Episcopal Priest's Sermon Suggesting Jesus Was Transgender Sparks Outrage

A sermon delivered by Father Flourish Klink, a non-binary and transgender priest in the Episcopal Church's Diocese of New York, has sparked significant controversy after Klink suggested Jesus Christ was transgender. The sermon, delivered at Christ & St. Stephen's Episcopal Church in Manhattan, posits that God is non-binary and transgender, and that Jesus, as the human form of God, was assigned male at birth but later transitioned.

Klink, who uses they/them pronouns, presented their interpretation during a service, stating, "When we trans people are born, folks assign us a gender based on what they see. Then when we're old enough, we realize that that wasn't right." Applying this to Jesus, Klink said, "Mary said: 'Oh look, a baby boy.' God isn't a boy. God is beyond boy and girl. God was assigned a gender at birth, and later on it became clear that that gender wasn't quite right."

Further elaborating on the claim, Klink suggested that Jesus's life itself was evidence of this, citing that Jesus did not live like a typical first-century Judean man, was unmarried, and engaged with women in unconventional ways. Klink also pointed to the biblical account of the resurrection, where Jesus was not immediately recognized by his disciples, interpreting this as Jesus "transitioning" and being resurrected as his "true self, which is beyond male or female."

A clip of the sermon was posted on X by the conservative Christian outlet The Dissenter, where it garnered over 5.5 million views. The response in the comments section was largely negative, with many users expressing anger and condemning the sermon as heresy and blasphemy. One widely shared comment stated, "I don't understand how so many Christians just stand by and let this happen? Where is the push back?" Another user warned, "This is blasphemy of the highest order. Please, if you are in this church run away and find a new one. He is leading you all to hell."

A community note pinned to the X post referenced Luke 1:30-31 from the Bible, stating, "But the angel said to her, 'Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus."

In response to the online criticism, Klink posted on Instagram, sharing a message of love and stating, "One thing social media is really good for is the opportunity to send love to all your haters. What a blessing to get to see folks at their worst and know that God loves them anyway."

The Daily Mail has reached out to Father Klink and Christ & St. Stephen's Episcopal Church for comment.