A woman has claimed her church refused to baptise her because she was transgender.
Joann Carver, 73, joined the Lighthouse Church in Ely, Cambridgeshire, in April 2022 and asked to be baptised just over two years later.
But despite taking a pre-baptism ‘alpha’ course, Ms Carver – an actor who appeared in The Bill, Holby City and Doctors – was told in June 2025 that she could not take part when the other five participants were baptised.
A week later her partner, Hannah Davis, claimed a pastor told her Ms Carver could be baptised if she wore trousers and grew a beard.
Lighthouse Church did ‘not recognise the characterisation of the pastoral conversation’, a spokesperson told Metro.
The couple have since joined Renew Inclusive Church in Cambridge and Ms Carver was baptised 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.’
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.’
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.’
