Rev Flourish Klink, a New York Episcopal priest, has drawn national attention after a 21 March 2026 sermon in which they said they believed Jesus 'transitioned' at the Resurrection, describing the risen Christ as 'beyond male or female'.
Klink preached at the Cathedral Church of St John the Divine's Celebration of Trans Joy and Resilience, a service held around Transgender Day of Visibility.
In the sermon, published by Klink on their own website, the priest argued that God is beyond human categories of male and female.
Klink then offered their personal interpretation of the Resurrection, saying: 'I think Jesus was resurrected as Jesus's true self, which is beyond male or female. I think that Jesus was not only transfigured. I think that Jesus transitioned.'
The Cathedral's event listing identifies Klink as the preacher for the 21 March service. Klink's published text describes the interpretation as an individual theological view, using first-person phrases including 'I have an idea' and 'I think'.
Who Is Rev Flourish Klink?
Klink is an assistant priest at Christ & St Stephen's Episcopal Church in Manhattan and uses they/them pronouns. The church's official leadership page lists Klink as 'The Rev. Flourish Klink', while Klink's biography describes them as a non-binary trans priest in the Episcopal Diocese of New York.
They co-chair the Greater New York Area Episcopal Trans Task Force and serve on the diocesan Liturgical Committee. Klink's biography says their church work includes an editorial subcommittee developing inclusive-language versions of psalms and prayers.
Before entering parish ministry, Klink worked in the entertainment industry researching fan cultures. Their professional biography says they also co-hosted the Fansplaining podcast before undertaking theological training.
Klink earned a bachelor's degree in Religious Studies from Reed College, a master's degree in Media Studies from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a Master of Divinity from Union Theological Seminary. These qualifications are listed in their published biography.
What Did Klink Say in the Sermon?
Klink wrote that the Celebration of Trans Joy and Resilience has been organised at the cathedral around Transgender Day of Visibility because the 31 March observance can coincide with Lent or Holy Week. The published sermon describes the event as an opportunity to recognise transgender people within a Christian setting.
Episcopal priestess says Mary assigned Jesus male at birth, but he was trans. And when he was resurrected, he came back as His true, transgender self. pic.twitter.com/ox1yIfAT9e
— The Dissenter (@disntr) September 23, 2026
The priest told the congregation: 'God is trans.' Klink argued that God is non-binary and cannot be confined by human gender classifications.
Klink said that when God became human as Jesus, Mary saw 'a baby boy', then argued that God was 'assigned a gender at birth'. They connected that interpretation to passages in which Jesus' disciples did not immediately recognise him after the Resurrection.
The sermon says Klink did not know 'for sure' what happened at the Resurrection. They nevertheless said they believed the resurrected Jesus appeared in a 'true self' beyond male or female.
Why Has the Sermon Drawn Attention?
The sermon later circulated in an excerpted video on X, where the wording was presented in a critical framing. The full text remains available on Klink's own website and provides the wider theological context for the short clip.
The video prompted debate over the interpretation of Christian scripture, transgender identity and whether the views of a serving priest should be treated as representative of a whole denomination. The available evidence does not support treating Klink's position as a formal statement of Episcopal Church doctrine.
Hungarian Conservative reported that Townhall managing editor Matt Vespa called the remarks 'grossly offensive' and cited Luke 1:30–31 as part of his criticism of Klink's interpretation.
Is It Episcopal Church Doctrine?
Klink's sermon presents the claim as a personal theological interpretation. The Episcopal Church's published materials state that Jesus was raised from the dead after being crucified, but do not identify the claim that Jesus 'transitioned' as official doctrine.
The Cathedral and Episcopal Diocese of New York were involved in presenting the March service. Their involvement in the event does not, on its own, establish national Episcopal Church endorsement of each theological statement made by the preacher.
The story is based on a documented sermon, not solely on social-media commentary. It concerns both the content of Klink's remarks and the distinction between an individual priest's theological interpretation and a denomination's formal teaching.
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