First, I can see why YOU wouldn't. He's your pastor. Lol.
The pronoun thing is kinds new, and not something I ever thought about much til recently. Also not particularly easy, since we have learned to look at a person's name or face and supply our own pronoun accordingly, and when the signals say "he"we supply "he." Long haired little boys and short-haired girls, especially, can trick us, too.
They, for an individual, is as grammatically improper as "it," though perhaps less dehumanizing. But that's grammar, not human rights.
Before we know the gender of a baby we say "it!" We even say "it's a boy!"
They and them are much more fluid pronouns. Like "it," "they" 8covers non-human entities like cars. "I like Toyota trucks. They run forever."
I do not know how I am going to learn to speak in the format of "I like Bob. They are really nice." That discomfort on my part has nothing to do with violating my rights, though.