VERDICT: Methodist Pastor Has 30 Days To Renounce His Gay Children Or Be Defrocked
By Zack Ford
“VERDICT: Methodist Pastor Has 30 Days To Renounce His Gay Children Or Be Defrocked”
Rev. Frank Schaefer
CREDIT: UMC.org
On Monday, the United Methodist Church convicted Rev. Frank Schaefer on two counts against the Church for officiating his son’s same-sex wedding. On Tuesday, the impaneled jury determined his sentence: Schaefer is suspended for 30 days, and if it at the end of that time he has not renounced his support for marriage equality, he will be defrocked.
Schaefer, however, was unapologetic, refusing the invitation to “repent of your actions”:
SCHAEFER: [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. […]
I will never be silent again. This is what I have to do. […]
I have to minister to those who hurt and that’s what I’m doing.
Three of Schaefer’s four children identify as gay.
After his sentence was announced, his supporters began overturning chairs in the courtroom, a reference to the biblical story of Jesus and the moneychangers.
Schaefer’s critics framed his actions as “breaking the rules” and “rebuking” the Church.
Update
Watch Rev. Schaefer’s remarks from after the sentencing, committing himself to being an “outspoken advocate” for the LGBT community. He also added that if a same-sex couple asked him to marry them in the next 30 days, he would do it:
Related articles
- VERDICT: Methodist Pastor Has 30 Days To Renounce His Gay Children Or Be Defrocked (thinkprogress.org)
- VERDICT: Methodist Pastor Has 30 Days To Renounce His Gay Children Or Be Defrocked (richarddawkins.net)
- VERDICT: Methodist Pastor Has 30 Days To Renounce His Gay Children Or Be Defrocked (secularnewsdaily.com)
- Methodist Pastor Has 30 Days to Renounce His Gay Children or Be Defrocked (readersupportednews.org)
- Methodist Pastor Has 30 Days to Renounce His Gay Children or Be Defrocked (dailyqueernews.wordpress.com)
- Hero Pastor Given 30 Days to Renounce His Gay Children or Be Defrocked (alternet.org)
- Pastor who performed gay wedding to learn fate (kansascity.com)
- Guilty verdict handed to United Methodist pastor involved in gay marriage trial; sanctions to be announced Tuesday (pennlive.com)
- Pastor expects to be defrocked after suspension (heraldonline.com)
The Age of Blasphemy 
Stand by your convictions and family Reverend Frank,you are a HERO Sir and will be remembered as such.I Sir am a happily married heterosexual male with children and grandchildren and believe in
freedom and equality for all people.
You will find some of the very people that speak against you are closet homosexual afraid to come out due to peer pressure and fear of what you have to challenge.Good on you mate,stand tall.