Date: September 6, 2026
TO:
Office of the Bishop, Metropolitan New York Synod (ELCA)
Attn: Bishop Katrina Foster
475 Riverside Drive, Suite 1620
New York, NY 10115
Email: info@mnys.org
AND TO:
The Classis of Brooklyn, Regional Synod of New York (RCA)
Attn: Classis Stated Clerk
15 Himrod Street
Brooklyn, NY 11221
Email: rsny@rca.org
RE: Formal Complaint Regarding Pastoral Misconduct & Breach of Confidentiality
Target Congregation: Advent-Gravesend Church, 1205 Avenue P, Brooklyn, NY 11229
Subjects of Complaint: Pastor Calvin Spann and Church Treasurer Laura Hindle
Date & Time of Incident: Sunday, September 6, 2026, from approximately 11:30 AM to 11:45 AM
To the Office of the Bishop and the Classis of Brooklyn,
I am writing to formally request an investigation into the professional conduct of Pastor Calvin Spann, who serves as the pastor of Advent-Gravesend Church in Brooklyn, New York. I am also filing a formal complaint against the church treasurer, Laura Hindle, for a severe breach of personal confidentiality.
I am bringing this matter to the attention of both the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and the Reformed Church in America (RCA) due to the federated nature of the congregation and the pastor's called status under your joint ecclesiastical supervision.
Description of Incident(s):
The incident occurred on Sunday, September 6, 2026, between approximately 11:30 AM and 11:45 AM. It was initiated when church treasurer Laura Hindle disclosed private, unauthorized information regarding my transgender identity to Pastor Calvin Spann without my knowledge or consent.
Following this disclosure, Pastor Calvin Spann confronted me and engaged in severe harassment, boundary violations, and discriminatory behavior, including the following:
* Invasive Questions: Pastor Spann explicitly asked me about my genitalia, questioning if I "still have a penis," and interrogated me regarding which bathroom I use. When I stated that I use the
ladies' room, he told me I was wrong. Interrogating a congregant about their anatomy is highly inappropriate and unacceptable.
* Misgendering and Deadnaming: Pastor Spann repeatedly disrespected my gender identity by calling me a man twice and addressing me as "Steve."
* Hostile Generalizations: When I objected to his highly inappropriate line of questioning, Pastor Spann generalized all transgender individuals by stating, "you all are so hostile and angry all the time." When I asked him how he would feel if I generalized Black individuals in the same manner, he refused to provide a logical answer, simply stating it was "different." He similarly dismissed comparisons regarding historical figure name changes (such as Muhammad Ali and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar).
* Exclusion: Ultimately, Pastor Spann explicitly communicated to me that I was no longer welcome at Advent-Gravesend Church.
Impact and Concerns:
Pastor Spann's behavior represents an egregious failure of pastoral boundaries and pastoral care. His verbal hostility, persistent interruptions, and explicit exclusion of a transgender individual directly violate the ethical standards, inclusivity commitments, and codes of conduct expected of ordained ministers in both the ELCA and RCA synods. Furthermore, Laura Hindle's unauthorized sharing of my personal information constitutes a serious breach of trust for a church officer.
I felt forced to defend my basic personhood in a space that should have provided safety.
Supporting Evidence:
Because this interaction occurred verbally on church property immediately following the specified timeframe, there are no text messages or emails regarding the encounter. This letter serves as my official, sworn statement of the events as they transpired.
Please confirm receipt of this letter and advise me on the specific steps your respective disciplinary, judicial, or classis committees will take to investigate this matter. I can be reached via the contact
information below.
Thank you for your prompt attention to upholding the ethical standards of the church.
Sincerely,
Sarah Katherine Renzetti read more