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 The United Methodist clergyman convicted of breaking church law
for officiating at his son's same-sex wedding was suspended late
Tuesday, and ordered by a jury of his fellow pastors to surrender
his credentials in a month if he can't bring himself to adhere to
the laws of the church's Book of Discipline.
Schaefer said he had no intention of changing his mind about the
church's teaching on homosexuality, declaring he would perform more
gay marriages if asked.
"I feel I have to be an advocate, an outspoken advocate for all
lesbian, gay, transgender and bisexual people," Schaefer told
reporters after learning his sentence, adding that he expects to be
defrocked when his 30-day suspension is up.
Before the punishment was announced, Schaefer, who was convicted for
presiding over his son's 2007 wedding ceremony in Massachusetts,
told the jury that he is unrepentant.
Rather than beg for mercy, the pastor upped the stakes.
The church "needs to stop judging people based on their sexual
orientation," he told jurors. "We have to stop the hate speech. We
have to stop treating them as second-class Christians."
After the jury pronounced its sentence, Schaefer's supporters began
overturning chairs in the courtroom — symbolizing the biblical story
of Jesus overturning the tables of the money changers — and held an
impromptu communion service. A few supporters scuffled briefly with
the church's trial staff.
Schaefer's trial rekindled debate within the nation's largest
mainline Protestant denomination over church policies on
homosexuality and same-sex marriage. The denomination accepts gay
and lesbian members, but it rejects the practice of homosexuality as
"incompatible with Christian teaching."
Schaefer donned a rainbow-colored stole on the witness stand and
told jurors it symbolized his commitment to the cause.
"I will never be silent again," he said, as some of his supporters
wept in the gallery. "This is what I have to do." Jon Boger, who
filed the initial complaint against Schaefer, was outraged by the
pastor's recalcitrance. The career Naval officer grew up in Zion
United Methodist Church of Iona, the church in Lebanon that Schaefer
has led for 11 years.
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"Frank Schaefer sat here and openly rebuked the United Methodist
Church, its policies, standards and doctrines," Bolger said when
called as a rebuttal witness. "He should no longer be in service as
a minister of the United Methodist Church, not at Iona, not anywhere
else."
Earlier Tuesday, the Methodists' prosecutor called former members
of Schaefer's church who said his conduct split the congregation,
and experts who said the punishment should serve as a deterrent to
other like-minded clergy.
Christina Watson said her family left Schaefer's church because
they no longer wanted to be "subjected to the preaching and
teaching" of Schaefer.
"To me, it wasn't a good Christian example for ministers to say
it's OK to break the rules of your church," she testified.
Schaefer had previously testified that he performed his son's
wedding out of love, not a desire to flout church teaching on
homosexuality.
But Tuesday's testimony made clear he has had a change of heart.
"I have to minister to those who hurt, and that's what I'm doing,"
Schaefer said.
The prosecutor, the Rev. Christopher Fisher, invited Schaefer to
"repent of your actions" and pledge never again to perform a
homosexual union.
"I cannot," Schaefer replied.
His son, Tim Schaefer, told jurors he knew he was putting his
father in a difficult position by asking him to officiate at his
wedding. But he concluded he would hurt his father's feelings if he
didn't ask.
Schaefer said he hoped his father's trial would start a larger
conversation in the denomination.
[Associated
Press; MICHAEL RUBINKAM]
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