December 16, 2013
Pa. Pastor Rebuked For Gay Wedding Looks To Future
Bobby McGuire READ TIME: 1 MIN.
PHILADELPHIA -- A United Methodist minister punished for officiating at his gay son's wedding is set to talk about his future.
The Rev. Frank Schaefer of Lebanon is holding a news conference Monday in Philadelphia. He's been ordered to surrender his religious credentials by Thursday if he can't adhere to church doctrine.
The Methodist church accepts gay and lesbian members but rejects the practice of homosexuality as "incompatible with Christian teaching."
Schaefer is serving a 30-day suspension from his central Pennsylvania church for leading his son's wedding in Massachusetts.
On Monday, he'll be joined by a group of Methodist ministers who will discuss a petition being presented to Bishop Peggy Johnson.
It asks her to stop holding religious trials for pastors who perform gay weddings.
