Lesbian pastor resigns post at Inland mission

Lesbian pastor resigns post at Inland mission

Saturday, March 26, 2005

By GREGOR McGAVIN / The Press-Enterprise

Associate pastor resigns

The Rev. Jenny Mason has resigned effective April 17 from Central City Lutheran Mission in San Bernardino. The appointment of the openly gay associate pastor led to removal of the mission from the roster of congregations and removal of the Rev. David Kalke as pastor.

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The Rev. Jenny Mason is resigning from Central City Lutheran Mission one year after her appointment as associate pastor led the San Bernardino ministry to be stricken from the roster of Lutheran congregations and reignited debate over ordination of gays and lesbians.

Mason is quitting effective April 17 and plans to move to Minnesota to live with the woman with whom she has been in a relationship for a year. But her departure is not expected to cool the simmering dispute between the downtown San Bernardino mission and leaders of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

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Unless the Pacifica Synod -- which has authority over Central City and more than 60 other congregations -- reinstates Kalke as pastor and puts the mission back on the official list of churches, the mission's board of directors may approve a split at its April 18 meeting.

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Reach Gregor McGavin at (909) 806-3069 or gmcgavin@pe.com.

Online at: http://www.pe.com/localnews/inland/stories/PE_News_Local_M_mission26.58f61.html