New book from WJK explores gender transition in family of evangelical pastors

Memoir tackles complexity of gender transition

—Book cover: She's My Dad

Westminster John Knox Press announces the release of “She’s My Dad: A Father’s Transition and a Son’s Redemption,”from Jonathan S. Williams with Paula Stone Williams.

Three months into pastoring his new evangelical church plant, Jonathan Williams learned that his father Paul was transgender. A prominent evangelical pastor himself, Paul soon became Paula, and was immediately ousted from her community. Torn between supporting his father and his church’s position on transgender issues, Jonathan spiraled into depression and drinking. “There is no handbook. There’s no YouTube video,” he writes. “Behind everyone’s coming-out party there is a family who is weeping, drinking too much, and Googling what exactly it means to be transgender.”

In this eye-opening memoir, “She’s My Dad” follows Jonathan and Paula’s stories in alternating chapters, exploring the feelings of loss, confusion, and anger when a parent transitions. Jonathan writes of his family’s continuing evolution, the meaning of remaining loyal to one’s father even when she is no longer a man, the ongoing theological evolution surrounding transgender rights and advocacy in the church, and the unflinching self-scrutiny of a pastor who lost his God only to find God again in his father’s transition. This is the story of the long road to reconciliation and acceptance of Paula as well as Jonathan’s church’s journey to becoming one of the first fully LGBTQ-affirming evangelical churches in America. Readers learn that though the call to authenticity can be difficult, it is holy.

Of “She’s My Dad,” Amber Cantorna, author of “Refocusing My Family and Unashamed: A Coming-Out Guide for LGBTQ Christians,” says, “Written with gut-wrenching honesty and a raw vulnerability that exposes both deep pain and deep compassion, this gripping memoir reveals the heartache and the beauty of navigating life when a family member comes out. A much-welcomed addition to the library of LGBTQ+ resources and one I highly recommend!”

“She’s My Dad”will inspire readers from all religious communities to explore the complexities surrounding gender transition, faith and family. It is now available for purchase through Westminster John Knox Press and other major retailers.

Jonathan S. Williams is Senior Pastor of Forefront Church in New York, a progressive church that works to bring a just and generous Christianity to New York City.

Paula Stone Williams is a nationally known speaker on gender equity and LGBTQ advocacy. She is the Pastor of Preaching and Worship at Left Hand Church in Longmont, Colorado, and a therapist with RLT Pathways, Inc.