‘God makes no mistakes’: Vancouver United Church of Christ in Hazel Dell honors Transgender Day of Remembrance

In honor of Transgender Day of Remembrance, observed nationally Nov. 20, Vancouver United Church of Christ in Hazel Dell dedicated its Sunday sermon to the message that “God makes no mistakes.”

“In the United States, our trans siblings are usually either not fully welcomed into the life of the church or seen as an abomination — something that needs to be fixed,” Rev. Steve King said. “I’m sorry, but I personally don’t think that God is prone to making mistakes.”

King, who joined the church earlier this year, said he had always planned to incorporate this message into a sermon.

“A lot of churches are accepting. But the phrase that we use at Vancouver United Church of Christ is open and affirming,” King said. “We’re not just open to you coming through the door. We don’t think that you are sinning because you are outside of the binary that we always talk about.”

King’s sermon focused on the idea that gender goes beyond the binary model and emphasized how transgender people represent one more example of the rich diversity found in God’s creation, which should be celebrated.

In honor of Transgender Day of Remembrance, which began in 1999, church members in Sunday’s service read the names of trans individuals who had died of violence or suicide, including one person as young as 14. The Human Rights Campaign reported the deaths of at least 30 transgender and gender-expansive people in 2024.

Angel Caraballo, a Vancouver United Church of Christ congregant since 2017 and one of the readers, said the observance sends a clear message: The church is a safe place for all.

“Places like this, you’re not only accepted but lifted and protected here,” Caraballo said.

Instead of the usual recitation of the Lord’s Prayer, the church used a version written by the Rev. Kim Sorrells of Georgia.

This prayer mirrors the structure of the traditional prayer but specifically highlights the worth and dignity of transgender people in the eyes of God: “Forgive us for the ways that we have fallen short and failed your transgender children … as we forgive those who might have failed us. Lead us away from the temptation to be complacent in the face of injustice. But instead give us the courage to stand up and stand with your beloved children.”

King plans to continue incorporating Sunday’s message into future sermons.

“I just want to make sure that everybody knows that they are safe here. This is a place that they can call home, no matter who you love … what your gender expression is, how you dress — it doesn’t matter,” King told The Columbian. “You’re a person and you’re a child of God in our eyes.”