The Methodist Culture War Will Go On

An openly gay United Methodist minister was suspended from her religious duties for officiating a same-sex wedding in violation of church teaching that marriage is between a man and a woman. The outcome is unlikely to please activists on either side of a debate that has roiled America's largest mainline Protestant denomination for decades.

Rev. Amy DeLong was unanimously convicted by a jury of Methodist pastors for performing the 2009 ceremony, but the 44-year-old Wisconsin minister was acquitted of the second charge of being a "self-avowed practicing homosexual." That vote was a similarly lopsided 12 to 1.

The United Methodist Church requires clergy to be monogamous in marriage or celibate in singleness. People can be ordained without regard to sexual orientation but gays and lesbians must practice celibacy, though in practice the burden of proof for being a "self-avowed practicing homosexual" is generally higher than for adultery or fornication.

In addition to her 20-day suspension, DeLong was given a writing assignment. She has until January 1, 2012 to complete the first draft of a paper explaining how she would deal with issues that "create an adversarial spirit" within the church. The final version is due next June. If DeLong fails to comply or the dog eats her homework, she will be suspended for one year.

Liberal Methodists who would like to change the denomination's orthodox teaching on human sexuality were displeased by the latest ruling punishing clergy for solemnizing same-sex relationships. DeLong herself consistently maintained she had done the right thing: "I am standing in the light of God and feel confident and strong. We have opened some doors and it feels like a new day."

Meanwhile, the church's conservatives couldn't help but notice how light the penalty was in this case compared to some recent precedents. The Rev. Jimmy Creech was defrocked in 1999 for presiding over ceremonies for same-sex couples. Five years later, the Rev. Irene Elizabeth Stroud was defrocked for living as a lesbian in violation of the church ban on homosexual practice by clergy.

Rev. Scott Campbell, who represented DeLong at her trial, called her punishment "very fair." Church prosecutors had hoped to suspend her until she signed a pledge saying she would not perform ceremonies for same-sex couples as long as it was against the denomination's policy, allowing her to effectively defrock herself if she refused.

Not only did DeLong avoid being defrocked in favor of a brief suspension, but she was found not guilty of being a practicing homosexual despite being in a 16-year relationship and a registered civil union. Methodism's highest court has ruled that people convicted under the rule must specifically admit to sex acts, and DeLong declined under questioning to acknowledge "genital contact" with her partner. That said, there have also been instances where bishops and juries in liberal regions of the church have turned a blind eye to similar violations.

This has been a contentious issue within the United Methodist Church, but liberals have had little luck getting the church's position changed. The last General Conference opted to retain the Book of Discipline's teaching that homosexual practice is incompatible with Scripture and nearly two-thirds of delegates voted against same-sex marriage.

Future meetings of the denomination's supreme legislative body are likely to be even more conservative, as the apportionment of delegates is adjusted to reflect the growth of Methodism in the heavily evangelical Southeast and the unflinchingly orthodox overseas membership, especially in Africa. The more liberal-dominated regions have been experiencing a decline church membership.

The fact that United Methodists have so far bucked the liberalizing trend within mainline Protestantism hasn't prevented people from acting out their diverse convictions within their own churches, however. Ministers continue to bless same-sex couples while the more liberal bishops look the other way even as they keep losing General Conference votes.

Just this year, about 500 Methodist pastors, active and retired, announced they were willing to perform same-sex weddings. Yet there are now more Methodists in orthodox Angola than liberal California. The U.S. church has more evangelicals than the Episcopal Church has members.  

Even when Amy DeLong's suspension is over, little will change. Mainly an activist for "progressive theological issues," she doesn't work for a church and has few pastoral duties to resume. Nor will she decline invitations to perform future same-sex ceremonies. "There is no way I would categorically discriminate against [couples] based on their sexual orientation," she said.

The culture war within Methodism will go on.