Erin Swenson (born 1947) is an American Presbyterian minister known for her notable role for transgender individuals in the clergy. he gained recognition when the Presbytery of Greater Atlanta voted of 186 to 161 in favor of sustaining her ordination as minister on October 22, 1996. This decision came after Swenson's transition to being an openly transgender woman, following 23 years of ordained service.[1]
Early life and education
Swenson was in Buffalo, New York in 1947. In 1957, her family relocated to Atlanta, Georgia where she attended Sandy Springs High School.[1] At age 10, while still identifying as male, Swenson began to create fake breasts by putting toilet tissue down her shirt.[2] Aged 11, Swenson had dreams in which she would transition from male to female, and began cross-dressing in her own room. However, she did not feel she could be open about her gender identity within her socially conservative and "sexually repressed" household.[3]
Swenson later enrolled at the Georgia Institute of Technology in 1965. In 1967, she met her future wife, Sigrid. In 1970, the couple had their first child. Soon after, Swenson pursued her studies at the Columbia Theological Seminary[1] and became a supervisor of seminarians at Emory University's Candler School of Theology.[4]
Swenson completed her theological education with honors in 1973. After completing an internship, she her ministry as the Minister of Education at the First Presbyterian Church of Dalton in Georgia. In 1976, their second child, who required special care due to a disability, was born. Consequently, the family returned to Atlanta, where Swenson pursued a graduate degree in Pastoral Counseling while working as a Clinical Chaplain at the Georgia Retardation Center.[1]
Career
In 1981, Swenson joined the staff of the Atlanta Psychiatric Clinic and the Center for Personal Growth in as a pastoral clinical psychotherapist following the completion of her Th.M. in Pastoral Counseling at Columbia Theological Seminary. In 1984, she assumed the role of Director of the Center for Pastoral Care, a collaborative effort between Peachtree Presbyterian Church and the Episcopal Cathedral of Saint Philip in Atlanta.[1] This was the first known time a mainstream Protestant minister underwent gender transition while still in ordained office.[2][5]
Swenson co-founded the Brookwood Center for Psychotherapy in 1987, together with Karen Faulk. She continued her practice at this center until her gender transition in 1995 (Swenson's father helped pay the $14,000 needed for gender-affirming surgery[6]). Notably, in recognition of her efforts in advancing professional licensing legislation in Georgia, Swenson received the Distinguished Service to the State award from the Georgia Association for Marriage and Family Therapy in 1995.[1]
Furthermore, Swenson established and led the Premarital Workshop, a ministry of the Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta. Over the course of ten years, she counseled nearly 1,000 couples.[1]
She was the co-moderator of More Light Presbyterians, an LGBTQ advocacy group within the Presbyterian Church (USA).[5][7]
Retirement
Swenson is now retired from the ministry, and currently hosts a podcast, So Much More than Gender.[8]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g "Erin Swenson". LGBTQ Religious Archives Network.
- ^ a b Arounnarath, Meiling (June 8, 2007). "Minister knows transgender issues". The News and Observer.
- ^ Blake, John (July 9, 2000). "Swenson: Fighting an inner war - and winning". The Atlanta Constitution. pp. M1, M3.
- ^ Pedersen, Daniel. "Crossing Over". Newsweek. 11/4/1996, Vol. 128 Issue 19, p66. Accessed November 9, 2023.
- ^ a b Dawn Baumgartner Vaughan. "Shedding light. Chapel Hill church wants clergy to be more diverse." The Herald-Sun; Durham, N.C.. 09 June 2007: F1.
- ^ Blake, John (July 9, 2000). "'The war inside of one's self is incredible. It's like being at odds with your own molecules'". The Atlanta Constitution. p. M1.
- ^ "Pioneering transgender minister lets her light shine". Presbyterian Mission Agency. 11 November 2021. Retrieved 13 July 2023.
- ^ Malone, Tess (27 October 2020). "When Erin Swenson transitioned in the 90s, a close vote kept her ordained as Presbyterian minister. Her new podcast tells her story". Atlanta Magazine. Retrieved 13 July 2023.