Church of England bishops have blocked the introduction of a new prayer celebrating a transgender person's change of sex.

The House of Bishops was strongly urged to draw up the 'baptism-style' services for sex-change Christians by the Church's 'Parliament', the General Synod, last summer.

The Archbishop of York, John Sentamu, was among senior figures who implored Synod members to vote for a motion asking the bishops to consider new official liturgies designed to welcome a transgender person under their new name.

Church of England bishops have blocked the introduction of a new prayer celebrating a transgender person's change of sex. Pictured: The Synod

The Reverend Chris Newlands, who proposed the motion, said it was 'a wonderful opportunity to create a liturgy which speaks powerfully to the particularities of trans people, and make a significant contribution to their well-being and support'.

But The Mail on Sunday has learned that the bishops rejected the move at a private meeting at Lambeth Palace last month.

One senior member of the Synod said: 'I am surprised that they have decided that new liturgies weren't necessary given the force of the arguments and the feeling of Synod. You need to be able to respond to people's life events.

'We do with birth and marriage and death. When you claim a new identity, that seems to me to be as powerful.'

The Reverend Christina Beardsley, a transgender woman and a Church of England chaplain who attended the Synod debate, said she was 'very disappointed'.

Dr Beardsley, a member of the transgender group the Sibyls, said many Christians would be hurt by the decision, which showed that the bishops 'don't seem to be engaging with transgender people'.

She said the Sibyls had produced prayers that can be used in transgender services, including a version of the Lord's Prayer that begins: 'Heavenly Father, heavenly Mother, Holy and blessed is your true name.'

The House of Bishops was strongly urged to draw up the 'baptism-style' services for sex-change Christians by the Church's 'Parliament', the General Synod, last summer. Pictured: John Sentamu

Dr Beardsley said she was also worried that conservative campaigners who say people should accept their God-given genders were holding a fringe event at the next General Synod next month.

The Church's bishops are already walking a tightrope over the issue of sexuality after a report they produced last year resisting same-sex marriages in church was voted down by the Synod.

They have set up a working party to produce a new 'teaching document' on the controversy, but this will not be ready before 2020 and critics say it is a ploy to kick the divisive debate into the long grass.

Explaining the bishops' decision to block the transgender prayers, the Bishop of Norwich, Graham James, said that while the Church welcomed transgender people, clergy could adapt services used to affirm baptism or write unofficial versions.