The Rev. Drew Phoenix, formerly the Rev. Ann Gordon, at St. John’s of Baltimore City. The Judicial Council will take up his case next month, deciding whether the church should accept transgender pastors.
Posted on 09/10/2007 7:32:00 AM PDT by NYer
BALTIMORE — The Rev. Ann Gordon stood in front of her United Methodist congregation last fall and announced that she was now he.
Surgery and testosterone had transformed Ann into the Rev. Drew Phoenix -- still as liberal and laid-back as always, but now legally male. Most in the small congregation accepted their pastor's transition; they even threw him a renaming party, complete with birthday cake.
But when Phoenix, 48, was reappointed to another year of ministry this spring by his bishop, it sparked a protest in the United Methodist Church.
The denomination's highest authority, the Judicial Council, will take up the case next month, deciding whether the church should accept transgender pastors. The decision will determine Phoenix's future; it could also have political implications. Presiding over the Judicial Council is Dr. James W. Holsinger Jr., President Bush's nominee for surgeon general and a longtime lay leader of the United Methodist church. Democrats have objected to Holsinger in large part because of work he has done for his church over the years.
In 1991, Holsinger wrote a paper for the church describing gay sex as abnormal and unhealthy. On the Judicial Council last year, he supported a pastor who would not permit a gay man to join his congregation. Holsinger has also affirmed the church's stance against openly gay and lesbian clergy.
The Senate has not yet scheduled a vote on Holsinger, though his confirmation hearing was two months ago. He has been asked to answer further questions in writing. In the meantime, Holsinger will handle several Judicial Council cases dealing with sexuality. Most prominent is the question of Phoenix's right to remain in ministry.
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
Ping!
ping
Mocking God has eternal consequences.
I'm surprised that it didn't choose the name "Biff Steele" or something.
Isn’t mutilation amazing these days?
You play with the cards you’re dealt. You can’t go into the deck and pick your own....................
Looking at this...person, in this case, it may have been a blessing
Oh, the poor ... person. Someone should have noticed a long time ago that she (as was ...) needed lots of mental health intervention.
This world has gone mad....
book mark..... this should be a fun thread
Because you’re gonna get pinged here sooner or later anyway...
Aye, and temporal ones too; this flaming creature will be reminded of them each time she looks at her mutilated body in the mirror. It is as if she is acting out this passage from Romans 1:
"...committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error."
Dante could not have dreamt of a crueler punishment for a pervert that that which this woman has already wrought upon herself. If God is merciful, the very horror of it may yet drive this sad creature to repentance.
Takes a lot of “faith” (or more accurately, self-deception) to believe cutting body parts actually changes one’s God-given sex.
Just goes to show you what extreme lengths fans of actor Dennis Dugan will go to just to look like him.
Here we go again.
The United Methodist Church is on an advertizing binge. I heard one of their radio commercials yesterday. The theme was “Something for everyone at the UMC.”
Methodists, whew, thank goodness! As I read this I was certain it was going to be another Episcopalian...
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