A pastor in upstate New York publicly announced a gender transition during a Nov. 23 Sunday service, telling the congregation that pastoral duties will continue unchanged despite the personal update.
Rev. Phillip Phaneuf of North Chili United Methodist Church in Rochester informed church members that the transition process has already begun and that the 51-year-old now identifies as asexual, as reported by The New York Post.
United Methodist Church pastor who announced he was transitioning to become a ‘woman’ during a sermon shows off his new ‘feminine’ look.
Rev. Phillip Phaneuf, of North Chili United Methodist Church in Rochester has revealed he is now going by the name Phillippa and using… pic.twitter.com/aFrXyUaAyQ
— Oli London (@OliLondonTV) December 3, 2025
Phaneuf delivered the announcement from the pulpit while wearing a rainbow stole. “So I get to announce with joy that I’m transitioning,” Phaneuf told the congregation.
“I’m affirming to all of you that I am transgender. The best way to put this is that I’m not becoming a woman, I’m giving up pretending to be a man. This is a process, and it may be shocking for some as to what this all means.”
Phaneuf went on to say that the pastor now identifies as asexual. “I’m in the category of what they call asexual,” Phaneuf said.
“I’ve been that way since we’ve all been together, in that I am not living my life in a way that involves looking for romance.”
The pastor said a name change to Phillippa is forthcoming and requested the use of she/her pronouns.
Phaneuf confirmed that hormone replacement therapy has been underway for three months and that changes in appearance, voice, and hair are expected as part of the process.
In a statement to Fox News Digital on Tuesday, Phaneuf said the details of the transition are accurate and added that the congregation has responded positively.
“Since coming out to my congregation, they have been overwhelmingly affirming!” Phaneuf said.
Phaneuf also said that the transition has the support of the bishop, church, and theology. According to Phaneuf, the bishop was consulted before the announcement and pastoral responsibilities will not change.
“What will stay the same is my deepening love for all of you,” Phaneuf told congregants.
Phaneuf noted during the sermon that the pastor’s parents do not support the decision. “They asked me to tell you all that they do not support me,” Phaneuf said. “They asked me to tell you this.”
A North Carolina Methodist church was shocked when its 51-year-old lead pastor told the congregation he is transitioning to become a woman.
During his November 23, 2025, sermon, Phaneuf, 51, shocked congregants by announcing that he was transgender and had already begun taking… pic.twitter.com/zkFVW8wLSt
— Bruce Snyder (@realBruceSnyder) December 2, 2025
The announcement comes after the United Methodist Church updated its position last year, reversing rules that condemned LGBTQ+ identities.
According to the denomination’s official website, the church now affirms human sexuality “as a sacred gift” applicable to “all persons, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.”
The UMC also states, “The United Methodist Church commits to befriending and caring for all persons, including LGBTQ persons in our churches and communities.”
Sick and sad.
I am pleased to be a member of the Global Methodist Church. Unfortunately, after 55+ years as a member in the United Methodist Church, the denomination lost its way.
“Isn’t God awesome? See how He f’d up and put me in the wrong body?”
He/They/Cringe is so strange. Would you allow him, “sorry misgendering here”, to babysit your kids, NO WAY JOSE! So, you are going to experience God through this “person” being “respectful”, to He/ She/ Whatever OK hahahah!
Truly sad that someone who supposedly has an understanding of the Scriptures, will become so delusional that he will twist the scriptures to bend to his mental illness. “So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; Male and Female He created them.” Genesis 1:27 NKJV
DOESN’T MATTER. Everyone in EVERY “Methodist” church should look for a NEW METHOD since they are ALL on their way to HELL as it is.They do not BAPTIZE PROPERLY nor do they RECEIVE the indwelling of the Holy Ghost.
“Christians” are BAPTIZED IN JESUS’ NAME. Acts 2:38 Acts 4:12, Acts 10:44-48, Acts 19:1-6. THERE ARE NO CHRISTIANS BAPTIZED IN THE TITLES “FATHER SON AND HOLY GHOST” as if they were “names” they are not. Jesus told you to baptize in the NAME (singular) of the FATHER and of the SON and of the HOLY GHOST”MATT 28:19, you’d first have to figure out WHAT ONE NAME those three TITLES share and according to the APOSTLES AND GOD’S CONFIRMATION OF THEIR TEACHING, that NAME is JESUS CHRIST. So, I’m going to show you three things. What Jesus said, what the apostles DID about it, and HOW GOD FELT ABOUT WHAT THEY DID!
Matthew 28:19 King James Version (KJV)
19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
Notice that the word NAME is SINGULAR not “NAMES” as if the three pronouns that followed were in fact those names. To understand what they did, you have to understand WHAT THEY WERE TAUGHT, they were taught that WHEN THEY SEE JESUS CHRIST THEY WERE LOOKING AT THE IMAGE OF THE FATHER IN BODILY FORM, John 14:8-11, AND THAT JESUS IS THE SPOKEN POWER OF GOD (THE WORD, JOHN 1:1) that MADE THE WORLD Colossians 1:12-16. That’s something that the false church doesn’t teach YOU but they however were united in this belief!
Here’s what the Apostles UNANIMOUSLY did after being told that, consistent with the belief that Jesus is the IMAGE of the invisible God (Colossians 1:15), they BAPTIZED ONLY IN THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST.
See, the false church relies on it’s faulty understanding of Matt 28:19 which is obviously false since Matt 28:19 commands us not to baptize IN the “Father Son and Holy Ghost, BUT IN THE NAMES OF THOSE THREE TITLES and while you may not understand any of this you certainly know that they “NAME OF THE SON” IS NOT “SON” it”s Jesus Christ. AND THE PROOF of this is the fact that the 4 gospels tell roughly the same story from 4 different POVS. Some include details others leave out BUT when you’re at the END of one of the four the accounts of those moments like JESUS GIVING THE “GREAT COMMISSION” is recounted not just in MATTHEW but also in Mark , Luke and John. The apostles INTERPRETED what was said to them in Matt 28:19 to MEAN TO BAPTIZE IN THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST which is why they commanded you to be baptized that way in Acts 2:38. HOWEVER the end of another gospel SUBSTANTIATES this and only this interpretation of Matt 28:19 and “in the mouths of 2 or 3 witness let every word be established”, right?
LUKE 24:45-47
45 Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures,
46 And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day:
47 And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
REMEMBER that REMISSION OF SINS should be preached in WHOSE NAME in JESUS’ name. And see HOW that “remission of sins” is accomplished right below in Acts 2:38
After Jesus’ resurrection and upon his imminent ascension, he told the apostles to go back to Jerusalem and to WAIT FOR THE INDWELLING OF THE HOLY GHOST , before they were FIT to teach his word, something ELSE that the “pope” HAS NOT DONE. ACTS 1:4-8. They go back to Jerusalem and RECEIVE THE HOLY GHOST WITH THE EVIDENCE OF THEM SPEAKING IN OTHER TONGUES in ACTS 2:1-4, this is the outpouring of His Spirit which Jesus had promised them in John 3:8, Mark 16:15-20.
After receiving the Holy Ghost in Acts 2:4, they come down onto the street still speaking in tongues only to be mocked by some of the people who don’t understand their speech. Acts 2:13. Peter then begins the first Holy Ghost filled sermon in Acts 2:14-37, telling the people that what they were mocking was in fact THE OUTPOURING OF GOD’S PROMISED SPIRIT. At the conclusion of his sermon the people asked WHAT THEY SHOULD DO. And they were told to be baptized NOT IN THREE TITLES but in the NAME OF JESUS CHRIST.
Acts 2:37-38 King James Version (KJV)
37 Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?
38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
So the only controversy about how to be baptized or in what name or names that should occur DIDN’T COME FROM THE APOSTLES , THEY WERE UNITED IN BAPTIZING ONLY AND SOLELY IN THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST, Acts 2:38, Acts 4:12, Acts 10:44-48, Acts 19:1-6. AND HOW DID GOD FEEL ABOUT WHAT THEY TAUGHT???? Well after PETER told them to be BAPTIZED IN JESUS’ NAME that same section of scripture tells you that GOD HIMSELF added people that should be saved TO THIS CHURCH.
Acts 2:47 King James Version (KJV)
47 Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.
GOD , NOWHERE AT ANY TIME has approved of the “Catholic Baptism” in the titles “Father Son and Holy Ghost” BECAUSE NONE OF HIS APOSTLES WERE STUPID ENOUGH TO BAPTIZE SOMEONE IN TITLES THAT HAD NO POWER. The corruption of the Catholic Church was not able to take root until the death of the last apostle , JOHN , on the Isle of Patmos in the book of Revelation! They fought TOOTH and NAIL against false teaching until their demise. BUT THE CATHOLIC CHURCH or at least it’s TENETS of FORBIDDING PRIESTS AND NUNS TO MARRY AND COMMANDING THE ABSTENTION OF MEAT ON FRIDAY, are in fact “mentioned” in the bible AND NOT FAVORABLY. They are listed as TENETS OF THE FALSE CHURCH which will get it’s “doctrine” FROM DEVILS.
1 Timothy 4:1-4 King James Version (KJV)
4 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;
2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;
3 FORBIDDING TO MARRY, AND COMMANDING TO ABSTAIN FROM MEATS, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.
4 For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving:
Now maybe you understand why PEDOPHILES and HOMOSEXUALS populate the ranks of the “clergy” in SATANS’ CHURCH!
Do this, Acts 2:38 and you will be saved when you receive this, Acts 2:4, which are the two elements , being born of the WATER and of the SPIRIT which comprise the NEW BIRTH which Jesus taught in John 3:1-8.
Thank you for this information. I will study your words.
You should start a church. We need another teeny, tiny branch on this tree.
Its called being celibate or abstinence. Not Asexual.
That term is reserved for those lower life forms ( like frogs) that can change its sex depending on the circumstances in order to procreate with out a partner.
Not possible for humans.
I think I’d ‘trans’ to another church.
same with the Episcopal church….sad actually.
I’m pretty sure that is what the plan is. Not an accident at all.
Ah yes, the ecumenism movement between “Christianity” and Satanism. Well done UMC.
UMC is the pro-Tranny leftsist husk carcass of the original UMC after the LGBQT takeover.
The current-day UMC is as “Methodist” as Islam is a “religion of peace”
“The Left destroys everything that it touches.”…Dennis Prage
The LGBTQXYZ mafia successfully completed a takeover of the United Methodist Church a couple years ago. It split in two with the Tranny side keeping the original UMC name and the non-Tranny half calling itself Global Methodist. In reality it split 3 ways with the 3rd group also being non-tranny and at the same time being disgusted that the UMC heirarchy let the gay mafia takeover happen. The 3rd group is not a group per se because they all went independent and scattered to the winds.
I would have at that point risen, and walked out of the church. There are other services that worship God and not some mentally ILL loser thinking it’s a woman when its genes and plumping sayn otherwise.
LOL
Leading people straight to hell and they do not realize it.