New York Pastor Announces Gender Transition During Church Service

Reverend Phil Phaneuf, the pastor of North Chili United Methodist Church in New York, made a landmark announcement to her congregation this past Sunday, publicly sharing that she is transitioning to a woman and will now use she/her pronouns.

In a heartfelt address during Sunday service, Reverend Phil Phaneuf informed her congregation at the North Chili United Methodist Church (UMC) that she is undergoing a gender transition.

The 51-year-old pastor, wearing a rainbow stole, told the assembled churchgoers, "I get to announce with joy that I am transitioning. I am affirming and saying to all of you that I am transgender." She explained her journey by stating, "The best way to put this is that I'm not becoming a woman, I'm giving up pretending to be a man."

Reverend Phaneuf shared that her new name will be Phillippa Faye Phaneuf, though she will continue to go by "Reverend Phil" professionally. She expressed a gracious approach to the change, telling the congregation, "I'm not going to be the pronoun police. I don't think that anybody will misgender or mis-pronoun out of malice."

The pastor assured members that her core beliefs and role would remain unchanged, emphasizing that her commitment to her faith and ministry is steadfast. She noted that the primary changes would be physical, revealing she has been on hormone replacement therapy for approximately three months.

The announcement marks a significant moment within the United Methodist Church, which has experienced deep internal divisions over matters of sexuality and LGBTQ inclusion.

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