Church Life

Flouting Church Law

Two gay controversies likely to dominate United Methodist General Conference this week.

In the heady days of February when San Francisco allowed homosexual marriages, Bethany United Methodist Church pastor Karen Oliveto presided over nine such ceremonies. The problem is that the United Methodist Book of Discipline states that pastors should not bless homosexual unions or allow the unions to be blessed in their churches.

A few weeks later, a church jury in Bothell, Washington, voted to acquit Karen Dammann, a lesbian pastor on trial for violating church law. The Discipline states that “self-avowed practicing homosexuals are not to be accepted as candidates, ordained as ministers, or appointed to serve” as pastors.

“The jury panel was simply unwilling to enforce the obvious,” James V. Heidinger, president of the Methodist renewal group Good News, told Christianity Today. “We need a willingness of clergy to abide by our church law.”

Conservatives in the 8.5 million-member denomination will take steps to rein in such local actions during the United Methodist Church’s quadrennial General Conference in Pittsburgh on April 27-May 7.

Delegates could give more power to the national Judicial Council in such cases, said Mark Tooley of the Institute of Religion and Democracy, a mainline renewal group.

Copyright © 2004 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.

Related Elsewhere:

More on the Methodist trial includes:

A Methodist Mob Mugging | There are real victims in the farce that was the Methodist church trial of a lesbian minister. (March 25, 2004)

Methodist Court Acquits Homosexual Minister | Jury says church language on incompatibility of homosexuality with Christian teaching is too weak. (March 22, 2004)

Methodist Trial Opens With Arrests, Comparison to Crucifixion (March 18, 2004)

United Methodist High Court Reinstates Charges Against Lesbian Minister (Oct. 28, 2003)

In the United Methodist Church, a Trial Comes After the Court’s Decision (Dec. 18, 2001)

Also in this issue

India Undaunted: Escalating repression can't dampen the church's growth.

Our Latest

Review

Needing Help Is Normal

Leah Libresco Sargeant’s doggedly pro-life feminist manifesto argues that dependence is inevitable.

Review

Don’t Give Dan Brown the Final Word on the Council of Nicaea

Bryan Litfin rescues popular audiences from common myths about the origins of Trinitarian doctrine.

News

Died: John Huffman, Pastor Who Told Richard Nixon to Confess

The Presbyterian minister and CT board member committed to serve the Lord and “let the chips fall where they may.”

The Pastor Who Rescues People from Japan’s ‘Suicide Cliff’

Yoichi Fujiyabu has spent three decades sharing God’s love to people who want to end their lives.

An Ode to the Long Season

Why fans love a game designed to break their hearts.

Is This Heaven? No, It’s Banana Ball

What baseball’s most amusing team gets right about joy in sports.

News

Black Clergy and Christians Grapple with Charlie Kirk’s Legacy

Many say the activist’s inflammatory statements on race should inform how we remember his life.

Apple PodcastsDown ArrowDown ArrowDown Arrowarrow_left_altLeft ArrowLeft ArrowRight ArrowRight ArrowRight Arrowarrow_up_altUp ArrowUp ArrowAvailable at Amazoncaret-downCloseCloseEmailEmailExpandExpandExternalExternalFacebookfacebook-squareGiftGiftGooglegoogleGoogle KeephamburgerInstagraminstagram-squareLinkLinklinkedin-squareListenListenListenChristianity TodayCT Creative Studio Logologo_orgMegaphoneMenuMenupausePinterestPlayPlayPocketPodcastRSSRSSSaveSaveSaveSearchSearchsearchSpotifyStitcherTelegramTable of ContentsTable of Contentstwitter-squareWhatsAppXYouTubeYouTube