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Pastor denies membership to homosexual, placed on leave

Jul. 26, 2005

A UMNS Report
By Linda Green*

A United Methodist pastor in Virginia has been placed on "involuntary
leave of absence" for refusing to allow a homosexual to become a member
of his congregation.

The Rev. Edward Johnson was placed on a yearlong involuntary leave of
absence, effective July 1, by action of the clergy of the denomination's
Virginia Annual (regional) Conference on June 13. He will receive
medical benefits but no salary.

The clergyman, pastor of South Hill (Va.) United Methodist Church for
six years, could be reinstated as a United Methodist pastor in good
standing if he fulfills recommendations from the conference's board of
ordained ministry.

The Rev. William Anthony "Tony" Layman, who was district superintendent
when Johnson was placed on leave, said the pastor's unwillingness to
allow a homosexual to become a member of the church led to the filing of
a complaint against Johnson.

Layman told United Methodist News Service that he worked with Johnson
for four months before filing a complaint against him in April for
refusing to allow the person membership into the congregation.

"For me, this was the last recourse," Layman said. "Johnson had two
opportunities to receive the person into membership himself or allow the
associate pastor to do it. He would do neither."

Johnson refused to obey the district superintendent or the bishop,
Layman said. "It was this act of insubordination that put him on
notice."

Layman said he and other conference officials "did all we could do to
help (Johnson) see the inconsistency of his stance in his ministry."

"Our Social Creed says that we as a church would not ordain homosexuals,
but they have the right to be received in membership," Layman said. "The
church supports homosexuals as part of the congregation and as persons
of definite worth.

"Johnson has deep beliefs around this issue," Layman said. "He is a man
of integrity who is living out his conscience."

United Methodist News Service contacted both the office of Bishop
Charlene Kammerer, leader of the Virginia Annual Conference, and
Johnson, asking for comment. No response had been received as of July
26.

According to the June 13 minutes of the conference's clergy session,
Kammerer said all matters in clergy executive session are highly
confidential under the Book of Discipline. She urged the clergy members
to honor that confidentiality.

Carole Vaughan, director of communications for the Virginia Annual
Conference, would only confirm that Johnson had been placed on
involuntary leave of absence. Due to confidentiality issues, she would
not tell why Johnson was placed on leave. Officials at the South Hill
church also would not comment.

Gary Creamer, a member of Johnson's congregation, said the conference's
action "is unjust and over the top."

"The church is not upholding the biblical principles outlined in
Leviticus, 2 Timothy and Corinthians about homosexuality and the sins
thereof," Creamer said.

"I cannot see how you can take Holy Communion and openly practice that
lifestyle. The Bible says homosexuality is a sin. Now everybody sins,
but we like to think that everybody who is a member of the United
Methodist Church is attempting to repent of their sins. Openly
practicing homosexuality is not an attempt to repent of sins, in my
opinion."

The placement of Johnson on involuntary leave stemmed from him being
charged with violating church polity and being "unwilling to take
direction from his district superintendent and his bishop," according to
the minutes of the clergy session. The action was confirmed by a
two-thirds vote of those at the clergy session - 418-114, with 8
abstentions.

During the clergy session, Kammerer was asked whether it is lawful for a
clergyperson to "receive into the membership of a local United Methodist
church anyone who is able to receive the vow, affirm the vow and
promises to fulfill the vow, and who, at the same time, acknowledges and
impenitently practices homosexual relations?" Kammerer said the bishop
and the district superintendent are charged to give guidance, as was
done in Johnson's situation, according to the minutes.

Kammerer also was asked if the permissive language in Paragraphs 214 and
225 of the Book of Discipline gave "Johnson the right and responsibility
to exercise responsible pastoral judgment in determining who may be
received into church membership of a local church."

Kammerer ruled "negative in this case," the minutes report.

In a July 26 statement, the evangelical Good News organization said the
standards of Scripture and the interpretation of those standards within
the Book of Discipline regarding homosexual practice are "equally
applicable to clergy and laity, and that Rev. Johnson's decision finds
support in church membership vows."

What was being denied to this individual was membership in the church,
not participation in its programs and ministries, said the Rev. Tom
Lambrecht, senior pastor of Faith Community United Methodist Church in
Greenville, Wis., and chairman of the Good News board of directors.

"Good News acknowledges differences of opinion about whether it is
appropriate to deny church membership to individuals based on pastoral
judgments about their sincerity and the state of their repentance or
lack of it. However, we do not believe that the Book of Discipline
requires pastors to receive unconditionally everyone who presents
himself or herself for church membership."

Johnson may return to an appointment next year if he follows guidelines
set by the board of ordained ministry, but Layman declined to discuss
what those guidelines are.

"The board of ordained ministry is working with him in providing
opportunity to return.	He does have an opportunity to return to an
appointment," he said.

The case will also come before the Judicial Council, the denomination's
nine-member supreme court, which meets Oct. 26-29 in Houston. The
council will review Kammerer's decisions on fair process and pastoral
authority under Paragraphs 214 and 225 of the Book of Discipline. The
court automatically reviews every bishop's ruling of law from annual
conference sessions.

*Green is a United Methodist News Service news writer based in
Nashville, Tenn.

News media contact: Linda Green, (615) 742-5470 or newsdesk@umcom.org.

********************

United Methodist News Service
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