A Methodist pastor in Rochester recently stood in the pulpit and told his congregation he is transitioning, declaring, “I’m not becoming a woman; I’m giving up pretending to be a man,” and saying he will go by Phillippa and use she/her pronouns. The announcement reportedly came during the Nov. 23 service and was delivered while the pastor wore a rainbow-patterned stole and discussed beginning a process of change in his life. This is not a private medical confession — it was a public, theological pivot announced from the pulpit to a trusting flock.
The bishop of the regional United Methodist structure issued a public response that affirmed the pastor’s courage and continued ministry, signaling institutional support rather than rebuke from church leadership. The denomination’s communications framed this as a step toward authenticity and asked the wider community to respond with grace and affirmation. For ordinary churchgoers, that official posture matters more than any individual’s story, because it shows where the hierarchy is steering local congregations.
Reports say the pastor has already begun hormone therapy and that his appearance and voice changes are expected, facts he shared openly while insisting his core commitment to the “good news of Jesus Christ” remains. Bringing those medical details into a Sunday sermon crosses a line for many believers who expect their pulpit to prioritize Scripture over personal sexual identity. Pastors are shepherds, not influencers selling a personal brand, and when the pulpit is used for radical self-reinvention it undermines pastoral trust and confuses congregations.
Hardworking Americans who come to church to be fed by Scripture deserve clarity, consistency, and leaders who place the Bible above the latest cultural trend. If your pastor starts using the pulpit to promote an ideology that contradicts clear biblical teaching, you have every right to take your family and your offerings elsewhere. Find a church that still honors the historic Christian faith, where children are taught that God’s design for man and woman matters and pastors model pastoral integrity.
This incident didn’t happen in a vacuum — it follows denominational shifts that have moved mainline churches toward formal acceptance of LGBTQ identities and away from traditional sexual ethics. Those policy changes at the top make it more likely congregations will see this kind of announcement and more difficult for local members to find recourse when they disagree. If your denomination says it affirms gender ideology, expect more pulpits to follow.
The pastor even acknowledged that his own parents do not support the decision, a detail that should remind us how deeply disruptive these choices can be to families and local communities. This is not merely a private matter when it’s announced from the pulpit; it has pastoral and communal consequences that faithful congregants must weigh. Churches should be places of spiritual steadiness, not laboratories for social experimentation.
If you’re worried about where your church is heading, act like a citizen and a disciple — talk to elders, ask direct questions about doctrine and pastoral boundaries, and if necessary find a congregation governed by pastors who preach the whole counsel of Scripture. Protect your children’s formation and your family’s conscience by supporting churches that still teach biblical truth. We must stand for religious liberty, Biblical clarity, and congregational accountability so our churches remain beacons of faith, not platforms for cultural change.
