Daily Talker: Minister Faces Church Trial Over Gay Marriage Ceremony
A United Methodist minister is facing a church trial for officiating his son's same-sex marriage in Massachusetts.
Rev. Frank Schaefer of Lebanon, Pennsylvania could be suspended, reprimanded, or lose his career because he performed the wedding ceremony in 2007. He had told his superiors about it ahead of time, but did not face any trial until after a member of his church filed a complaint.
The United Methodist Church formally accepts gay and lesbian members but teaches that homosexuality is not compatible with Christian teaching, something Schaefer calls an exclusionary policy. Over the weekend, about 50 church ministers gave their support to Schaefer by officiating at another same-sex ceremony in Philadelphia.
We want to know: Do you think Rev. Schaefer used the right approach to challenge United Methodist Church rules? Leave your comments below and we'll use some of them on WBZ News in the Morning.
