Church’s first transgender minister

A UNIVERSITY chaplain has become the Methodist Church’s first transgender minister after hiding her true identity for more than four decades.

Joy Everingham, 46, a chaplain at the University of Kent, in Canterbury, said she knew she felt different from the age of five and spent years secretly applying lipstick and wearing women’s clothes before coming out three years ago.

She announced her plan to transition during training to become a minister, and was supported by the Methodist Church. She serves at St Peter’s, Canterbury.