Third gay pastor named for Seattle Methodist church | Seattle Times

[Ediacara]

Third gay pastor named for Seattle Methodist church

By Janet I. Tu
Seattle Times staff reporter

In what could become another test of the United Methodist Church's stance on gay clergy, Bishop Elias Galvan of the Pacific Northwest Annual Conference is appointing the Rev. Katie Ladd, a lesbian, pastor of Seattle's Woodland Park United Methodist Church.

She will become the third openly gay pastor associated with the church, succeeding as pastor there the Rev. Mark Williams and the Rev. Karen Dammann, both of whom made national headlines after they were accused of breaking church law prohibiting "self-avowed practicing homosexuals" from ministry.

Ladd's appointment could gauge where the denomination now stands on gay clergy, following the controversial March church-trial acquittal of Dammann and the gathering of worldwide Methodists last month that resulted in tighter rules against gay clergy.

More at the Seattle Times

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1. Great!

Recognizing God's gifts in all of God's people! Good for the Methodists. I wish the Church of the Brethren would quit throwing away incredibly compassionate and spiritual people, well qualified to be ministers, simply because some folks in the denomination don't want other congregations to hire such people as pastors.

Naturally, we are subjected every year to panicky harangues about the dearth of leadership, and the crying need for pastors at every Annual Conference.