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Anne is a trans woman in later middle age. Her faith background is Anglican. She is a campaigner and advocate for the inclusion of trans people within the Church and is active within many trans organisations and social groups.

Becky is the mother of Angela who is a young trans woman currently studying at university. Becky grew up in a very conservative Nonconformist church and has struggled to find places within her tradition where she and Angela have been welcomed and affirmed. She would still describe herself as more conservative than liberal theologically. She has several other children.

David is a young trans man who grew up within the Quaker tradition and who currently attends an LGBT-friendly Evangelical Church. He came out and transitioned some time ago. His mother Sophie was also part of the group.

Ed is a young man who was in the process of transitioning at the time of interview. He grew up in a churched family where his father was employed by the Church. He is in a relationship with Rachel and they both attend an LGBT-affirming church.

George comes from a Greek family and has an Orthodox Church background. He is currently not attending church regularly.

Jim is a young man who is currently studying at a university where he met his partner Steve. His background is Anglican, and since attending university his faith journey has begun in earnest.

Maria, who transitioned in middle age, converted from Anglicanism to Catholicism earlier in her life and currently attends Mass daily.

Rachel grew up in a conservative church which she has now left. She and Ed met at church before Ed began to transition.

Sophie is the mother of David. She is a Quaker and has another son as well as David.

Steve is studying at the same university as Jim and both are heavily involved in their city centre Anglican congregation.

We could not have written this book in its current form, without the generosity of those who participated in the workshops we held in the spring of 2018 and this book is dedicated to them.

It is also dedicated to the memory of a clergy pioneer of pastoral and spiritual care for trans people, Canon A.R. Millbourn, a Church of England priest, who in the 1940s supported Michael Dillon/Lobzang Jivaka (see his autobiography published in 2017) – a trans man and ship’s doctor – and also wrote the Foreword to the autobiography of trans woman, Roberta Cowell (1954, p.3), which is part dedicated to him. Much is written about trans people being a very recent cultural phenomenon. This is not so, and nor is their care by Christian clergy. There is a fine tradition of Christian ministry to trans people, albeit much of it was relatively hidden in the past. We salute those who have gone before us with gratitude, and hope that this guidebook will assist you and countless others to promote the full inclusion of trans people, not just in your own congregation, but in the whole Church of God.