Church of England investigating vicar for calling a transvestite deacon a 'bloke'

The Church of England is investigating a vicar who dared to criticize LGBT activism among the clergy and point out that a transvestite archdeacon is in fact a man.

Rev. Brett Murphy, 38, released a 32-minute YouTube video on June 16, wherein he touched on various concerns pertaining to LGBT activism among Christians. While his criticism in the video of the Roman Catholic pontiff was likely palatable to the Anglican leadership, his criticism of Rev. R. Mann, a male transvestite who has called himself in past years a "lesbian," apparently crossed the line.

Mann characterized himself on his personal website as a "feminist and queer writer" who produces "liturgy that seeks to be critical of patriarchy and liberative for both men and women." He also told the Telegraph in 2020, "I'm self-evidently a woman – but I'm glad I was once a man."

Mann has made waves stating, "I was only able to find God after I had transitioned."

The bishop of Manchester, David Walker, announced Mann's promotion to archdeacon of Bolton and Salford, England, in June, stating, "Her personal gifts, including as a writer, poet, liturgist and broadcaster, will combine with her new responsibilities, to help the people of this generation know and love Jesus Christ."

"Now you might wonder, 'Is that really newsworthy, Brett?' If you're a complementarian, you might roll your eyes at yet another feminist getting a high-ranking position in the C of E, but this is worse than that," Murphy noted in his video. "The Reverend Rachel Mann is in fact biologically a bloke who identifies and lives as a woman."

Murphy underscored that the appointment is significant because "it points towards the continued snowballing of the C of E, backsliding down ... from heterodoxy and apostasy into outright heresy."

Murphy speculated that Mann's promotion might amount to the church leadership "positioning for him to become a bishop in the Church of England — the first transsexual bishop in the C of E."

"So what you are seeing here is someone who is a radical rainbow activist being put in a position of high authority in a diocese," added Murphy.

Extra to expressing contempt over the ostensible effort to fast-track the transvestite to a bishropic, Murphy suggested remaining orthodox Anglicans in the Manchester diocese may be justified in expecting discrimination.

According to the evangelical advocacy group Christian Concern, Murphy was hit with multiple complaints, some of which were anonymous, while he was still running St. David's Church in Coalville, Leicestershire. The complaints concerned his "misgendering" of Mann; his criticism of Mann's referral in prayer to Christ as "our sister"; his tradition-affirming sermons; and his alleged failure to visit a stranger outside his parish.

Murphy faced four corresponding clergy disciplinary measures that if upheld by the presiding bishop would likely mean he would be barred from ever again ministering or working with the Church of England. The Christian Legal Center helped him battle the four clergy disciplinary measures.

The Bishop of Loughborough, Rev. Saju Muthalay, ultimately determined no disciplinary action was necessary since Murphy had announced in July he was leaving the Church of England and instead joining the Free Church of England.

Though gone, Murphy was apparently not forgotten by LGBT activists in the Anglican church.

The complaint against the vicar was resurrected by the tribunal arm of the Church of England this year at the urging of Canon Carolyn Lewis. Muthalay's decision will now be reviewed and his case likely re-litigated.

Muthalay told Murphy in a recent letter that his language was "intentionally derogatory and disrespectful" and "not appropriate as a Clerk in Holy Orders, irrespective of the right you have to hold and express views," reported the Telegraph.

Murphy said in a statement, "As a Christian minister it is my duty to proclaim the gospel whenever I can. I make no apology for that."

"The decisions by the CofE to investigate and pursue me for stating biological truth has reinforced and vindicated all the concerns that I raised in the original vlog," he continued. "The re-opening of the complaint especially exposes the drive within the CofE to censor and banish any dissenting voice that does not agree or celebrate extreme LGBT ideology."

Murphy noted that punitive measures appear to be effective and used only against orthodox Christians in the church.

"Many other Orthodox priests in the CofE are telling me that they are being pushed out and bullied if they do not go along with the same-sex marriage agenda. They are being harassed, pushed to the margins, are having false complaints made about them, and, shall we say, are encouraged to be silent or leave," added Murphy.

The Telegraph indicated Mann did not respond for comment.

The investigation and Rev. Brett Murphy's forthcoming formal censure come amidst schism and turmoil in the Anglican church over Canterbury's various capitulations to LGBT activists.

Blaze News reported earlier this year that the heads of numerous Anglican member churches announced they would no longer recognize the archbishop of Canterbury as the "first among equals."

The relatively more orthodox Global South Fellowship of Anglican Churches confirmed in a statement that the Church of England's decision to "legitimise and incorporate into the Church's liturgy the blessing of same sex unions" marked a departure "from the historic faith passed down from the Apostles by this innovation in the liturgies of the Church and her pastoral practice."

They further indicated that the church's apparent appeasement to LGBT activists had disqualified it from "leading the Communion as the historic 'Mother' Church."

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!