NORRISTOWN, Pa. — A United Methodist official in Pennsylvania says she didn’t want to put a pastor on trial for officiating at his gay son’s wedding.
Bishop Peggy Johnson says she tried “very, very, very hard to avoid this trial.” But she says she had to follow the Methodist Book of Discipline, reports The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Johnson’s remarks came Thursday after about two dozen people delivered a petition to church offices in Norristown.
The 25,000-signature petition was organized online by the group Faithful America, and asks Johnson to stop holding religious trials for ministers who perform gay weddings,
Never Miss a Beat
Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights.
A church jury on Tuesday suspended the Rev. Frank Schaefer for 30 days for officiating at the marriage of his gay son in Massachusetts.
Article continues below
Schaefer said he had no intention of changing his mind about the church’s teaching on homosexuality, declaring he would perform more gay marriages if asked.
The Methodist church says it accepts gay and lesbian members but rejects the practice of homosexuality as “incompatible with Christian teaching.”
