Flourish Klink

Introduction

Klink is a nonbinary and transgender Episcopal priest serving as an assistant priest at Christ & St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. In late September 2026, Klink became the target of a viral backlash after a sermon clip — in which Klink argued that God is nonbinary and transgender and that Jesus “transitioned” at the Resurrection — spread across X, drawing millions of views and thousands of outraged replies. Klink has responded only indirectly, saying on Instagram that social media offers “the opportunity to send love to all your haters.”

Background Information

According to their church and professional biography, Klink holds a bachelor’s degree in Religious Studies from Reed College, a master’s degree in Media Studies from MIT, and a Master of Divinity from Union Theological Seminary. Before entering parish ministry, Klink worked in the entertainment industry researching fan cultures and co-hosted the Fansplaining podcast. Their biography describes them as a non-binary trans priest in the Diocese of New York; they co-chair the Greater New York Area Episcopal Trans Task Force, serve on the diocesan Liturgical Committee, and participate in an editorial subcommittee developing inclusive-language versions of psalms and prayers. Klink’s own website states they are “non-binary trans” and “I like to use they/them pronouns.”

The Controversy or Incident That Led to Their Cancellation

Allegations. The claims in this section concern a sermon Klink delivered in their capacity as a priest, which critics characterize as heresy or blasphemy. These are theological and reputational accusations, not legal ones: nothing here was admitted by Klink as wrongdoing, nothing was criminally charged, and nothing was adjudicated in court. The sermon’s content itself is documented on video; characterizations of it as “outlandish,” “heretical,” or “blasphemous” are the critics’ framing. Klink has not apologized and maintains their theological interpretation.

The sermon that ignited the backlash was delivered, according to the New York Post and Daily Mail, from the pulpit of Christ & St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, where Klink serves; IBTimes identifies the published sermon text with a March 21, 2026 “Celebration of Trans Joy and Resilience” service at Manhattan’s Cathedral Church of St John the Divine, held around Transgender Day of Visibility. “God is nonbinary,” Klink said in the sermon, “But I’m going to go further than that, and I’m going to say God is actually also trans.” Klink, who is transgender, drew on their own experience to argue the point: “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 that framing to Jesus, Klink said: “When God… was born in human form as our Lord Jesus Christ, Mary said, ‘Oh look, a baby boy.’… God isn’t a boy, we have established this. God is beyond boy and girl. God was assigned a gender at birth, and later on it became clear that that gender wasn’t right.”

Klink then went further, telling congregants: “So if you’re gonna deny that God is trans, I think you’re going to be denying the divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ and I have some notes about that” — the line widely quoted as the sermon’s most controversial moment. Klink also argued that Jesus did not live “the traditional life of a man” in the first century, noting he apparently never married and engaged “with women in ways that were very unusual,” and pointed to the disciples’ failure to recognize him after the Resurrection. Conceding that “The Bible doesn’t tell us why” and “Now I don’t know for sure, I wasn’t there,” Klink concluded: “I think Jesus was resurrected as Jesus’ true self, which is beyond male or female… I think Jesus was not only transfigured; I think Jesus transitioned.”

Public Reaction and Consequences

A clip of the sermon was posted to X on Wednesday, September 24, 2026, and rapidly went viral, accumulating more than 5.5 million views. The reaction — more than 6,400 replies — was overwhelmingly hostile, with users calling the sermon “heresy” and “blasphemy.” One commenter asked, “I don’t understand how so many Christians just stand by and let this happen? Where is the push back?” Another wrote, “This is blasphemy of the highest order. Please, if you are in this church run away and find a new one.” A community note pinned to the clip quotes Luke 1:30-31 — the angel Gabriel telling Mary she will “give birth to a son” — as a counterargument. The story was picked up by the New York Post, Daily Mail, IBTimes and other outlets, and conservative commentary framed the sermon as evidence of doctrinal drift in mainline churches. Klink indirectly responded with an Instagram post: “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.” No diocesan disciplinary action against Klink has been reported.

Current Status

Klink remains an assistant priest at Christ & St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, and the Episcopal Diocese of New York has not publicly announced any action in response to the backlash. Klink has not apologized or retracted the sermon’s claims, and their public response has been limited to the Instagram post about “haters.” Klink’s published sermon text presents the Resurrection interpretation as a personal theological view, using first-person framing such as “I have an idea” and “I think.”

Impact on Their Career/Life

The viral episode has made Klink the public face of a national fight over theology and gender in mainline churches, with the sermon clip drawing millions of views and coverage far beyond their Upper West Side parish. The backlash has created pressure on both Klink and the parish, with angry commenters directing people to leave the church. There has been no announced diocesan discipline, suspension, or removal, and Klink continues to serve in their parish roles — including co-chairing the Greater New York Area Episcopal Trans Task Force. The New York Post framed the story as part of a broader pattern, noting Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico once made similar “God is nonbinary” remarks on the Texas House floor in 2021 before backtracking during his Senate campaign. Whether the controversy will affect Klink’s standing in the Diocese of New York remains to be seen.

Sources

• New York Post, “NYC Episcopal priest Flourish Klink claims Jesus is trans and God is nonbinary in outlandish sermon,” Sept. 24, 2026 source
• Daily Mail, “Outrage as non-binary Episcopal priest claims Jesus was TRANSGENDER but Mary assigned him male at birth in bizarre sermon,” Sept. 24, 2026 source
• IBTimes UK, “Who Is Rev Flourish Klink? The New York Episcopal Priest Behind the Sermon Jesus ‘Transitioned’ After the Resurrection,” Sept. 24, 2026 source