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Evangelical Alliance vs. transgender people

The Evangelical Alliance is a British Christian evangelical network. Like similar organizations, they see gender transition as a sin and transgender people as sinners who should be welcomed in order to save their souls.

Evangelical Alliance was listed in retracted 2026 reports by Amnesty International UK on anti-rights movements in the United Kingdom.

Background

Evangelical Alliance UK was founded in 1846 as a response to divisions within Protestant Christianity. The Alliance soon developed international links, becoming part of a wider global evangelical movement.

In 1954, the Evangelical Alliance relocated its headquarters to London’s Westminster area. The organization became increasingly involved in representing evangelical perspectives on cultural and political issues.

In 1997, the Evangelical Alliance launched its public policy work, developing specialist commissions and departments focused on issues including religious freedom, social justice, mission, and church unity. The organization also expanded its regional presence through dedicated teams in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.

In 2005, the Evangelical Alliance launched the One People Commission to promote racial reconciliation and unity within the evangelical church. It also developed a Public Leadership program.

Activism against “same-sex” sexual activity

The Evangelical Alliance has long held that people who engage in “same-sex” sexual activity are sinful while also encouraging churches to welcome these sinners in hopes of changing their behavior. In 2025, their Theological Advisory Group published a commentary which states several “affirmations,” including:

  • “We affirm that marriage is an institution created by God in which one man and one woman enter into an exclusive relationship for life and is the only form of partnership approved by God for sexual relations. Any sexual practice outside of this is incompatible with God’s will as revealed in scripture. Holding these theological and ethical views on biblical grounds is neither harmful nor homophobic. Rather, they are views to be held and expressed with Christ-like love and grace, since they reflect the teaching of Jesus Himself.”
  • “We believe the acceptance by certain churches of same-sex marriage and other forms of sexual relationships outside monogamous heterosexual marriage, and permitting the ordination to ministry of those in such relationships, is incompatible with biblical teaching. We stand prayerfully with those in such churches who are seeking to resist these moves on biblical grounds.”
  • “We believe church services that institute or bless same-sex marriages, same-sex civil partnerships and any other forms of sexual relationship outside monogamous heterosexual marriage are unbiblical. We believe that no church leader or congregation should be compelled to perform or participate in such services.”
  • “We affirm the work of those helping Christians who experience same-sex attraction and who want to live in accordance with biblical teaching. Such pastoral support may involve prayer and counselling and must be done in a responsible, consensual, and non-coercive way. We acknowledge that some people have experienced changes in their sexual attractions, with or without such support, though this outcome is not necessary for Christian faithfulness and should not be promised.”

They lay out their reasoning based on biblical scripture:

  • “[…] Living out their identity through sexual behaviours aligned to that LGBTQ+ spectrum falls short of God’s intentions for humans as sexual beings, and thus is sinful.” (page 6)
  • “The preceding survey of biblical material has shown there to be a consistent witness throughout scripture that same-sex sexual practice is sinful as such. […] As with other sins, it is incompatible with life in the kingdom of God. Yet that need not be an end-point, but the beginning of a journey of repentance and holiness…” (page 19)
  • “We believe the acceptance by certain churches of same-sex marriage and other forms of sexual relationships outside monogamous heterosexual marriage… is incompatible with biblical teaching.” (page 22)

Anti-trans activism

In 2018, the Theological Advisory Group and lead author Peter Lynas published Transformed, outlining their positions on transgender people. In 2024, they released a second edition. It contends that sex is binary, permanent, and significant for understanding personhood: “Cross-gender identification is problematic because it distorts the creational order of male and female.” Gender identity, according to Lynas’ interpretation of the Bible, should correspond with biological sex rather than internal feelings or self-identification.

One section lays out why they believe transgender identities have become much more visible and accepted in contemporary Western society. They blame:

  • Relativism
  • Post-Christendom
  • Individualism
  • The sexual revolution
  • Gnosticism
  • Dualism
  • Feminism
  • Post-structuralism
  • Queer theory
  • Cultural Marxism
  • Consumerism
  • Technology

They claim being transgender is based on internal feelings and personal choices, instead of being based on realities given by God.

Following a model developed by Christian psychologist Mark Yarhouse, they outline three frameworks for understanding transgender people:

  • integrity framework (their recommended framework): “This view emphasises the sacred integrity of maleness and femaleness in creation […] One’s biological sex is an essential aspect of one’s personhood and to tamper with it is a denial of something sacred.”
  • disability framework: “This view asserts that gender dysphoria is a non-moral mental health disability.”
  • diversity framework: “[…] The view that transgender issues are seen as something to be celebrated and honoured as part of normal human diversity.”

The document contains a number of testimonies from people who have regret about making a gender transition.

People

Trustees

  • Girma Alene Bishaw
  • Hugh Anthony Francis
  • Elinor Margaret Gage
  • Stephen Lynn James
  • Deborah Faye Laycock
  • Alan McWilliam
  • Manoj Mahendra Raithatha
  • Timothy Andrew Roberts
  • Andrea Russell
  • Arlene Small
  • Chloe Louise Swart
  • Elizabeth Lucy Talbot
  • John Samuel Alan Wilson

Leadership group

  • Gavin Calver: CEO
  • Peter Lynas: UK director
  • John Gibson: Director of membership, finance and operations
  • Rev Dr Israel Oluwole Olofinjana: Director of One People Commission
  • Hil Sewell: Director of people and culture
  • Danny Webster: Director of advocacy
  • Theresa Stone: Director of communications and engagement
  • Alicia Edmund: Head of public policy
  • David Smyth: Head of Evangelical Alliance in Northern Ireland
  • Tim Rowlands: Head of Evangelical Alliance in Wales
  • Lynne Paterson: Head of Evangelical Alliance in Scotland
  • Phil Knox: Head of gospel impact
  • Emmie Reavell: Executive assistant to CEO and board

Mission

  • Phil Knox: Head of gospel impact
  • Rachael Heffer: Head of mission
  • Lydia Gilbertson: Mission and communications assistant
  • Katherine Brown: Being Human co-lead
  • Heather Carruthers: Being Human project co-ordinator and Public Leadership co-ordinator
  • Lara Dean: Communications assistant (accelerator scheme)

Advocacy

  • Danny Webster: Director of advocacy
  • Alicia Edmund: Head of public policy
  • Dawn McAvoy: Both Lives UK lead
  • Lisa Barr: Northern Ireland administrator and Both Lives research and communications assistant
  • Chris Ringland: Public policy officer (Scotland)
  • Amy Scott: Public policy officer (Northern Ireland)
  • Damilola Makinde: Advocacy engagement lead
  • Mark Gilmore: Policy advisor
  • Zanna Meynell: Advocacy communications assistant
  • Mark McQuoid: Researcher (accelerator scheme)
  • Inioluwa Longe: Advocacy and policy co-ordinator (Wales)

One People Commission

  • Rev Dr Israel Oluwole Olofinjana: Director of One People Commission
  • Rani Joshi: Interim intercultural lead

Northern Ireland

  • David Smyth: Head of Evangelical Alliance in Northern Ireland
  • Dawn McAvoy: Both Lives UK lead
  • Lisa Barr: Northern Ireland administrator and Both Lives research and communications assistant
  • Laura Coey: Church engagement co-ordinator (Northern Ireland)
  • Amy Scott: Public policy officer (Northern Ireland)

Wales

  • Tim Rowlands: Head of Evangelical Alliance in Wales
  • Klara Ferreira: Wales administrator
  • Miriam Cummings: Church engagement co-ordinator (Wales)
  • Inioluwa Longe: Advocacy and policy co-ordinator (Wales)

Scotland

  • Lynne Paterson: Head of Evangelical Alliance in Scotland
  • Kieran Turner: Head of Public Leadership
  • Fiona Stewart: Public Leadership UK programme lead
  • Sheila Akomiah: Intercultural unity lead (Scotland)
  • Chris Ringland: Public policy officer (Scotland)
  • Susana McIntyre: Membership engagement and communications assistant and Public Leadership programme support assistant

Unity

  • Ben Jeffery: Head of church unity
  • Mark Hopkins: Regional unity champion
  • Kate Butt: Unity events co-ordinator and administrator

Public Leader

  • Kieran Turner: Head of Public Leadership
  • Fiona Stewart: Public Leadership UK programme lead
  • Susana McIntyre: Membership engagement and communications assistant and Public Leadership programme support assistant
  • Heather Carruthers: Being Human project co-ordinator and Public Leadership co-ordinator

Communications

  • Theresa Stone: Director of communications and engagement
  • Tim Coysh: Head of digital and membership
  • Nicola Morrison: Editorial and media manager
  • Kitan Tinker: Marketing communications co-ordinator
  • Paul Berry: Creative content assistant
  • Bryony Lines: Editorial assistant
  • Reuben Grace: Editorial assistant (maternity cover)

Membership

  • John Gibson: Director of membership, finance and operations
  • Tim Coysh: Head of digital and membership
  • John Goddard: CRM and membership lead
  • Chrisma Stephen: Membership co-ordinator
  • Ellie Saidu: Membership administrator
  • Sharon Partridge-Underwood: Membership administrator
  • Emily Hammer: Membership administrator

Finance and operations

  • John Gibson: Director of membership, finance and operations
  • Rev Wendy Pawsey: Head of giving
  • Jon Warner: Finance manager
  • Marcus Pawsey: Fundraising specialist
  • Rachel Walker: People and operations co-ordinator
  • Jorien Pueyes: Receptionist and facilities administrator
  • Vicki Davies: Finance assistant

People and culture

  • Hil Sewell: Director of people and culture
  • Rachel Walker: People and operations co-ordinator

Selected publications

Webster, Danny; Lynas, Peter [lead authors] (2025). Relationships Matter: Affirmations Commentary. Evangelical Alliance Theological Advisory Group https://www.eauk.org/assets/files/downloads/Relationships-Matter-Affirmations-commentary.pdf

Lynas, Peter [lead author] (2024). Transformed: A brief biblical and pastoral introduction to understanding transgender in a changing culture (2nd edition). Evangelical Alliance Theological Advisory Group https://www.eauk.org/assets/files/downloads/Transformed-v2.pdf

Lynas, Peter [lead author] (2018). Transformed: A brief biblical and pastoral introduction to understanding transgender in a changing culture. Evangelical Alliance Theological Advisory Group https://www.eauk.org/assets/files/downloads/Transformed_2020-12-07-152343.pdf

Resources

Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)

Evangelical Alliance (eauk.org)

UK Register of Charities (register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk)

  • Evangelical Alliance
  • register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/212325?_uk_gov_ccew_onereg_charitydetails_web_portlet_CharityDetailsPortlet_organisationNumber=212325

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