The Method Is The Madness?
So, seems it's ok for a gay MALE to be a Pastor in the Methodist church, but not a gay FEMALE. Does this make sense? Does it make sense to prohibit ANYONE who has "heard the call" of their faith to be a pastor? Sad. Very Sad.
Methodist church to try gay pastor
Ellensburg clergywoman disclosed having relationship
By PEGGY ANDERSEN
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
The lesbian pastor of the First United Methodist Church in Ellensburg will face a church trial for disclosing that she is living in a "covenanted homosexual relationship."
The church's Northwest Committee on Investigation voted 5-2 to pursue a complaint against the Rev. Karen Dammann. The trial could lead to her removal from the pulpit.
Earlier decisions not to pursue a complaint -- by the local panel and a regional one -- were reversed last fall by the Nashville, Tenn.-based denomination's Judicial Council.
The council move came on an appeal from Seattle church leader Elias Galvan, Dammann's bishop and the one to whom she had disclosed her committed relationship with a woman in 2001. The couple have a young son.
The church's Book of Discipline bars "self-avowed, practicing homosexuals" from being ordained or serving as pastors on grounds that homosexuality is incompatible with church teaching. Ruling in the case in October, the Judicial Council said it was "an egregious error" not to pursue charges when church law was violated.
Dammann was out of town and could not be reached for comment yesterday, but a news release from the denomination's Seattle office quoted her as saying that "trying someone for being gay is bound to shake the tree -- I hope in the direction of inclusiveness."
The time and location of the trial will be decided after Galvan names a presiding officer -- likely not before the end of the month, Seattle church spokeswoman Elaine Stanovsky said.
He and other church officials also will select a pool of 35 ministers from which 12 jurors and an alternate will be selected.
The Judicial Council retained jurisdiction in the case after ordering it returned to the regional committee, said Dammann's attorney, Lindsay Thompson of Seattle, "which means they can continue to involve themselves in it." Although it would appear a decision against his client is likely, Thompson said yesterday, "God moves in mysterious ways sometimes."
"I'm sure the committee struggled with it, since two members voted no, anyway," he said.
Indeed, one committee member who voted in favor of the trial on the basis of church law said she disagreed with the Book of Discipline's "pronouncements on homosexuality."
The local committee reached its decision Monday, but has not yet produced a bill of charges, Thompson said.
Stanovsky said yesterday it was not yet available for public scrutiny.
There's no question Dammann's congregation supports her, Stanovsky told the United Methodist News Service.
"The overwhelming majority of the church is supportive of Karen's ministry and want her to continue as their pastor," Stanovsky told the church news service.
"In terms of the core issues, we have an uphill battle," Thompson said of the upcoming trial. "But I think -- and Karen has said this as well -- whatever happens will be good for the denomination because it's going to force a broad airing of these issues," which have been subject of an active debate within the church "for many years."
"This case has become bigger than Karen now because of the way the church has handled it," he said, adding that some church members feel the council may have overreached its authority by "setting itself up as the arbiter of ministerial qualifications on the local level."
Thompson also questioned why the local committee's refusal to pursue the admitted homosexuality of another gay pastor, a man serving in Seattle, was not appealed by Galvan.
"It seems that if Karen's continuing to serve is so awful," the other pastor would logically be subject to trial as well, he said.