FORMAL investigations are continuing into a cleric’s alleged misconduct, even though the man in question, the Revd Brett Murphy, has left the Church of England to join the Free Church of England, aligned with Gafcon.

Derogatory remarks made by Mr Murphy about the Archdeacon of Bolton and Salford, the Ven. Dr Rachel Mann, who is transgender, were contained in a video that he posted on YouTube at the time of her appointment in June, in which he called her “a radical rainbow activist”.

In a further posting on 7 July, he announced that he had “walked away from the apostasy, the corruption, and the heresy” of the Church of England, which, he said, had “abandoned” him and others like him.

The story resurfaced in The Daily Telegraph on Saturday, which quoted from what it described as a “strongly worded letter” from the Bishop of Loughborough, the Rt Revd Saju Muthalaly, to Mr Murphy, describing his remarks as “intentionally derogatory and disrespectful”, and “not appropriate as a Clerk in Holy Orders, irrespective of the right you have to hold and express views”.

Mr Murphy was Vicar of St David’s, Broom Leys, from 2021 until this year.

A spokesman for the diocese of Leicester said on Monday: “A number of allegations of misconduct were lodged against Revd Murphy while he was a priest within the Diocese of Leicester in May 2023. These were dealt with under the procedure set out in the Clergy Discipline Measure 2003.

“Although Revd Murphy took the decision to leave his position in the Diocese of Leicester and joined the Free Church of England, the CDM provides that the process has to continue nonetheless.

“No final decision has been made on the case regarding his vlog, and the Rt Revd Saju Muthalaly has invited Revd Murphy and the Complainant to submit written representations before a decision is made.

“As the investigation is still ongoing, no further comments can be made on this matter.”