# Megan Rohrer

Megan Rohrer (born 1980) is an American activist for homeless and LGBTQ+ rights and former Lutheran bishop. Rohrer is the first openly transgender minister ordained in the Lutheran tradition.
Following his reception as a minister in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), Rohrer served the church as bishop of its Sierra Pacific Synod from 2021 until asked to resign in June of 2022. Allegations of racism came forward after Rohrer was directed to terminate "a Latino pastor following a two-year investigation into several accusations against him." On June 23, 2023, Rohrer was removed from the roster of the Sierra Pacific Synod by letter, and rostered ministers were notified by email on June 28. In his 2023 whistleblower lawsuit against the denomination for violations of labor laws and defamation, Rohrer cites discrimination from the ELCA for being transgender.

## Early life and education

Rohrer was born on April 3, 1980, in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. In 1998, they graduated from high school and enrolled at Augustana University to study religion. In college they came out as gay, and became president of the gay–straight alliance. They encountered resistance, threats, and attempted "cures" by fellow students for their sexuality. Rohrer graduated from Augustana in 2001.
Rohrer moved to the San Francisco Bay Area in 2002 to continue their studies. By this time they had come to identify as transgender. Rohrer attended Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary before transferring to the Pacific School of Religion (PSR) in Berkeley, California, earning a Master of Divinity degree from PSR in 2005 and a Doctor of Ministry degree in 2016.

## Personal life

Rohrer claims to be related to Nicholas of Flüe in the 16th generation.
Rohrer goes by he and they pronouns.

## Career

Rohrer was ordained in 2006, during a time when the ELCA did not allow LGBTQ pastors to openly serve. When the policy changed in 2009, Rohrer became the first openly transgender person to serve as a minister in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
In 2010, Rohrer and six other Bay Area gay and transgender pastors were reinstated into the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, after the national assembly voted to allow partnered gay people to serve as clergy. The pastors' churches had previously been removed from the denomination for ordaining gay and lesbian ministers who refused to adhere to the denomination's document guiding clergy conduct, "Visions and Expectations". At the time "Visions and Expectations" required that candidates for and persons on the clergy roster remain celibate outside of legal marriage and monogamous within marriage.
In 2014, Rohrer was installed as pastor of Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church in San Francisco.
In 2017, Rohrer was hired by the San Francisco Police Department as their first chaplain from the LGBTQ community.
On May 8, 2021, Rohrer was elected bishop of the Sierra Pacific Synod, becoming the first openly trans person to serve as bishop of a major US Christian denomination. On September 11, 2021, Rohrer was installed as bishop.
On December 11, 2021, the Sierra Pacific Synod terminated the employment of Nelson Rabell-González, who presided over Misión Latina Luterana in Stockton, California, and defunded the congregation. The congregation was uninformed about the decision and Rohrer, who attended the service there the next day, declined to provide an explanation. Members of the congregation protested the decision and left the building with a statue of the Virgin of Guadalupe to worship elsewhere. Rohrer also allegedly threatened to call the police on a father and child who remained in the sacristy. Later that month, the Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries suspended Rohrer from their membership for alleged "racist words and actions". In February 2022, the synod announced that Rabell-González was removed for "continual communications of verbal harassment and retaliatory actions from more than a dozen victims," which Rabell-González has denied. On May 27, 2022, Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton called for Rohrer's resignation, but initially declined to pursue disciplinary actions.
In 2022, Rohrer was appointed to the Local Homeless Coordinating Board, which advises the San Francisco Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing. Rohrer continues to serve as the co-chair of the San Francisco Local Homelessness Coordinating Board, which is an "advisory body to the Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing (HSH), ensuring a unified homelessness strategy within San Francisco," and working to decrease racial bias in shelter and supportive housing. In February 20, 2024, Rohrer's work helped secure over $50 million in federal funding for homeless individuals and domestic violence survivors.
On June 3, 2022, the governing body of the Sierra Pacific Synod considered a resolution asking for Rohrer's resignation but, if Rohrer refused, for them to be dismissed through formal adjudication. Out of the 324 legal votes cast, 183 voted for the resolution and 138 voted against. Since passage of this resolution required a two-thirds majority the resolution was defeated. On June 4, following an announcement by Eaton that she would be "initiating the discipline process immediately including suspension of Bishop Rohrer, based on additional information that has come to light", Rohrer resigned as bishop.
On March 1, 2023, Rohrer filed a lawsuit against the ELCA and Sierra Pacific Synod, seeking monetary damages for gender discrimination, openly "hostile work environment" and workplace harassment.
On June 23, 2023, Rohrer was removed from the ELCA roster of Word and Sacrament by Interim Bishop Claire S. Burkat as a result of the denial of Rohrer's petition for On Leave from Call status.
Since 2023, Dr. Rohrer has been the Sr. Church Communications Specialist for GLIDE Memorial Church.

## Activism

Rohrer has helped the homeless in San Francisco, serving as Executive Director of the Welcome ministry to the homeless and hungry, leading the Singers of the Street choir, distributing sandwiches, and participating in a night ministry with other local pastors. Rohrer has also helped to grow and distribute thousands of pounds of free food from community gardens.
In 2015, Rohrer started a fundraiser to raise bail for Meagan Taylor, a black trans woman who was held in isolation in an Iowa jail.
In the wake of the 2016 Oakland warehouse fire, in which at least three transgender people were killed, Rohrer was called upon by the city of Oakland to provide support and assistance to the community.
Rohrer has advocated for trans people who would be negatively impacted by proposed "bathroom bills" that seek to restrict restroom usage based on sex assigned at birth.
In 2021, Rohrer shared their experiences of being a pastor during the COVID-19 pandemic, and advocated for LGBTQ community members to get vaccinated.

## Awards, honors, and recognition

* 2012 – "Pastor Megan Rohrer Day" declared on August 12 by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors
* 2014 – Honorable Mention, Unsung Hero of Compassion (awarded by the Dalai Lama)
* 2014 – Award of Merit for Zanderology: Disability 101 (director), International Film Festival for Spirituality, Religion, and Visionary
* 2015 – Distinguished Alumni/ae, Pacific School of Religion
* 2015 – Soldier of Social Change, San Francisco Magazine
* Honorary Doctorate, Palo Alto University
* Lambda Literary Award finalist, transgender nonfiction

## Selected publications

Through Grace Lutheran Church and Wilgefortis Press, Rohrer has written a number of books for children in the Good News Children's Book Series.
Children titles authored by Rohrer:
* Rohrer, Megan (2016). The Radical Jesus Story. Lulu Enterprises Incorporated. ISBN 9781365182563.
* Rohrer, Megan (2016). Mr Grumpy Christian. Lulu Enterprises Incorporated. ISBN 9781329946873.
* Rohrer, Megan (2016). Is it a Boy, Girl or Both. Lulu.com. ISBN 9781329925601.
* Rohrer, Megan (2016). The Children's Crumbs. Lulu Enterprises Incorporated. ISBN 9781329922198.
* Rohrer, Megan (2016). The Parable of the Succulent. Lulu Enterprises Incorporated. ISBN 9781329913790.
* Rohrer, Megan (2016). The Fabulous Creation Story. LULU Press. ISBN 9781365201462.
* Rohrer, Megan (2016). Too Sick For Church. ISBN 9781365188725.
* Rohrer, Megan (2016). Jesus' Family. ISBN 9781329956681.
Children titles authored and illustrated by Rohrer:
* Rohrer, Megan (2022). Magnificats: inspired by herchurch.org. ISBN 9781387464012.
Children titles authored by Rohrer with diverse illustrators:
* Rohrer, Megan; Ivanov, Eugene (2016). Never Again. ISBN 9781329948075.
* Rohrer, Megan; Drda, Daren (2016). What to wear to church?. Lulu Enterprises Incorporated. ISBN 9781329907409.
* Rohrer, Megan; Woodward, Daren (2016). Transgender Children of God. Wilgefortis Press. ISBN 9781365112959.
* Rohrer, Megan; Elena, Dobrynina (2016). Church Bugs. Lulu Enterprises Incorporated. ISBN 9781329970649.
* Rohrer, Megan; Ryan, Pamela; Maryia, Ihnatovich (2016). Faithful Families. Lulu Enterprises Incorporated. ISBN 9781329970649.
* Rohrer, Megan; cosmaa (2020). Sacred ADA Upgrades. ISBN 9781716691713.
* Rohrer, Megan; Long, Mary (2020). Sacred Grief. ISBN 9781716697654.
* Rohrer, Megan; Kurniawan, Rahmad (2020). Sacred Anger. ISBN 9781716715013.
* Rohrer, Megan; Paetzold, Franzi (2020). Sacred Sheltering. ISBN 9781716719776.
* Rohrer, Megan; Matyash, Olga (2020). This is My Body. ISBN 9781716712043.
* Rohrer, Megan; Vortniak, Svetlana (2022). Baby Jesus By and By. Lulu Press.
* Rohrer, Megan; Ramonfaur, Bernardo (2022). Justice Thou Art.
* Rohrer, Megan; Mazur, Eve (2022). Sacred Trees. ISBN 9781387466245.
* Rohrer, Megan; Rohrer, Dominique; Rohrer, Makayla (2022). Fart Town:The People are Nice, But the Air is Bad. Wilgefortis. ISBN 9798582166825.
Adult titles authored and illustrated by Rohrer:
* Rohrer, Megan (2016). Faith, Hope and Love Adult Coloring Book. Lulu.com. ISBN 9781329952072.
* Rohrer, Megan (2016). Love: Faithful Adult Coloring Book. Lulu.com. ISBN 9781365110856.
Adult titles authored by Rohrer:
* Rohrer, Megan (2012). Queerly Lutheran. Lulu.com. ISBN 9781365105265.
* Rohrer, Megan (2014). Holy Night: Prayers and Meditations for People of the Night. ISBN 9781312256903.
* Rohrer, Megan (2014). With a Day Like Yours, Couldn't You Use a Little Grace?. ISBN 9781312422391.
* Rohrer, Megan (2018). The Chaplain's Heart: An Embodied Guide to Ministry of Presence. Lulu.com. ISBN 9780359260171.
* Rohrer, Megan (2018). The Sacred Waters: How to Accept Blessings When They Find You. Lulu.com. ISBN 9780359228997.
* Rohrer, Megan (2018). Prayers from Norway: Untangling Our Shame of Body, Mind and Politics. Lulu.com. ISBN 9780359006793.
* Rohrer, Megan (2018). The Progressive Combined Parish Registry: Gender neutral language for churches. Lulu Press. ISBN 9781387897704.
* Rohrer, Megan (2018). Prayers from Iceland. Lulu Press. ISBN 9781387736454.
* Rohrer, Megan (2019). Prayers from Philadelphia: Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness. Lulu Press, Incorporated. ISBN 9781794838765.
* Rohrer, Megan (2019). Prayers from the Caribbean: Injury, Struggle and Liberation. Lulu.com. ISBN 9780359556816.
* Rohrer, Megan (2022). The Way to Flüeli-Ranft: A Pilgrimage to the Land of Brother Klaus the Patron Saint of Switzerland. ISBN 9781387736041.
Adult titles co-authored by Rohrer:
* Rohrer, Megan; Plaster, Joey (2012). Vanguard Revisited: The Queer Faith, Sex & Politics of The Youth of San Francisco's Tenderloin. Wilgefortis. ISBN 9781365105265.
* Rohrer, Megan; Kapros Rohrer, Laurel (2018). New Wonders: Lessons Learned at the End of a Long Winding Road. Lulu.com. ISBN 9781387744626.
* Rohrer, Megan; Strouse, Susan (2019). Progressive Hymns. LULU Press. ISBN 9780359940561.
* Rohrer, Megan; Strouse, Susan (2022). The Chaplain's Gut: An Embodied Guide to Holy Anger. ISBN 9781387855223.
Adult titles edited by Rohrer:
* Rohrer, Megan (2014). Holy Night: Prayers and Meditations for People of the Night: Friends of the San Francisco Night Ministry. ISBN 9781312256903.
Adult titles co-edited by Rohrer:
* Rohrer, Megan; Keig, Zander (2014). Manifest: Letters For My Brothers: Transitional Wisdom in Retrospect. ISBN 9781312461147.
* Rohrer, Megan; Tisdale, Daniel (2014). Bible Stories: Reimagining Between the Lines. ISBN 9781312379374.
* Rohrer, Megan; Keig, Zander (2016). Manifest: Transitional Wisdom on Male Privilege. Lulu.com. ISBN 9781365276828.