Cold Gay World: United Methodist Church vs. Rev. Frank Schaefer

jamin | November 21, 2013 | 2 Comments

In the latest examples of Christians overreacting to anything gay-related, may I present the story of Rev. Frank Schaefer of Lebanon, PA, who is facing being defrocked by the United Methodist Church because he officiated at his son’s gay wedding in 2007 in Massachusetts. Apparently a church member found out about it, did some research, and presented this information to the United Methodist Conference, and they found him guilty of violating UMC rules and regulations, and are giving him 30 days to renounce his support of same-sex marriage so that he can keep his job.

Rev. Schaefer: friend of the gays, or willful participant in society’s decline into Hell?

Christians can be so petty sometimes. Seriously, my father was once a UMC pastor and the meanest, most evil woman I’ve ever met (who was a member of the church and as petty as one can get), reported the church to the health department because the kitchen wasn’t up to code, although no one ever got sick. She did this to get back at my dad for publicly embarrassing her after she tried to make a dramatic resignation announcement during service. My dad informed her that service was not the proper forum for it. She said, “EXCUSE ME?!” and my dad held his ground and she got embarrassed and went downstairs for the rest of the service. Also, I had the idea to start a new teen choir without her as the director. She could have stayed on with the kids, but we wanted other music as teenagers, and the choir was created without her. She got offended because she wasn’t willing to bend in her ways at all, and there you have it. She’s dead now.

So, first, my question is what bitter and petty church member was mad at Rev. Schaefer and reported him? Second, I’d like to know why the Los Angeles Times refers to the story objectively, but the blog site Christian News Network immediately judges Rev. Schaefer and his son before you even read the story.

“Methodist pastor found guilty in church trial over gay son’s marriage.”

“Disgusting freaks of nature, homosexual sodomite men, were blessed in ‘marriage’ by a renegade pastor unworthy of his calling, and God is projectile vomiting in Heaven right now.”

Rev. Schaefer has 4 children, three of whom are gay. These Christians would probably say he’s a terrible father and that presiding over his gay son’s marriage is a way to right a wrong that he missed in fatherhood, but we don’t know enough about that to pass judgment. Or at least I don’t, nor am I attempting to.

Some Christians would benefit from that stance, too. After all, even if you defrock the man, he’s still called to preach and can get re-ordained online, and start another church. He’ll lose his retirement pension, but I can’t think of what else he’ll lose. He might pull some members with him. I think the UMC needs to stop trying to make an example here and just handle this quietly. Even if he publicly recants, he still performed a gay marriage and probably isn’t going to change his stance on that. So, what have you gained in the end?

What are your thoughts? I’m just shocked to see how the secular world is objectively reporting on this one this time around, but Christians are showing how church-folk-y they can be. Ugh.