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.
While we pray for peace, we need moral clarity about this war.
As my doubts about his teachings grew, so did a secret fascination with Jesus.
Beyoncé’s right. Whether listening to Cowboy Carter or reading theology, diversity is a good thing.
