A 73-year-old transgender actress claims her church in Cambridgeshire refused her baptism request unless she adopted a more masculine appearance, including trousers and a beard.
Church Membership and Baptism Request
Joann Carver, known for roles in The Bill, Holby City, and Doctors, joined the Lighthouse Church in Ely in April 2022. She completed a pre-baptism Alpha course and volunteered for baptism in June 2025 alongside five others. However, church leaders informed her she could not participate while the group proceeded.
One week later, her partner Hannah Davis, a 21-year member of the church, spoke with a pastor. Davis alleges the pastor specified that Carver would need to wear trousers and grow a beard to qualify for baptism, citing insufficient change in Carver’s presentation.
Personal Background and Emotional Impact
Carver has identified as female since childhood, avoiding boys’ activities and preferring girls’ clothing. She came out publicly in spring 2017, legally changed her name that October, began hormone therapy in 2018, and underwent gender-affirming surgery in February 2022.
She met Davis on the Pink Cupid app in December 2021. Previously agnostic, Carver credits Davis’s prayers during her surgery—with no post-operative pain—for her spiritual awakening and conversion to Christianity.
Reflecting on the rejection, Carver stated, “I had a tough life believing I was mad, and it was such a relief to come out.” She added that the church’s two years of welcoming her contrasted sharply with the sudden rejection, leaving her “feeling really hurt” and “inhuman.” “I’ve barely been able to leave the house since they told Hannah I’d have to wear trousers and grow a beard,” she shared. “That was one of the lowest points of my life: I went home in floods of tears.”
The pastor also reportedly told Carver she was living in sin with Davis, as both identify as women.
Church Response and New Beginning
A Lighthouse Church spokesperson affirmed the congregation’s adherence to biblical teachings, stating, “Sex is biological and a good gift from God.” The church welcomes all but does not recognize the described pastoral conversation. Leaders emphasized treating everyone with love, dignity, and respect as beings created in God’s image, acting with sincere pastoral intent.
Following the incident, Carver and Davis left Lighthouse Church and joined Renew Inclusive Church in Cambridge. Carver received her baptism there on October 26, describing the experience as “fabulous” and saying, “I’m still buzzing from it.”
