congregant Steven Novak said.
Congregant Emma Halbert added, "Pastor Drew just brings such a light and life and just encapsulates everything we've always believed in in learning to really spread a message that is just love."
Raised Lutheran
Stever was born and raised Lutheran in Minnesota's Twin Cities. Growing up, he also went to Catholic school and attended church several days a week.
"I grew up female and in the female context and I just never felt like that worked for me," he said. "I would say there was also a lot of internal turmoil."
Throughout his childhood, Stever said he felt a lot of anger due to his gender dysphoria.
"There were definitely times where I like, if I can't exist in one way, I don't want to exist at all," he said. "There were definitely periods where I thought I would just be better off not alive because I did feel a lot of pain."
Stever credits a homeroom teacher at his Catholic school for first introducing him to a more compassionate Christian theology—accepting of everyone. Armed with this new way of seeing his faith, he eventually realized he was being called to become a pastor.
Transitioning during seminary
Stever entered seminary as a woman, but did not leave that way. It was summer 2016, and leading up to the election, anti-transgender rhetoric was ramping up. But Stever said, he could no longer deny who he's always been: a man.
"There was a moment where I woke up in the morning…and the words that came to my mind was 'you don't have to be angry anymore'," he said. "And I almost feel like God just took a snowball and just like threw it at my face."
Stever's family and friends were supportive of his transition, but he did begin receiving hate, mostly online. He has concerns talking about his journey publicly with CBS News.
"My family's safety is probably my top priority," he said, adding, "And I believe for those who need to hear, will hear."
Feeling safe in church
Stever's spouse Hazel is also a Lutheran pastor. She knows firsthand the discrimination many can face in church.
"There's a lot of people in the Christian faith who don't even believe women can be pastors," she said. But Hazel added that she and Stever really are, "quite boring," despite what some may think.
Stever hopes by being himself, he can help more people feel seen and safe in church.
"I would say specifically to folks of color, to people living with disabilities, people who are LGBTQ+…you are good. Nothing is wrong with you. You are so good. And you don't need the church to tell you that," he said.
Stever has a pride flag hanging outside his church, shortly after CBS News filmed there, he said someone ripped it down and damaged it. But he put the flag back up and said he is, "not deterred by one person's small worldview."