News

Local pastor speaks out on church ruling

SEATTLE — A Seattle Methodist pastor isn’t letting a church court ruling keep him from marrying same-sex couples.

Pastor Sandy Brown, of First United Methodist Church of Seattle, has married two same-sex couples, and has two more weddings planned for next month.

A pastor in Pennsylvania was suspended for 30 days on Tuesday after a Methodist Church court ruled he broke church law by officiating his gay son’s wedding in 2007. Pastor Frank Schaeffer was reported by a member of his congregation last year. Pastor Schaeffer admitted to choosing the love of his son over the love of his career.

Pastor Sandy Brown’s reaction to Pastor Schaeffer’s suspension, “I’m discouraged, I’m angry, and I’m sad.”

Pastor Brown read the church law from The Methodist Book of Discipline, “Homosexual unions shall not be conducted by our ministers and shall not be conducted in our churches.”

Pastor Brown said the Methodist Church has it wrong, “The most important thing is same-sex couples are being ministered to. That’s much more important than an individual’s ordination.”

He said everyone is welcome in his church.

Pastor Brown knows he could be disciplined if someone writes a complaint about the same sex weddings at his church.

He said he’ll risk it, “Many clergy, just like me, have decided to take that risk anyway in favor of ministering to the people in our church.”