Rev. Frank Schaefer, the United Methodist minister who was defrocked in December for officiating the wedding of his son and husband, has appealed the ruling. An appeal will be heard in June of this year.
United Methodist Bishop Martin McLee and Rev. Dr. Thomas W. Ogletree announced that the church was dropping the case against Dr. Ogletree for officiating at his son’s wedding. Furthermore, Bishop McLee said in his statement “I call for and commit to cessation of trials.”
NCIS star Pauley Perrette has joined the documentary film An Act of Love as Executive Producer to tell the story of Rev. Frank Schaefer, who was stripped of his credentials as a minister in the United Methodist Church last year.
United Methodist minister and former dean of Yale Divinity, Rev. Thomas Ogletree, will be tried by a church council because he officiated at his son’s marriage to the man he loves.
Rev. Frank Schaefer was found "guilty" of performing his son's wedding to another man by the United Methodist Church and given a 30-day suspension, at the end of which he was given the choice to renounce his ministry to the LGBT community or to be defrocked.
Just last week GLAAD shared the story of retired bishop Melvin Talbert who presided at the wedding of Joe Openshaw and Bobby Prince in defiance of North Alabama Bishop Debra Wallace-Padgett.
Retired United Methodist Bishop Melvin Talbert arrived in Birmingham Alabama on Friday to preside at the wedding of Joe Openshaw and Bobby Prince on Saturday. It will be the first public marriage of a gay couple presided over by a United Methodist bishop.