The Rev. Amy DeLong, a minister in Wisconsin, broke two cardinal rules of the church: In 2009 she officiated the wedding ceremony for a lesbian couple, and separately she and her wife registered with the state as domestic partners. Both are huge no-nos for United Methodist clergy, which means DeLong now faces possible ouster, after 14 years with the church, on charges brought by a Wisconsin church committee — that “appeared almost reluctant in doing so, suggesting in a statement with its charging document that it had no choice under church laws. It praised her courage and described the charges as ‘fundamentally unjust.'” What law is that? The one requiring gay ministers to either remain celibate, or never disclose their sexual orientation. You know, like Don’t Ask Don’t Tell for Jesus lovers. While DeLong could face only a one-day suspension, she could also be defrocked.
scripscan
The churches are abundantly filled with gays. Why single out this one guy? Better yet, why belong to the church in the first place?
jeff
Amy is female. Unfortunately the church does single out those who speak up. What they can’t abide is having to recognize the equality of gays and straights just as white supremacists can’t acknowledge non whites and whites as equal and sexists can’t recognize women and men as equal. if this was about keeping gays out they would actively seek them out and charge them. they don’t . they accept you if you never admit it. that is the hypocrisy that ran this country for generations and is now almost dead.
the next issue the church will face is the removal of the celibacy rule for single clergy. that will fall too but wait til you hear the hulabaloo over that one.