Pastor faces discipline for performing son’s gay marriage

For the past 11 years, the Rev. Frank Schaefer has served as pastor of the Zion United Methodist Church of Iona, in South Lebanon Township.

But his days in that role may be numbered, as he faces a church trial next month for performing a same-sex marriage.

Six years ago, when Schaefer’s son Tim asked him to officiate at his marriage to another man, he immediately said yes.

“It was a no-brainer,” Schaefer told PGN. “I knew I might lose my job. But I also knew I had to do it. My love for my son took over, and was stronger than my fear of losing my job.”

So on April 28, 2007, Schaefer performed the marriage in Cohasset, Mass.

But on April 2, 2013, one of Schaefer’s congregants filed a formal complaint against him for performing the ceremony.

The complaint was filed 26 days before the statute of limitations for prosecuting Schaefer’s “offense” would have expired.

The congregant hasn’t been publicly identified, and Schaefer said he doesn’t know how the person found out about his son’s marriage.

Schaefer told a supervisor about his decision to perform the marriage. But, said the pastor, he didn’t make an announcement to his congregants.

Schaefer faces discipline ranging from a reprimand to defrocking.

A panel of 15 jurors, including two alternates, will be selected to decide his fate. All of them will be ordained Methodist ministers, Schaefer said.

“I hope the jurors will understand that I did this for my son and show some leniency,” he said. “I hope they’ll remember that part of the ordination vows is that you agree to minister to all the people.”

If Schaefer is defrocked, he might pursue ordination in a more LGBT-friendly Protestant denomination.

But, he said, he hopes it doesn’t get to that point.

Schaefer, 51, said his staff has been largely supportive. But some of his congregants have voiced their disapproval and no longer worship at his church.

His son Tim, 29, expressed mixed feelings about his father’s ordeal.

“Of course I feel partly responsible that he’s facing disciplinary action for what he did for me,” Tim Schaefer said. “But it meant the world to me that my own father was able to perform the ceremony. So I really don’t have any regrets. It is what it is.”

Tim said both of his parents have also been extremely supportive of him, his lesbian sister and his gay brother.

He added that he wants to work within the Methodist Church to make it more LGBT-friendly.

“The Methodist Church is generally very good on social issues, but not on this one,” he noted.

Tim pointed to the conservative nature of Lebanon County, where his father’s church is located.

“I think part of the reason why this happened is that my dad is serving in an area that’s more conservative than other areas [of the country],” he said.

He expressed optimism that his father will be permitted to remain as pastor of the church.

“I do have hope that he may be found guilty, but he’ll just receive a reprimand. My father feels led to minister to people.”

Bishop Peggy A. Johnson of the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference of the United Methodist Church issued this statement: “The complaint is confidential under our church process, and I am not at liberty to provide any comment. I am in prayer for all involved in this process, and I urge everyone to join me in lifting up in prayer each of the persons involved.”

Jury selection is scheduled to begin 8:30 a.m. Nov. 18 at the Innabah Camp and Retreat Center, 712 Pughtown Road in Spring City.

Alfred W. Gwinn Jr., a retired Methodist bishop from Florida, will preside.

The public is permitted to attend.

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