Sacked pastor who officiated at gay son’s wedding continues appeal for reinstatement
A pastor who was defrocked by his church for officiating at his gay son’s wedding has said he would like to have his job back.
After gaining international attention for his campaign to keep his job as a United Methodist Church Minister, Frank Schaefer, 52, has said he would like to work as a minister again for the church.
He said: “I thought I had lost everything… There was a moment of pain and depression and the next thing I knew I was catapulted. I have more opportunities now that I ever did.”
He continued: “I would like to get my credentials back… I’m hoping for a `re-frocking.'”
Schaefer will appear before a church panel in Baltimore, in order to argue that his defrocking was illegal under church law.
Despite that the United Methodist Church accepts gay and lesbian members into its congregations, its rule book deems homosexuality “incompatible with Christian teaching”.
