Lutheran congregations appoint openly gay pastors

[freetobegay]

Three Lutheran congregations have defied their denomination's rule prohibiting the ordination of noncelibate gays and appointed two gay men and one lesbian to serve as pastors. The Reverend Jennifer Mason is scheduled to be installed Sunday at Central City Lutheran Mission in San Bernardino, Calif., followed by the installations of the Reverend Daniel M. Hooper at Hollywood Lutheran Church on May 2 in Los Angeles and the Reverend Jay Wiesner at Bethany Lutheran on July 25 in Minneapolis. The installations continue to focus attention on divisions within the denomination over how to treat gay men and lesbians in the ministry. "The emotions run very high, and I think the risks are very real," the Reverend Steven Benson told the Los Angeles Times. "The possibilities of deep division, and perhaps even schism, are there." Benson, who pastors at Bethany Lutheran Church, supports the installation.

http://www.advocate.com/new_news.asp?ID=12084&sd=04/16/04

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At least there are still some sane people in the world!