Remnant Recap

• What Happened: A United Methodist pastor in Rochester used his sermon to announce he is transitioning.

• Why It Matters: The announcement reflects growing doctrinal drift in mainline churches and a shift from biblical teaching to personal identity messaging.

• Bottom Line: When the pulpit becomes a platform for self-expression instead of Scripture, the church loses clarity, mission, and trust.

A United Methodist pastor in Rochester turned his Sunday sermon into something between a daytime talk show and a personal announcement reel — stunning his congregation by declaring he is transitioning.

Rev. Dr. Phil Phaneuf stood at the pulpit, looked out at his flock, and announced:
“I’m transitioning… I’m not becoming a woman, I’m giving up pretending to be a man.”

WATCH:

UMC pastor shocks his congregation by announcing during the sermon that he's transgender and will be 'transitioning' to a woman.

"My parents texted me this morning and they asked for me to TELL YOU all that they DO NOT support me." pic.twitter.com/HD2s87pPLi

— Protestia (@Protestia) December 2, 2025

Imagine showing up to church expecting Scripture… and instead getting a live, from-the-pulpit identity update.

He later posted on Facebook with a celebratory tone, thanking fellow clergy, conference officials, and church members for their “affirmation and support.”

Phaneuf wrote, “Today is a brand new day! And I have the immense joy to share that l’ve publicly announced that I am a transgender woman and am in the process of transitioning. God’s Creative Transformation is abundant in steadfast love through this. I am deeply thankful for the friends, fellow clergy friends, the district and the conference, and the church members for their affirmation and support! This news is surprising to some and confirmation for others.”

He added, “Please be kind in your responses.”

Here’s the problem:
The pulpit is not TikTok.
It’s not a personal branding platform.
It’s not a live diary entry.

It’s supposed to be the place where truth is proclaimed — where the pastor leads the congregation toward God, not toward cultural confusion.

When a pastor publicly rejects the most basic truth of creation — that God made male and female — the issue isn’t identity. It’s leadership, authority, and theology.

A shepherd who can’t affirm biological reality is not pointing people to Scripture. He’s pointing them inward, toward feelings, self-definition, and personal narrative. And the church was never meant to be a stage for that.

The United Methodist Church has been in meltdown mode for years over these exact issues — biblical authority, identity, and doctrinal drift. Thousands of churches have already fled because they want pastors who preach the Bible, not pastors who reinvent it to fit a cultural moment.

This isn’t about compassion. It’s not about “living your truth.” It’s about replacing God’s truth with self-truth, and expecting the church to clap along.

If a pastor can’t affirm Genesis 1:27 — “male and female He created them” — then he’s not qualified to lead a congregation.