The Episcopal Church has marked a major institutional milestone with the installation of the Very Rev. Micah Cronin as the leader of All Saints' Cathedral in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. This historic appointment makes Cronin the first openly transgender person to serve as a dean of a cathedral within the denomination, reflecting ongoing shifts in religious leadership and inclusion.
Cronin assumed his leadership responsibilities at the Milwaukee cathedral in August, stepping into a prominent pastoral position at just 30 years of age. In this new capacity, he guides an LGBTQ+-affirming congregation that gathers an average Sunday worship attendance of approximately 70 people, providing spiritual guidance while stewarding the cathedral's community mission.
Reflecting on the broader significance of his appointment, the faith leader underscored that his presence at the helm of a cathedral demonstrates that LGBTQ+ individuals hold a rightful and valued place within spiritual institutions. He emphasized that religious communities can serve as sanctuaries of affirmation rather than exclusion.
Cronin's journey to cathedral leadership began far from the supportive atmosphere of his current congregation. As he shared in an interview with the Episcopal News Service published earlier this month, he spent his youth in a conservative church community in rural New York State, an environment that did not accept or embrace his transgender identity.
A significant turning point occurred when Cronin was 19 years old. After discovering a welcoming and affirming Episcopal parish in Olean, New York, he found a spiritual home that celebrated his authentic self, leading him to convert to the Episcopal tradition and pursue a path toward formal ministry.
Now leading All Saints' Cathedral, Cronin views the denomination’s identity as deeply intertwined with its theological commitment to hospitality. In his remarks to the Episcopal News Service, he explained that the Episcopal Church’s current mission is defined by taking a principled stand to welcome and include all people precisely because of its Christian faith.
The new dean also highlighted the distinct pastoral bridge his identity creates within religious dialogues. He noted that simply living authentically as both a transgender individual and an ordained priest affords him opportunities to engage in conversations that few other faith leaders can access, allowing the Gospel to be shared in spaces where it might otherwise remain unheard.
Prior to taking on his duties in Milwaukee, Cronin served the church as a transitional deacon within the Diocese of New Jersey. During that period of ministry, he gained notice for writing publicly about the imperative of Christian tolerance and the necessity of engaging in open dialogue with individuals who hold opposing views.
In a 2022 piece authored for the publication Earth & Altar, Cronin articulated a theological vision centered on unconditional love and reconciliation, even when facing profound ideological disagreement. He urged believers to actively seek and serve Christ among those whose political perspectives and social attitudes might seem hostile or dangerous.
In that essay, Cronin reflected extensively on the demands of Christian discipleship, writing that believers are called to see Christ in individuals who express bigotry, homophobia, prudishness, or anti-transgender hostility, as well as those who are self-centered or uncaringly promiscuous. He stressed that loving these individuals is not an endorsement of harmful behavior, but rather an act of cooperation with God's cleansing love to overcome evil.
This appointment adds to a half-century legacy of inclusion within the wider denomination. Exactly 50 years prior, the Episcopal Church established a historic precedent at its 1976 General Convention by officially approving a resolution that affirmed the belonging and place of LGBTQ+ individuals across the church.
Cronin’s elevation to cathedral dean was met with praise from advocacy leaders across the denomination, including the Rev. Cameron Partridge of TransEpiscopal, an organization dedicated to fostering full inclusion and support for transgender and non-binary people within the church.
Partridge commended Cronin's new chapter, expressing how moving it is to see the Episcopal Church serve as a setting where Cronin can authentically follow Jesus while stepping fully into his vocation as both a human being and a priest.
Furthermore, Partridge pointed to the deep local heritage of inclusion in Wisconsin, highlighting the late Rev. Gari Green, a founding member of TransEpiscopal who ministered in the Diocese of Milwaukee until her passing in 2024. Green’s sustained service demonstrated the diocese's enduring history of welcoming gender minorities into leadership.
Looking toward the future, Partridge observed that pioneers like Green would have viewed Cronin's elevation to the deanery as a genuine sign of hope and a profound testament to the transformative possibilities unfolding within the church and the wider world.
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