A decision out of San Francisco, California yesterday made a Baltimore, Maryland cleric most "happily surprised." What was the decision? The chief ruling council of the United Methodist Church had just decided that he could stay in his present position as the minister of St. John's United Methodist Church in Baltimore.What prompted the decision? Well, the the Reverend Drew Phoenix (shown at left) is an outspoken transgender minister who, for five years previous, served the congregation as the Reverend Ann Gordon. And though the Methodist court stopped short of addressing whether a change of gender violates the denomination's rules, it ruled that Ann Gordon (who, of course, now after surgery, hormone therapy, and a legal name change is Drew Phoenix) can stay.
"The adjective placed in front of the noun 'clergyperson' does not matter," the council ruled. "What matters is that clergypersons, once ordained and admitted to membership in full connection, cannot have that standing changed without being accorded fair process."
Said Phoenix, "I've always been hopeful that the church will open its doors more and be more inclusive of the (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) community, and I believe that happens when those of us that are in that community just keep showing up," he said.
Oh, by the way, to forcefully demonstrate that a slavish devotion to political-correctness is much more important to surgeon general nominee James Holsinger than are honesty, moral courage, and biblical standards, Holsinger (who just happens to be the president of the judicial council) skipped the meeting. (Holsinger is pictured here at right.)As Fox News reports, "Holsinger, who has been criticized by gay rights groups for various things including a 1991 paper in which he says gay sex was unnatural and unhealthy, bowed out of the meeting, saying his nomination could become a distraction."
Is it any wonder that Methodists are leaving the church in droves? And is it any wonder that President Bush is finding it difficult to find conservatives willing to fight for James Holsinger?
