Rev. Kathleen Weber, United Methodist, Comes Out

[Steven E. Webster]

Friends,

Here's the article:

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2003915557_pastor01m.html

I want to say "here we go again!." I've not seen much in the way of reaction to this story yet. Notice the article mentions other United Methodist clergy who have come out and not been defrocked. One of these is Karen Dammann, who, though not defrocked, remains on family leave from service in the ministry.

The Annual Conference (diocese) in which these folks serve is considered "liberal." When Karen Dammann "came out" the whole denomination went nuts. She faced a church trial (Soulforce was there). When she was aquitted, just before our last General Conference, the General Conference, meeting in Pittsburgh, went into reactionary mode and adopted much more anti-LGBT language into the Book of Discipline (church law). Immediately after General Conference the Rev. Beth Stroud in Philadelphia was tried and defrocked for being a "self-avowed practicing homosexual."

Expect more news to follow. We're coming up towards another General Conference (they meet every four years) in April-May of 2008.

Steven Webster

[Daniel]

I want to say "here we go again!." I've not seen much in the way of reaction to this story yet. Notice the article mentions other United Methodist clergy who have come out and not been defrocked. One of these is Karen Dammann, who, though not defrocked, remains on family leave from service in the ministry.


I saw news of this yesterday. Perhaps not much has happened because she's not ordained yet? One wonders if that will ever happen now.

[Gennee]

An interesting article. Seattle is supposedly one of the more progressive cities in America. What I see is that LGBT issues are coming to the forefront of a number of demoninations.

Gennee

:)