Pastor Bradley Schmeling was completely honest from the outset about his sexual orientation when St. John's Lutheran Church in Atlanta called him as their pastor in 2000. The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America congregation -- all but a very few members, anyway -- fell in love with their new pastor, and attendance and membership grew in the past several years.
But then the unattached Schmeling fell in love with another male Lutheran pastor he met, and they entered into a committed relationship. Schmeling immediately informed his church and his bishop, Ronald Warren of the Southeastern Synod of the ELCA, that his status had changed, and Warren, who's retiring soon, in turn filed charges against Schmeling for breaking church law, which requires gay and lesbian ministers to remain celebate, I assume because they aren't married. Meanwhile his congregation has rallied around their pastor. They don't want him removed from the church because he is gay.
Schmeling's trial starts later this week. I urge you to follow the news and offer whatever support you can. More below the fold.
At least one of those very few members who initially opposed Schmeling as pastor of St. John's has changed his mind, and the Atlanta Journal Constitution's John Blake has written an excellent article about that person and the whole story. Please read it, and then tell me how Bradley Schmeling isn't fulfilling his role as a pastor.
I know Bradley personally and have worked with him on a religious radio program. He's an incredibly gifted person and a wonderful preacher. This situation has already cost him and his partner significantly in many ways. His partner, who was from another synod, has already been removed from the ELCA and is now in the United Church of Christ.
This is an opportunity for the ELCA to embrace justice and lead the way into the future. Let's hope and pray they do so.
CephasWorld