Transgender Minister?

From "Transgender Minister Reappointed in Md." in the Chicago Tribune. I can't make this stuff up.

A United Methodist minister who has changed gender since being chosen to lead a congregation in Baltimore will be reappointed there, church officials announced Thursday at a regional convocation.

The Rev. Drew Phoenix told the church's Baltimore-Washington conference that he had gone through "spiritual transformation" in the past year, since changing his name from Ann Gordon and receiving medical treatment to become a man.

The denomination bans sexually active gay clergy but does not have any rules about transgender pastors.

I don't even know where to begin with this. Some questions come to mind.

• What "spiritual transformation" could have possibly taken place? God created this woman as a woman. God does not lead us to what gender we are. It is not something we get to choose.
• The United Methodist Church have a policy on sexually active gay clergy, but why not with transgender clergy?
• What poor congregation are they sticking this person with?

Then the article goes on....

Bishop John Schol said that the church's 50-member congregation was fully supportive, and that no objections were raised during a closed-door meeting of the clergy. St. John's, a church that describes itself as diverse and inclusive, has more than tripled its membership since Phoenix arrived.

Some more questions...

• If a pastor leads a church to grow (though I can hardly say growing to 50 in membership in the five years he was there is impressive) that excuses immorality among its leadership?
• Because no objections were raised, does that mean no objections exist? Perhaps people were too shocked to speak.

Incredible. A new low! Some scripture comes to mind for this church that had no objections.

"You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet," (Matthew 5:13, ESV).