The pastor of an upstate church shocked the crowd at a recent service by announcing plans to become a woman — declaring, “I’m giving up pretending to be a man.”
The Rev. Phillip Phaneuf, 51 — who will now use the name Phillipa as part of the gender transition — delivered the news from the pulpit of North Chili United Methodist Church in Rochester on Nov. 23.
Phaneuf added that the pastor’s sexuality is now asexual, an orientation in which a person experiences little or no sexual attraction to others.“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 said, according to footage.The religious leader, who prefers she/her pronouns, added that her sexual orientation is “asexual” — meaning she has little or no physical attraction to others.
“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 the bishop, church and theology support the transition.Facebook
The 51-year-old’s parents, however, do not support the decision.Facebook
Phaneuf has been undergoing hormone therapy for three months and wanted parishioners to know that her appearance will be changing, according to FOX News Digital.
“I did not get into ministry to talk about myself or my personal life, but sometimes there are things that happen in a pastor’s personal life that is going to find its way out,” Phaneuf told parishioners before revealing the news.
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