The Trial of Pastor Amy DeLong: Methodism and Same-Sex unions

Time ^ | 1 July 2011 | Justin horwath

[Cronos]

The Rev. Amy DeLong, a Methodist pastor from Osceola, Wisconsin, decided to come clean. She brought to the attention of her local bishop that she had officiated over the same-sex union of a lesbian couple... She also told the bishop that she might as well be prosecuted for something else: she is in a lesbian partnership.

And so, last week, DeLong, 44, faced a jury of church elders in Kaukauna, Wisconsin. At issue was whether she violated the Book of Discipline, which guides the church's teachings, by blessing the same sex union and for being a "self avowed, practicing homosexual." The 13-member jury acquitted her on the second charge. But it also found her guilty of the first. But that's where something historic happened. The elders handed down the first sentence in 20 years of United Methodist jurisprudence that did not indefinitely suspend or defrock an elder for officiating a same-sex union.

Instead, DeLong's sentence is a 20-day suspension that also calls on her to draft a document that will outline procedures for the Methodist clergy to resolve issues that "harm the clergy covenant, create an adversarial spirit or lead to future clergy trials." ...

DeLong's trial materialized just as hundreds of U.S. Methodist clergy have been signing petitions declaring they would officiate over same-sex unions. It's creating a rift in a church that's increasingly looking more conservative than its mainline Protestant peers, which have become more accepting of gay leaders and practices. ...

The ranks of professing U.S. Methodists have been shrinking, with 2009 membership down 1.22% from 2008, at 7.8 million... "My trial doesn't change anything at all," DeLong says. "We just don't have the votes to overturn the rules right now."

[Cronos]

Note -- the gay says "to overturn the rules RIGHT NOW"..... it's out in the open fellow Christians and hitting each denomination

[Cronos]

I;m surprised the bishop didn’t see she was lesbian from the start — I took one look at the pic and thought that!

[Dilbert San Diego]

Yep, I’ve always wondered about that. Lesbians are female, and are supposedly females who simply love other females. Yet many, not all, but many, seem to go out of their way to present a mannish appearance to the world.

I’ve almost made the mistake of thinking a mannish woman was really a man. Certainly these females know that they appear to be very mannish, and want to appear that way.

[DaveTesla]

Communist goal #26.

Present homosexuality, degeneracy and promiscuity as “normal, natural, healthy.”

27. Infiltrate the churches and replace revealed religion with “social” religion. Discredit the Bible and emphasize
the need for intellectual maturity which does not need a “religious crutch.”

http://www.uhuh.com/nwo/communism/comgoals.htm

[VeniVidiVici]

This one is a lesbian? NAAAWWWWW. I don't believe it. I could probably sit in her church for 20 years and never would have caught on.

[exnavy]

Like they say, it’s not rocket science.

[packrat35]

Before I had even read the story, I saw the picture and said to myself, “no wonder she did this,she’s a lesbian” and sure enough it was confirmed.

[Cronos]

I've had this discussion before and to me it really seems a direct causal link from the time that pastoresses are appointed to "gay marriages"

I knew that there are some churches that have women pastoresses for the past decade and disavow gay marriages, but I think, putting on a logical, non-denominational hat that there is a linkage and it is better not to even step on that road.

[The_Sword_of_Groo]

John Daly is a lesbian?

[Louis Foxwell]

Yet many, not all, but many, seem to go out of their way to present a mannish appearance to the world.

Isn't it curious that homosexuality involves a denial of one's sex but not one's sexuality? Gender confusion is at the core of the homosexual experience. It is a mental illness, not a biological condition.

[Louis Foxwell]

Are you claiming that women in the pastorate is linked with homosexuality?

[Cronos]

Nope, as I said, logically I see a direct causal link from the time that pastoresses are appointed to "gay marriages"

Take any denomination that has added in pastoresses.

Let's take for instance the ECUSA, here is a timeline

• 1976 -
  • first women pastoresses
  • General convention says that gays deserve "acceptance"
• 1977 - First openly gay priestess (actually a lesbian)
• 1989 - first bishopesses
• 2003 - First openly gay bishop Genie Robinson
• 2006 - first priestess head of the ECUSA (Schori)
• 2009 -
  • the Generatl convention said to develop "theological and liturgical resources for same-sex blessings" and asked bishops to provide "generous pastoral support" for gay marriages
  • July 14 - says "any ordained ministry" is open to gays and lesbians

  One can hardly deny that there seems a direct causal link between first getting pastoresses to eventually "gay marriages"

[Cronos]

That was just the ECUSA, now let see the PCUSA

first pastoresses allowed in the 70s, then by 1997 an Amendment to allow ordination of those not faithful in marriage or chaste in singleness and finally now gay marriages.

There is a link, don't you think so? If not, I welcome your thoughts

[Louis Foxwell]

Don’t get me started. My ministry was obliterated due to the influence of homosexuality in the UMC.

[Cronos]

Actually I would like to get you “started” as you say — I probably completely misinterpreted your comment in post 11 thinking that you supported either pastoresses or gay ministers or both — I apologize. Please could you elaborate more? Thank you!

[ThePatriotsFlag]

People who feel this way should go join the Episcopal Church. They will find other loving people there who take in everybody because they love them. And there is no reason to feel bad if God's Word doesn't cure you of your sin, they will continue to accept and love you in the all-forgiving, all-inclusive Episcopal Church. If you all go over there, then the rest of our churches can stand for the real "God's Word". (Spoken by a FORMER Episcopalian!)

PS(And, while we're ranting, Democrats should stay in New York and not come "south" to get away from the taxes!).

[NHResident]

Or, they could become Unitarians....where they could worship gay unicorns and it wouldn’t matter. - The upside would be they aren’t polluting the use of the word Christianity.

[NHResident]

Or, they could become Unitarians....where they could worship gay unicorns and it wouldn’t matter. - The upside would be they aren’t polluting the use of the word Christianity.

[freemama]

Once a faith group starts disregarding God’s Word by allowing women as pastors, allowing homosexuality as normal is not that far of a step.

Stay true to the Word in all things!

[Cronos]

I agree -- Unitarians say "When any commentator says religion is against gay marriage, it really rankles me," said the Rev. Jan Carlsson-Bull of the Unitarian Univeralist Congregation of the Catskills.