Rev. Phillip Phaneuf of North Chili United Methodist Church in Rochester made a major announcement during the Nov. 23 Sunday service. The 51-year-old revealed plans to transition into a woman and now identifies as asexual.
While delivering the message from the pulpit, Phaneuf said, “So I get to announce with joy that I’m transitioning,” Phaneuf told members of the church. “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.”
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Phaneuf continued, “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 also shared that hormone replacement therapy has been underway for the past three months. Phaneuf said the new name will be Phillippa and the preferred pronouns are she/her.
Is This Commonly Accepted?
In most mainline Protestant denominations like the United Methodist Church, a pastor coming out as transgender is generally accepted, or at least permitted, because the denomination has no official rule barring transgender clergy.
Individual congregations might react differently based on their own beliefs, but institutionally, this isn’t some automatic “you’re fired” situation. So while the announcement may shake a few pews and stir some predictable drama, it’s not outside the bounds of what the UMC allows.
During the sermon, Phillippa said her parents absolutely did not support the decision. “They asked me to tell you all that they do not support me,” Phaneuf announced during the sermon. “They asked me to tell you this.”
Still, that’s not stopping Phaneuf from living in her truth.