Methodists Order Review of Lesbian Pastor's Acquittal

by Jody Brown and Jim Brown
May 3, 2004

(AgapePress) - United Methodists meeting in Pittsburgh have ordered their top court to review the case of a lesbian pastor after the court ruled on Saturday that homosexual sex violates Christian teaching.

The denomination's General Conference voted 551-345 to direct the Judicial Council to review the case of Rev. Karen Dammann, whose avowed homosexuality led to church charges of committing practices "incompatible with Christian teaching." In March, a jury of 13 pastors acquitted Dammann. But the Judicial Council, in a 6-3 vote Saturday, said being a practicing homosexual clearly violates Methodist law, and that such a violation could be cause for removal from church office.

Rev. Troy Plummer, executive director of the homosexual-rights group Reconciling Ministries Network, said the court "made a mistake." He said on Sunday "they are wrong .... It is a bad decision. The moral issue is whether to have this law at all."

Plummer says Dammann's trial followed church procedures and policies -- and he contends that if the Judicial Council overturns the Dammann decision, the UMC will be violating its own policies. Indeed, Methodist law does not allow for an appeal in church trials. But the Judicial Council retained jurisdiction over Dammann's case when it ordered her to be tried.

Mark Tooley, director of United Methodist Action committee of the Institute on Religion and Democracy, tells Associated Press it is appropriate that the church's top judicial court is reviewing Damman's acquittal.

Mark Tooley

"All clergy are expected to be monogamous in marriage or celibate as single -- and practicing homosexual clergy may not be ordained into ministry of the church," Tooley explains. "Karen Dammann publicly described herself as a practicing lesbian, and in fact had a 'wedding' ceremony with her partner a week before her trial."

The Judicial Council is expected to rule on Dammann's specific case during the UMC's General Conference currently under way in Pittsburgh. Tooley offers a couple of predictions. "The Judicial Council could somehow vacate the verdict in the Karen Dammann situation, or it could simply declare that the verdict not withstanding, she is not qualified to be appointed to a local church," he says.

The Methodist delegates assembled in Pittsburgh are expected to take a series of votes early this week on issues relating to sex, marriage, and homosexuality. Tooley says he expects the General Conference to uphold the denomination's current teachings on those issues "and possibly to go beyond that and to develop additional language regarding the enforcement of church law."

American Preoccupation with Homosexuality
African delegates to the General Conference say the UMC needs to be more engaged in confronting global problems facing the church. They are saying the Conference is ignoring the concerns of the Third World delegates and spending too much time dealing with issues specific to the American church.

Dr. Tshibang Kasap Owan, the president of the Methodist University of Katanga in the Democratic Republic of Congo, says the gathering has focused too much on issues that are unfamiliar to the African culture -- like homosexuality.

"I think that the problem of homosexuality is a problem of the United States, because in Africa our culture doesn't allow us to speak about sexuality," Owan says. He acknowledges while the issue of homosexuality is a major concern for the United Methodist Church, African delegates do not understand because "it is the practice only for the United States."

Dr. Owan says African delegates cannot comprehend why some U.S. Methodists justify allowing homosexuals to serve as leaders in the denomination.

Dr. Jean Marie Nkonge, the dean of the Methodist University of Katanga, says delegates from the Central Conferences are complaining about the amount of discussion time being dedicated to the American church.

"It's like people are watching people debating the issues for America instead of doing global things together," he says, adding that in Africa it is no longer homosexuality but probably polygamy that could be discussed. "But they have already found a solution today for the problem of polygamy. When they come here, they are listening to people debating about homosexuality."

Nkonge says homosexuality is not a divisive issue in Methodist churches in Africa because the lifestyle is not accepted.

New Young Adult Ministry Endorsed
In other business at the Conference, the delegates have voted to make youth and young adult ministry a vital priority in all levels of church life. They overwhelmingly adopted a Division on Ministries with Young People to be located in Nashville. Arthur Jones, a delegate from North Texas, addressed the General Conference, saying young Methodists will now be able to receive direction for their ministries.

Jones described the creation of a Division on Ministries with Young People as "a unification of the United Methodist Youth Organization and the Shared Mission Focus on Young People" that will allow young people to be both "more inclusively global and more effective" at the local church.

The new ministry will replace the United Methodist Youth Organization and the Forum for Adult Workers in Youth Ministry. Jones says the ministry has been a long time coming. "This unprecedented cooperation and enthusiasm, ... resulting in a body that aims to aid local churches in better making disciples of Jesus Christ, is exactly what this church needs," he said.

New York Bishop Ernest Lyght says the General Conference made an important move when it strongly approved a $6.6 million budget for the ministry. "I think what that illustrates is when we believe in a ministry, we will find a way to fund that ministry."

Several delegates tell AgapePress that approving the youth and young adult ministry has been the most significant legislative action taken so far at the 2004 General Conference.