Lesbian Minister to Challenge Defrocking

Guardian
By RICHARD N. OSTLING

AP Religion Writer

A Methodist minister who was defrocked for declaring that she's a lesbian living with her partner is taking her case to a church appeals court.

The Rev. Irene Elizabeth Stroud, of Philadelphia, was ousted Dec. 2 for violating the United Methodist Church's law against ``self-avowed practicing homosexuals'' in the clergy.

She decided last week to appeal but delayed the announcement until after Christmas weekend: Notice of appeal must be filed this week.

Stroud said she hesitated to appeal because she's tired and dislikes being in the spotlight, but ``there are questions the larger church needs to discuss and wrestle with.''

http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,1280,-4696106,00.html

Rev. Stroud's website
www.bethstroud.info

and a documentary about First United Methodist Church of Germantown and Stroud's work in that church. "The Congregation" will air on PBS December 29. Check local listings for details.

http://www.pbs.org/thecongregation/

I'll hope the one PBS station I get here in Denver runs it.

Peace!

You can read Stroud's coming out sermon on her website www.bethstroud.info

It really got to me. She sounds like a gifted, intelligent and kind person. What the UMC has done is shameful. This isn't the Methodist Church I grew up in--and it may just be the final straw for me.

The UCC is looking mighty appealing right now.

Very active GBLT student body. The UMs are losing many gifted ministers to the UCC and the MCC because of this discriminatory policy.

BTW, in case you don't know but were wondering, MCC is the Metropolitan Community Church, a church founded for GBLTQ Christians. It's a little more conservative in it's actual theology than the UCC church.

(Liberal seminary student humor: what does UCC stand for? Unitarians Considering Christ! LOL!)

And, please join the UCC! Please support, financially and emotionally, a progressive church, instead of giving money to your church, that gets passed up to a disgusting administrative body.

I think that we progressive need to starve the beast (of bigoted church bodies). If progressives wanted to, they could bankrupt these bodies - at least get their attention!