A United Methodist pastor was found guilty yesterday of violating church law after officiating his gay son’s wedding.
Torches and pitchforks in hand, a gaggle of angry Methodist pastors “convicted” Rev. Frank Schaefer (pictured) of demonstrating “disobedience to the order and discipline of the United Methodist Church” after officiating his son Tim’s marriage to another man back in 2007.
“I did not want to make this a protest about the doctrine of the church,” Schaefer said during his opening remarks on Monday. “I was ready to choose between my son and my career.”
Schaefer, who arrived in court dressed in a rainbow-colored stole, said he was honest with his superiors about his plans to officiate his son’s wedding and received no reprimand at the time. However, last April, about a month before the church’s statute of limitations was due to expire, Jon Boger, a member of Schaefer’s congregation, filed a complaint.
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“He kept it silent from the congregation,” Boger said in his testimony Monday. “Nobody knew. It was a lie and a broken covenant!”
Dozens of Schaefer’s supporters waited outside the hearing in Spring City, Pennsylvania, protesting both church doctrine and church trials, which many feel have turned into an overused and ineffective tool for dealing with civil rights issues.
One protestor’s sign read: “Church trials are incompatible with Christian teaching.”
During his testimony, Schaefer also said the church “needs to stop judging people based on their sexual orientation. We have to stop the hate speech. We have to stop treating them as second-class Christians.”
He also defied his peers by refusing to repent.
“I cannot,” he told prosecutor Rev. Christopher Fisher.
And he refused to promise he wouldn’t perform another same-sex union.
The heretic now faces punishment ranging from a formal reprimand to being burned at the stake losing his minister’s credentials and being defrocked.
2eo
He’s guilty of that thing he obviously did.
Way to go fucknuggets.
Taliaferro
In 1969, I left the Methodist Church when I realized that I was gay and that there was no place for me in this particular sect. I have never regretted that decision. I applaud Mr. Schaefer and laud his courage. I applaud those who support him. As for those bigots who found him guilty, they are not followers of Christ and they should be defrocked. It is a shame that the Methodist Church should be so benighted that it cannot do what Christ would have done.
Kieran
One hundred years ago faithful Methodists would have considered divorce to be a grave sin. They’ve since “evolved” on the divorce issue. Apparently, the Methodists decided Jesus really didn’t mean it when he said anybody who divorced and married again was committing adultery.
Maybe in another hundred years they’ll evolve on the gay marriage issue.
jwtraveler
Another church exhibiting Christian love and charity.
Harley
Loved the torches and pitchforks reference. So true.
hephaestion
There are churches that have enlightened doctrines: the Unitarians, the Anglican Church of Canada, the Swedith Lutheran Church, the Episcopal Church, the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America, the Quakers, the Methodist Church of Great Britain, the Church of Scotland, the United Church of Christ and many others perform gay marriages. I hope this wonderful minister will switch over to one of these more intelligent and more CHRISTIAN churches.