The Episcopal Church Starts Process Of Creating A Name Change Rite & Correcting Old Name Records

[VickySGV]

The Episcopal Church's General Convention has overwhelmingly approved the creation of a Rite for change of name of Trans* people and a means and direction for changing the original Baptismal and Confirmation records in the main Church archives. Some bishops (mine) have presided over name changes in recent years, and I had my True Name acknowledged in my diocese on June 7th. This new change to the Church's Canon law will make it applicable nation wide.

[Charlize]

I'm happy that you have and many others will find acceptance in your church. I know this is something you have hoped for and worked towards for quite a while now. Wonderful acceptance !

Hugs,

Charlize

[Carolyn Marie]

The Episcopal Church seems much more open and forward-thinking than most. Good for them, and for you.

Carolyn Marie

[Alyssa Deutsch]

Hi Vicky, just saw this. Thanks for posting it.

I joined an Episcopal church in my city a little over a year ago, and went through the ceremony like confirmation, but it isn't. Received into the church? I think that is what it was called, because I had been confirmed in the Catholic church as a teen. Anyway, I was wondering about this name change stuff. Is it only for the church records, or do they help with name changes on birth certificates outside of the church?

All of these things are very confusing right now.

[Guest]

Say Amen! Singing in your choir Sister. That's great big news. Hug. JodyAnn

[VickySGV]

I joined an Episcopal church in my city a little over a year ago, and went through the ceremony like confirmation, but it isn't. Received into the church? I think that is what it was called, because I had been confirmed in the Catholic church as a teen. Anyway, I was wondering about this name change stuff. Is it only for the church records, or do they help with name changes on birth certificates outside of the church?

If you were Received by the Bishop with your female name, then you are where you need to be name wise with the Church. I had been Baptized and Confirmed as a male 40 years ago in The Episcopal Church and was eligible to have the Bishop Affirm my prior sacraments, per the Book Of Common Prayer. As with the Reception you had, there is a public renewal of the Baptismal Vows and service Commitments to the Church and Christian life, and the laying on of hands by the Bishop. Prior to this, I met with the Bishop and the other officiating clergy in our side chapel, and my priest presented the Bishop with a letter (which she read aloud to the Bishop and those of us there) stating and justifying my request that my Baptismal renewal and Affirmation be in my female name and as my female gender. The name change was accepted and I was blessed with Chrism. This was a setup of course, since the Bishop had known about me for two years, and had been the one to suggest the format that we used. If I had been the only candidate for this, it would have been done fully in public. but there were some tiny children to be Baptized and they had family members there who might have been unduly bothered by my renaming experience, the regular members of my parish would have been fine with it. The rest of my stuff was done with the other people being Confirmed and Received and the actual church members who were in on my life were happy and accepting. I came out to one set of the non-Episcopalian family members during the reception after the service and they were very happy and accepting. Seems they had another family member who had just come out.

My name change per se, was not done to a current Church-wide Rite, but the National Convention of the church three weeks later did agree to begin the creation of such a Rite for use by the whole Episcopal Church. This will take at least 6 years (two General Conventions from now) but I know a couple of the Trans* folk who are on the commission that was created and gave them a copy of the letter given to my Bishop.

The Church does not help with the civil law change of name process since that varies state by state, although your parish may have a member who can and will help you with it. Your parish and priest will accept your new legal name when it comes, and if you are a Vestry member or church employee who needs to be registered at the Diocese level, that will be done with no problem and will be legal that way as soon as it happens. The more Public Reception of a New Name as a Rite can be done by your Bishop at their discretion in your Diocese, but an official church-wide thing is still in the works.

Hope this helps.

[Alyssa Deutsch]

Thanks Vicky, it does help.

We have a very good priest and many of the congregation are also very open and accepting. I'm still far too afraid to say anything to any of them at this point. Just wondering what will happen later on. Thanks so much!

Alyssa

[Guest Raya]

I'm all smiles here, I was just received into the Episcopalian church, as Raya.

When I decided to transition. I had to get away from my old church, where I had been attempting a religious recovery from the sin of being me. Sigh. All I knew about this one was that it was a beautiful old building, flying several flags, including the rainbow. Turns out it had some beautiful people in it. At first, it seemed a lot like the church of my childhood, which was sad, but before I left the first visit I knew they loved each other and wouldn't hate me. Now it's home.

[VickySGV]

Alyssa, I had been in my parish for 20 years at the time I came out. I actually wrote a coming out letter to my priest and the Vestry and gave it to my priest after she and I had talked about it a few days before. I actually gave it to her on the Sunday before Lent on which the Gospel is about the Transfiguration of Jesus on the mount. (My parish is also named Church Of The Transfiguration.) She grinned about the timing and said she would deliver it to the Vestry the following Thursday night, but they would not discuss it until the next month's meeting. Two months later I was asked to come as my girl self to their meeting. I did and when they asked what I really wanted them to do about my situation, I simply told them that I needed their help and love as my church family as I completed my transition. "OH is that ALL??" They seemed very relieved and could do it. Support was to be correct name and my pronouns, and my hope they and the rest of the folks could be comfortable asking questions if they needed to. I promised to take it slowly on my coming to church as my female self, and then one day showed up as the me they have now. (That started 5 years ago in February..)

[Alyssa Deutsch]

Vicky,

Thanks for sharing that. It is a nice bit of timing with your coming out then! My wife and I still go to Sunday service, but we will be getting divorced soon. Nobody there knows that. They all love us and our son and think we are a perfect little family. I don't know if I can still go there once we are divorced and my wife moves back up north. I will be moving around that time too, but still close enough that if none of this other stuff was happening I would stay with that congregation. Maybe I can find a good one in Austin. It is a great city, and very open, so maybe a fresh start is truly what is needed now.

Part of me also feels like I don't want to deal with the hassle. Like everything else involved with this, it terrifies me to think of the coming struggles. Funny, because I used to pride myself on not letting anything scare me. Thanks again for sharing your experiences here. It really means a lot.

Alyssa

[gennee]

I'm happy for you, Vicky. Congratulations!