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Can a Transgendered Person Be a Methodist Minister?
Abstract: Judicial Council to rule on Bishop's re-appointment of Methodist pastor after gender re-assignment.
In 2006, the Rev. Ann Gordon, pastor of St. John's Methodist Church in Baltimore, MD, completed the process of sexual reassignment to become a man: the Rev. Drew Phoenix. In May, 2007, Pr. Phoenix was reappointed by Bishop John Schol of the Baltimore-Washington Conference, who reasoned that the United Methodist Church's Book of Discipline does not forbid transgendered people from serving as clergy. (An FAQ on this action was published on the Baltimore-Washington Conference web site.)
Other pastors uncomfortable with the re-appointment asked for a ruling from the UMC's Judicial Council which meets in San Francisco October 24 - 27 and will take up the case as item IV (of 19 items to be considered):
IN RE: Review of Bishop’s Decision of Law in the Baltimore-Washington Annual Conference Concerning Whether Transgendered Persons are Eligible for Appointment in the United Methodist Church.
An additional complication to the judicial review is that Dr. James Holsinger, President Bush's nominee for Surgeon General, is President of the Judicial Council. Dr. Holsinger has declared that he will not participate in the council's October session.
