UK

Church vicar is fired for preaching ‘anti-woke’ gospel after branding female priests ‘witches’


A breakaway church vicar has been fired for preaching ‘anti-woke’ gospel after he branded female priests as ‘witches’.

Earlier this year, Clergymen Brett Murphy did not face punishment after calling a trans archdeacon a ‘bloke’ when discussing the appointment of Rachel Mann to his 14,000 YouTube subscribers last year.

He said the Church of England’s first trans woman archdeacon was ‘in fact, bioligically, a bloke, who identifies and lives as a woman’, and also labelled her as a ‘fella’.

Now, Rev Murphy has been dismissed by breakaway Anglican denomination, the Free Church of England (FCE), after ruling that the ‘nature and tone’ of his videos which he posted online brought the church ‘into disrepute’.

Particularly, the FCE took issue with the vicar using the term ‘witch’ to refer to female priests, the Telegraph report.

Clergyman Brett Murphy, pictured with fellow former FCE cleric Calvin Robinson, has been fired for preaching ‘anti-woke’ gospel

Earlier this year, Clergymen Brett Murphy did not face punishment after calling a trans Church of England archdeacon a 'bloke'

Earlier this year, Clergymen Brett Murphy did not face punishment after calling a trans Church of England archdeacon a ‘bloke’

The vicar claimed that his comments were only ‘tongue in cheek’ and he has a ‘right to free speech’ despite opposing the ordination of women. But the Church ruled ihe was harming their reputation.

In a statement by the Church, it said: ‘The Free Church of England acknowledges the concerns and questions raised regarding developments related to the Rev’d Brett Murphy. 

‘We understand that silence can be frustrating, but please know that this is not due to avoidance or fear of transparency. Rather, it is out of respect for the confidentiality of an ongoing process, that is being handled with the utmost care and diligence.

‘We are committed to ensuring that matters of Church discipline are addressed appropriately, and we believe that such matters should not be judged by public opinion or debated on social media. Our priority is to uphold the integrity of this process for all involved.

‘While there have been personal attacks and misinformation circulating, particularly towards the Bishop Primus, we choose not to engage in public disputes, as doing so would compromise the trust placed in us to handle this situation responsibly.

‘When it is possible, a fuller statement will be made. In the meantime, we ask for your prayers, support, and continued trust in this process.’

Rev Murphy uses his channel to comment on news ‘from a conservative Christian standpoint’.

Rev Murphy has been dismissed by breakaway Anglican denomination, the Free Church of England (FCE)

Rev Murphy has been dismissed by breakaway Anglican denomination, the Free Church of England (FCE) 

The father-of-two left the Church of England to join the FCE last year – but after only 13 months as vicar of Emmanuel, he was ‘sacked by email’ following a disciplinary hearing brought against him by the FCE.

‘It has been one of the most traumatic experiences of our lives,’ he told The Telegraph. ‘I think I’ve got pretty thick skin because I’ve been through a lot as a minister.

‘Enduring a kangaroo court and the injustice of that was pretty unpleasant. The cold and callous disregard about caring for my pregnant wife and two children has been a concern to us.’

He has since received more than £140,000 in online donations, however, to help him fund the purchase of a home.

Fellow cleric Calvin Robinson, who quit the CofE for the FCE in 2022 but left the following year, has been among Rev Murphy’s backers.

He has been posting messages of support on X, formerly Twitter, tonight about the case, as well as a video interview between the pair.

MailOnline has contacted Rev Murphy for comment.



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