The popular music director at a Charlotte Catholic church has lost his job because he married his partner of 23 years in New York, one of seven states to recognize same-sex marriages.
Charlotte ObserverSteav Bates-Congdon (right) and Bill Bates-Congdon
Steav Bates-Congdon was fired from St. Gabriel Catholic Church in south Charlotte in January, more than six months after he and his spouse Bill Bates-Congdon married, reported the Charlotte Observer.
On Jan. 19, just back from a honeymoon trip to Mexico, followed by an emergency stay at Carolinas Medical Center for a ruptured appendix, he checked out of the hospital and dropped by St. Gabriel.
There, he was handed a note by the Rev. Frank O’Rourke, the pastor with whom he had closely worked for more than four years.
It read: “Employees of St. Gabriel … are expected to live within the moral tradition of the Church…Your civil marriage stands in direct opposition to the teaching of the Catholic Church, therefore ending your employment with us, effective today.”
Steav Bates-Congdon said that he informed the pastor of his marriage plans, and that O’Rourker said he was happy for him but could not give him his blessing. He said he doesn’t understand why O’Rourke didn’t warn him that he could be fired.
Bates-Congdon, 61, a former Methodist minister and now an Episcopalian, joined St. Gabriel in 2004, and parishioners say he’s been open about his sexual orientation since his first interviews.
David Hains, a spokesman for the diocese, told the Oserver that “Mr. Congdon’s ‘civil union,’ is a public statement in direct opposition to the teaching of the Catholic Church on marriage as a lifelong, exclusive covenant between one man and one woman.”
North Carolina does not recognize same-sex marriages, and a constitutional amendment to define marriage between one man and one woman goes before voters in May.
The state’s non-discrimination and hate crimes laws do not provide any protections for sexual orientation or gender identity. A Supreme Court in January allows churches and their schools to hire and fire ministerial employees without government interference.
Filed under: North Carolina
fudge the catholic school !!
this sucks homophobic ass holes
More Catholic hate in action
can sue them because of the hate law o: its against the law to fire someone because of theyre gender, race, or sexuality.
how sad….
That’s WRONG! The People of a church should be able to Marry the Person that They Love, Without fear of being fired.
that’s typical of the catholic church
I’d be looking for a MCC church. Ours is chock-full of very talented disenfranchised Catholics.
YEAH the catholic church has no room to be judging anyone
Wow. Idiots..
Kudos to him for standing up at the alter with his partner despite what they think!
And yet how many priests were fried for molesting little boys.
Karma will get them in the end. Until then wishing this couple a happy marriage and a brighter future!
Hate Hiding in Church.
With benefit of tax exemptions.
So Wrong!
WHAT!I’m appalled that they even went there!!Judgement shouldn’t even be on their list of priorities anymore i mean i’m just sayin
Why do LGBT continue to place themselves at the mercy of religious assholes?
When you work for a child raping and abetting organization, well, you are part of the problem, arent you.
Sarah RG: No priest were “fried”.. some where fired.. LOL. And there’s a world of difference between a loving, committed gay couple and a pedophilic priest. Please don’t confuse the two.
oops… *were
After many years of “leadership,” my wife and I left institutional organized religion.
I agree that everyone should have the right to be a part of the type of religious gathering they wish, I’m just frequently at a loss as to why they want to.
It really is about time that all churches lose their tax exempt status.
Praise Je$u$!
Things are a changin’. For whatever it’s worth a recent survey by Pew revealed that a majority of catholics don’t consider homosexuality a sin.
WTH! Love is love! I dnt go to church cuz ppl dnt judge me 4 da person i am..they jus c that im gay and start tlkin. I thought church was a place for EVERYONE. So catholic and judging others?!?!
I don’t even have to read the article. The title has “Catholic” in it.
What is funny well hyprocritical of the Church–it’s okay to be go and love you who want to love but you have to remain Celebate! Really Catholic Church you allowed your priest to rape and mostest innocent children and just moved them from church to to church to do it all over again! Mind you those priests are peophiles and pigs those who do that to children are mostly STRAIGHT WHITE MALES! Jesus lived with 12 men and nobody ever questioned him and his love for his one follower! HMMM just giving some food for thought….
i’m just going to ignore the fact that the people of their congregation were complete ignorant hillbillies and congratulate these two on finally tying the knot. nothing else should matter at this point :)
Honestly, I think that the Catholic Church should have the right to not hire and fire people if they directly oppose Catholic views. As much as I do not like or believe in Catholicism, they believe that their sacrament of marriage is between a man and a woman. The issue isn’t that they were a gay, married couple. The issue is that their decisions in life expressed direct opposition to Catholic teaching. A religious institution is generally about promoting that religion. If you are doing the opposite of that, you have no reason to be allowed to work for that religion.
I’m more confused by someone who wants to be a part of a Catholic institution while gay and married than by the beliefs of the Catholic Church. It makes about as much a sense as if an abortionist decided to join and actively participate in a pro-life organization without quitting their job.
Of course, he was happy and the church can’t have that!
Catholic church needs to judge no one
Does it strike anyone else as weird that the Catholic Church would rather people lie (directly &/or by silence) than tell the truth. The leadership of this church was apparently perfectly fine with a gay employee, even tho he had a partner – as long as he continued to lie about it. Once again – the Catholic church has no business judging people’s morality based on their own institutional record.
Shame of the Catholic church!
Shame on those who fired him!
That church would kiss muslims each with 4 wives, plus salves they have?
I do not understand why anyone would want to b apart or with a group of people that don’t want them around? I agree that it’s sad and unfortunate ignorance but they need to wallow in it and realize they prolly lost a fantastic director.
I thought this was about Lee at first!!!!
The article says the priest in charge of the Catholic parish knew of the marriage plans prior to the wedding. I would certainly hope the priest was upfront about what the consequences would be regarding the job with the church. If he wasn’t, then he was being dishonest. If he was, then the couple married knowing the consequences. In any case, I think there will be an Episcopal parish in the area more than willing to have an experienced musician on their staff.
Bullshit !!!
Sad!
Honestly! did you really expect the Catholic Church to do anything else?
Wake-up! America this is the Catholic church. The one that has the biggest closet and the 1 with the most bodies buried in that cemetary
:(
Why I exempt myself from religion.
The church, holding on to literal translation of the bible in order to promote homophobia should not only pick and choose which parts fill their agenda, but take the whole part literaly. Example! no eating of pork, so there goes the crown roasts, no shellfish, so there goes the shrimp cocktails. The bibles problem with homosexual behavior is that it interfiers with the propergation of humanbeings. In those days the whole concept was to build up the races.We dont have to worry about that anymore with the world being as overpopulated as it is. Just a thought!
Sorry one more important note to the fundementals, CHRIST never said or referred to homosexuality, not a word
If you still believe mind controlling religion, you are as foolish as hell. Wake up already. They are all bullshit
Being gay and working for the Catholic church isn’t much of leap away from being black and fighting for the South.
It seems that there is a new policy at the Catholic Church. They wold rather couples have sex without getting married.
Unfortunately…no surprises there