Reinstatement does not reverse church’s standards, bishops say
May 2, 2005
WASHINGTON (UMNS) — A decision to reinstate a United Methodist pastor
who lost her clergy credentials in December under church law concerning
the practice of homosexuality "does not in any way reverse the
standards in our Book of Discipline," according to the denomination’s Council of Bishops.
In a statement issued
May 1 as the bishops gathered for their spring meeting in Washington,
the council’s executive committee said the April 29 decision of the
Northeastern Jurisdictional Committee on Appeals was based on legal
error, not lack of evidence. "This means that the reasons for the guilty
verdict were not questioned, but the case was reversed on two questions
of legal process," the statement said.
Irene Elizabeth "Beth" Stroud of Philadelphia appealed her case after
a trial court of the United Methodist Church’s Eastern Pennsylvania
Annual (regional) Conference found her guilty on Dec. 2 of violating
church law, which forbids the ordination and appointment of "self-avowed
practicing homosexuals."
Stroud continued to work at First United Methodist Church of
Germantown in Philadelphia as a lay person when the court stripped her
of her clergy credentials. She had informed her congregation in April
2003 that she was living in a committed relationship with another woman,
In its ruling, the appeals committee set aside both the verdict and
penalty, which automatically reinstated Stroud to clergy status. It
upheld part of the trial court’s finding but overturned the verdict in
an 8-1 vote, citing legal errors in the trial.
The Eastern Pennsylvania Conference has 30 days to file an appeal of
the committee’s decision to the Judicial Council, the denomination’s
supreme court.
In an April 29 statement Bishop Marcus Matthews, who presides over
the conference, said, "We will now take time to thoroughly and
thoughtfully digest the Committee on Appeals decision and will take into
consideration United Methodist Church law and Judicial Council rulings
as we consider our options and make a decision on how to proceed."
The Council of Bishops encouraged church members "to be patient with
the important legal processes involved" and pointed out that the appeal
process "is an important part of our Book of Discipline."
The full statement follows:
As the Council of Bishops gathers today in Washington, DC for our
spring meeting, we will continue to focus on "Making disciples of Jesus
Christ for the transformation of the world." Most of our meeting will
center upon sharpening this focus, including sharing reports from each
bishop's Area about our progress in making disciples.
However, the announcement of the results of the hearing by the
Northeastern Jurisdictional Committee on Appeals in the Beth Stroud case
has been received, and we as the Executive Committee of the Council of
Bishops want to encourage all United Methodists to be patient with the
important legal processes involved.
The Northeastern Jurisdiction Committee on Appeals has reversed the
Stroud trial decision based upon some technicalities. It also found that
"the evidence in support of the charge was overwhelming and would be
sustained in the absence of a legal error." The committee concluded that
"legal error vitiates the verdict on two independent grounds." This
means that the reasons for the guilty verdict were not questioned, but
the case was reversed on two questions of legal process. The Eastern
Pennsylvania Conference has thirty days to appeal this decision.
The decision of the Northeastern Jurisdiction Committee on Appeals does not in any way reverse the standards in our Book of Discipline. In fact, the appeal process is an important part of our Book of Discipline.
We as the Executive Committee of the Council, affirm our commitment to uphold all of the provisions of our Book of Discipline, while inviting everyone to join us in patience and prayer for a just and fair outcome.
News media contact: Linda Bloom, New York, (646) 369-3759 or newsdesk@umcom.org.
