Kentucky's largest Methodist Church bars gays from membership
Posted March 23, 2007
Kentucky's largest Methodist congregation prevented an openly-gay woman from joining the church in 1999. The woman, former University of Kentucky women's basketball coach Dotti Berry, had insisted that homosexual conduct was not sinful, a position rejected by the leadership of Centenary United Methodist Church in Lexington.
Berry appealed the decision to then-Bishop Robert C. Morgan, filing a formal complaint against Centenary pastor David Thomas on Feb. 24, 2000. The bishop stood by Thomas' decision.
The rejection of Berry by the state's largest Methodist congregation wasn't reported on by the media. Six years later, however, the pastor of a small Methodist congregation also barred an openly-gay person from membership. That case, in rural Virginia, sparked a national controversy.
Shortly thereafter, the denomination's Council of Bishops unanimously issued a statement saying that "While pastors have the responsibility to discern readiness for membership, homosexuality is not a barrier."
Rev. Thomas has declined to comment on Berry's case. Through a spokesman, Kentucky Bishop James R. King also declined to comment on Berry's exclusion. King is believed to be among the bishops who stated that "homosexuality is not a barrier" to membership in the United Methodist Church.
Berry says rejection of gays and lesbians isn't confined to Kentucky and Virginia. "There's no telling how many times it happens. Most people tuck their tail and leave. They either live in shame or in anger."
Fighting the decision often seems futile. "It took a lot of time and energy to go through that process," she said.
Berry says she's gone public with her story for a reason. "The point it not to embarrass and humiliate anybody. It's to call attention to the harmful rhetoric because it really does harm people," she said.
Ironically, Centenary was one of several allegedly "pro-gay" churches picketed by the Rev. Fred Phelps when he came to Lexington in Nov. 2002.
Comments
So much for Open Hearts, Open Minds, Open Doors.
Presumably, they will extend this ruling to those who are openly divorced.
Yup. And those who have had DUI, and have problems with gambling (keenland is just down the way) and let's not for get fornication and drunkeness, just a mile from UK.
They may face more financial problems than ever if they prove they have integrity with their close interpretation of scripture.
My thoughts exactly James.
Maybe the Methodists will want to exclude anyone from membership who is unmarried and 25-years and older as a suspected closet queer.
The Methodists need to change their slogan to Closed Hearts, Closed Minds and Closed Doors.
At least it would be more reflective of their practices.
Let's get past the whole gay thing in this situation: It seems that Berry is wanting to join Centenary for all the wrong reasons. She seems to have little interest in being a part of a congregation and serving with that church, but rather wants to make herself a focal point in a schism in the UMC. For that reason alone she should be denied membership, in my opinion.
I really don't think that protesting an unjust structure--particularly a congregation that is subverting its' denominational polity in NOT allowing a member to join on the basis of sexual orientation--is the promotion of schism, any more than the civil rights workers who desegregated southern churches in the 1960's were.
When will these churches stop exhausting themselves in the UM and just cut themselves loose from the dead, rotting hand of the episcopacy and be free? They should shake the dust off their feet and sever all ties with the unfaithful, corrupt bureacracy.