The Free Church of England booted Rev. Brett Murphy due to what they called the “nature and tone” of his YouTube videos, which are heavily anti-woke. One of the videos that really seemed to ruffle the denomination’s feathers featured Murphy referring to female priests as “witches,” which they say damaged the church’s reputation. Obviously, these folks don’t care too much for fidelity to the Word of God, otherwise they would not be supporters of women’s ordination as it violates its clear standards that priests be biological males.
Now, before anyone loses their mind, it’s important to understand the reason why God says only men can be priests. It is not because women are inferior in any way, nor is their value in the eyes of the Lord diminished. Instead, it’s about the created order. God created men first to be the head of the house, head of the church, and leaders in general, because that’s what He Himself is. Women were created to represent the church, submitting themselves to the headship of the husband and church leadership the same way the church does with Christ.
Check out more details from The Christian Post:
Murphy, known for his conservative views on social issues and topics within Christianity, has countered that his remarks were sarcastic, aimed at criticizing what he sees as militant feminism within the church, not female clergy per se, reported The Telegraph. However, the denomination’s disciplinary ruling stated, “Your comments on the freedom of speech are noted, but there are proportionate limits to this right particularly when it comes to protecting the church’s reputation.” Murphy was told, “While you may claim that the views expressed on your ‘vlogs’ are your personal views, they are inevitably associated with the FCE.”
The ruling also upheld allegations of Murphy failing to comply with the bishop’s directives and mishandling church accounts. The ruling also referred to “inappropriate online activity” through Murphy’s YouTube channel as incongruent with the denomination’s values. Accusations against Murphy included displaying an FCE mug in a vlog, which Bob Stephen, the FCE’s general secretary, pointed out blurred the lines between personal opinions and denominational affiliation.
Murphy himself has issued a response to the allegations made against him and slammed the fairness of the investigation, calling the whole thing a “kangaroo court,” pointing out that he fired by email after a 13-month tenure which said was a rather traumatic experience for both his wife and his children. He then stated that Stephen took on multiple roles in the proceedings, being the accuser, the investigator, and the judge.
The approach, according to the Christian Legal Centre, appears to contradict the FCE’s own rules, which stipulate that accusations against ministers should be judged by a panel comprising both clergy and laity. CLC’s Chief Executive Andrea Williams commented on the denomination’s decision, noting, “The mark of a passionate vibrant Christian faith is the ability of a man to grow a church.” She added, “Brett has done this, and his community loves him. To remove him and his young family from the church and home is cruel.”
To show you just how much the Church of England has compromised on biblical values and those contained in sacred tradition, Murphy had previously spoken out against the Anglican denomination’s first transgender archdeacon and was taken before a tribunal. Ultimately, he was cleared of any wrongdoing. Speak out against wokeness, stand up for biblical truth, in a church, and get reprimanded for it. Tragic how far we’ve fallen from Christ in this age.
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The fallout from Murphy’s dismissal has led him to contemplate establishing a separate church, buoyed by over £140,000 in online donations intended to fund a new home. The move could potentially allow him to continue his ministry independent of the FCE’s oversight. In an interview on the YouTube channel Lotuseaters, Murphy said under his leadership at Emmanuel, the church not only experienced significant growth in membership, but also diversified its congregation. The demographic shift included a reduction in the average age of members, with a noticeable influx of youth and children, he said.
Some of the changes that came along with the group were not greeted with much enthusiasm by the bishop and other members of church leadership. Murphy introduced new activities such youth groups, Hebrew classes, Bible studies, organ practice, a choir. All of this was created in less than a year. You’d think this would be pleasing to those calling the shots, but the spirit of the Pharisee is alive and well it seems.
“They weren’t evidently too happy with that,” Murphy explained. “There’s a long track record of the bishop (Rev. John Fenwick) … nobody seems to stay in his diocese for more than five years.”
He concluded, “I was possibly a threat to his authority, to his power. He doesn’t like to be questioned. He doesn’t like a lot of transparency.”