Megan Rohrer: First trans Lutheran bishop resigns over racism allegations after firing Latino pastor
America's first openly transgender bishop resigned last week after being accused of racism. Rev. Megan Rohrer, 42, came under fire after firing the Puerto Rican pastor of a predominantly Latino congregation during an important Hispanic holiday. Rohrer, who uses the pronoun 'they', led one of the church’s 65 synods, overseeing nearly 200 congregations in Northern California and northern Nevada. They were elected in May 2021 to serve a six-year term as bishop of the Sierra Pacific Synod.
In a letter to the synod on Saturday, Rohrer said they were resigning because of “the constant misinformation, bullying and harassment” they experienced after the synod ousted Rev. Nelson Rabell-Gonzalez. Gonzalez was removed as mission director at Misión Latina Luterana in Stockton, California, on December 12 after an investigation by the church into verbal harassment and retaliation accusations against him — allegations that he has denied.
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Rohrer was also allegedly wearing a bulletproof vest to the December 12 service announcing Gonzalez's dismissal because they had “concerns about their safety and well-being.” Gonzalez’s congregation was deeply unhappy with their pastor’s removal and many alleged that Rohrer had carried out the firing in a racist manner.
Rohrer also allegedly threatened a child and her father with calling the police if they did not leave the sacristy, which according to church members was "an egregious action especially when dealing with the vulnerable communities of Black, Indigenous and People of Color."
Rohrer is known for advocating for LGBTQ rights in street activism. They also preach and write, and is known for their work with those who are homeless. A report into Rohrer's actions was released on June 1. The report made various recommendations to the Evangelical Lutheran Church, including publicly apologizing to the Latino church community, planning anti-racism training for churchwide staff and leaders, paying a 'healing visit' to the community, as well as creating a task force to review the church's policies and procedures.
Rohrer was in the process of being disciplined when they decided to resign. "The constant misinformation, bullying and harassment has taken too hard a toll on the Synod I love, my family and myself," Rohrer said, according to the Daily Mail. "While I am likely strong enough to continue serving as your bishop, I believe I would be a poor role model for my black trans children if I continued in this position."
In a May 27 report to the church, Rev. Elizabeth Eaton, the denomination's lead bishop claimed that she had requested Rohrer's resignation from the synod. "There are issues of broken trust at all levels, from individual members and communities to the broader church, which will need work to repair," she said in the report.
Rohrer can now mount a defense as part of a disciplinary process. Rabell-Gonzalez, however, claimed that he was denied the same opportunity. Rabell-Gonzalez said he thought he would get an ally when Rohrer became bishop, but he "got an oppressor instead."