Eighty percent of congregation quits after Indiana church forces out gay choir director

[unhappycamper]

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/01/13/eighty-percent-of-congregation-quits-after-indiana-church-forces-out-gay-choir-director/



Eighty percent of congregation quits after Indiana church forces out gay choir director
By David Edwards
Monday, January 13, 2014 11:48 EST

A church in Indiana has seen about 80 percent of its members leave after a gay choral director was forced out over his sexual orientation.

Adam Fraley told The Herald Bulletin that he worked for the United Methodist Church in Alexandria for six years and attended with his partner. When a new minister took over the church last year, Fraley said that he resigned because of pressure about his sexual orientation.

United Methodist Church law allows LGBT people to attend church services but says “self-avowed, practicing homosexuals are not to be certified as candidates, ordained as ministers, or appointed to serve.”

~snip~

Indiana Conference of the United Methodist Church Communication Director told The Herald Bulletin that LGBT people were only prohibited from being ordained as ministers and that all other posts could be decided by church leadership.

[MADem]

1. Ha ha ha ha!

Ha ha ha ha!





Ha ha ha ha!

That is wonderful....and hilarious....and wonderful!!!! And HILARIOUS!!!

The only thing that would have made it better is if it were ninety or a hundred percent!

Bet that collection plate is looking a little meager!!!

Those United Methodists are real hypocrites, with their cute little TV commercials..."All are welcome!" Yeah .... right!

Big UP for that eighty percent!


Ha ha ha ha!

[madrchsod]

3. i`ve been a member of the united methodist for 60+ years

[MADem]

11. Why do they do stuff like this? Is this "company policy" or a rogue pastor?

Those commercials are a real sales job, I must say--the soft light, the reassuring voice, the whole "all are welcome" schtick...but I guess all aren't really welcome.

They're not the only religion that isn't keeping pace with the times, but the vibe and the reality are rather jarringly discordant.

[madrchsod]

2. good to read some of my fellow methodist`s did the right thing

i`m sure the new guy will be resigning real soon....

[Octafish]

6. Methodists helped run Underground Railroad...

...great people and congregation in Detroit...

http://www.blackhistorycanada.ca/events.php?themeid=21&id=6

...madrchsod and Indiana, too.

[another_liberal]

4. That's the way to do it.

Vote with your feet.

[TexasProgresive]

5. Off topic

but then so is that picture. That Catholic priest has nothing to do with the subject of the article. It is just some random stock pic some idiot at rawstory thought appropriate. I doubt any Methodist minister would wear those vestments but supposing one did the sanctuary lamp (red candle) in the background gives it all away.

Sorry for the rant but the use of stock photos and video to jive up a story just piss me off.

On topic, not wishing to be a stereotypical thinker, but if all the gay choir directors, organists and singers were dumped there would be a lot of music-less churches, not all but a lot.

[Live and Learn]

8. Good point! nt

[Live and Learn]

7. Good for them! nt

[toby jo]

9. Looks like they outed his ugly little heart.

[coldbeer]

10. Over in Sandusky

http://www.sanduskyregister.com/article/st-mary-band-director-fired/5173956

[merrily]

12. Allows gay people to attend services (and fill the collection plate), but not serve.

How egalitarian.

[Dustlawyer]

13. The difference is that they KNEW this man and his partner. It's easier to be against a group of

people that you don't know and understand, but when you know someone from that group (and assuming that person is not an asshole) the picture of them as some type of bogeyman fails! This is why Mitt Rmoney couldn't relate to anyone from the 99%, he doesn't ever hang out with regular people and actually looks down his nose at them.