Rev Frank Schaefer officiated son’s gay wedding against church’s rule, refused to step down
A pastor from Pennsylvania is making headlines for being “defrocked” by United Methodist church officials on Thursday after a battle over officiating his son’s gay wedding in 2007. This action contradicts the denomination’s central beliefs.
As TheBlaze previously reported, Rev. Frank Schaefer of Lebanon, Pa., had already been suspended when he met with church officials to determine whether he would continue as a pastor.
Schaefer had presided over his son’s wedding in 2007 in Massachusetts, where gay marriage is legal.
While Methodist regulations allow for gays and lesbians to join, homosexuality itself is seen as being “incompatible with Christian teaching.”
Schaefer was asked to resign if he could not follow and conform to the denomination’s Book of Discipline, but the pastor refused, calling it discrimination against gay people.
Schaefer publicly said he would defy the religious order to surrender his credentials for performing the same-sex wedding.
“I am actively committing to having those discriminatory laws changed and banished from our Book of Discipline,” Schaefer said. “That’s the only way I can reconcile being a United Methodist at this point.”
He endured a trial, suspension and then held a press conference welcoming the loss of his credentials.
“I cannot voluntarily surrender my credentials because I am a voice now for many — for tens of thousands — of LGBT members in our church.”
photo Julyo based on work by Gilbert Baker, 1979 via wikimedia commons
