Thursday, March 13, 2008

METHODISTS TO TACKLE TRANSGENDER ISSUE

UMC officials expected to address issue of 'transgendered' clergy at upcoming meeting
Allie Martin - OneNewsNow - 3/10/2008 6:00:00 AM

homosexual questionAn official with the Institute on Religion and Democracy says it's time for the United Methodist Church to tackle the issue of whether having a sex-change operation is appropriate for a minister.

Last year, United Methodist Church (UMC) officials announced that Drew Phoenix would be able to continue in his position at a Baltimore area church. For years, Phoenix was known as Minister Ann Gordon, until she had a sex-change operation and became Drew Phoenix. Church officials are aware of at least two other former pastors who had sex-change operations.

Mark Tooley with the Institute on Religion and Democracy says the issue will have to be addressed. "The church does not have any official stance on sex-change operations or transsexuality," states Tooley. "And so ... the church needs to adopt an official stance -- because we have had a couple of instances of Methodist clergy who have had sex-change operations that have become public knowledge."

Tooley says the question that will be debated in an upcoming meeting of the UMC is whether gender is determined by God as a "fixed state," or whether gender -- "as many of those on the liberal side assert," he says -- is self-determined. The General Council of the UMC meets next month in Texas, and delegates will draft church policy for the next four years.

Source: http://www.onenewsnow.com/Church/Default.aspx?id=69017

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