A woman alleges her church denied her request for baptism due to her being transgender.
Joann Carver, aged 73, joined the Lighthouse Church in Ely, Cambridgeshire, in April 2022. After attending for over two years, she expressed her desire to be baptised.
Despite completing a pre-baptism ‘alpha’ course, Carver—who has acted in television series such as The Bill, Holby City, and Doctors—was informed in June 2025 that she would not be included with the other five individuals scheduled for baptism.
Following this, her partner, Hannah Davis, reported that a pastor suggested Carver could proceed with the baptism if she opted to wear trousers and grow a beard.
A spokesperson for Lighthouse Church stated to Metro that the church does “not recognise the characterisation of the pastoral conversation” as described.
Since then, the couple has become part of the Renew Inclusive Church in Cambridge, where Carver successfully underwent baptism on October 26.
She said the pastor told her she was living in sin with Ms Davis because she was a woman.
A church spokesperson said: ‘As a Christian community we affirm the historic and biblical teaching that sex is biological and a good gift from God.’
Joann Carver said she was refused baptism at a Cambridgeshire church because she was transgender
Her partner Hannah Davis (right) was told Ms Carver would have to wear trousers and grow a beard in order to be baptised, she claimed
The pastor said he hadn’t seen enough change in Ms Carver and when Ms Davis asked what would be required, she was told Ms Carver would have to wear trousers and grow a beard.
Ms Carver said: ‘I had a tough life believing I was mad, and it was such a relief to come out.
‘The Lighthouse Church do such a lot of great work. I just hoped they’d extend some of their generosity to me but they’ve left me feeling really, really hurt.
‘I’ve barely been able to leave the house since they told Hannah I’d have to wear trousers and grow a beard.
‘For over two years they made me feel welcome and within a week made me feel like dirt.’
She added: ‘Lighthouse Church have made me feel inhuman and ashamed to be me.
‘That was one of the lowest points of my life: I went home in floods of tears. I felt like I’d had a sledgehammer hurled at my head.’
Ms Carver said she knew from a very young age that she was female. She didn’t enjoy boys’ games and wanted to wear girls’ clothing.
After coming out in spring 2017, she changed her name by deed poll in October that year.
She started hormone therapy a year later and had gender-affirming surgery in February 2022.
Ms Carver met Ms Davis, a member of the Lighthouse Church for 21 years, on the Pink Cupid app in December 2021.
‘I was agnostic before my operation,’ Ms Carver said.
‘Hannah prayed for me throughout the procedure, and when I woke, I felt no pain, so I knew her prayers had been answered, and that’s how I found God.’
Ms Carver said she became religious after her gender-affirming surgery in 2022
She has now joined a different church with Ms Davis and was baptised in October
After joining the church Ms Carver was asked to take the pre-baptism course and said she felt ‘really hurt’ when the other five participants were baptised at the end.
She put herself forward for baptism in June 2025, when the church asked for volunteers, and the head pastor asked her for a chat.
It was at this point the pastor raised concerns, she said.
After the refused baptism, the couple left the Lighthouse Church and joined the Renew Inclusive Church.
Ms Carver was baptised on October 26 and said it felt ‘fabulous’.
‘I’m still buzzing from it’, she said.
The Daily Mail contacted the Lighthouse Church for comment.
A spokesperson previously said: ‘In accordance with our calling as Christians and belief in biblical truth, Lighthouse Church welcomes all people and is committed to treating everyone with love, dignity, and respect as humans made in the image of God.
‘We are aware of the concerns raised, but we do not recognise the characterisation of the pastoral conversation as described.
‘Our leaders acted in good faith and with sincere pastoral intent throughout.’
