Beth Stroud Continues Fight
Former Minister Will Appeal Methodist Church’s Decision

       Germantown, PA – Beth Stroud, who was stripped of her ministerial credentials by a United Methodist Church court in December for being an avowed and non-celibate lesbian, has decided to appeal her case to a panel of the Northeastern Jurisdiction, which covers twelve states plus the District of Columbia. According to a report in the Gay City News, the appeal process will begin in May.
      Stroud said on her website that the decision was arrived at thoughtfully, and that her appeal is "a worthwhile step that could help keep an important discussion alive in The United Methodist Church" over the status of homosexuals within the church’s membership.
      Stroud was found guilty by a 13-member panel of being "an avowed practicing homosexual" on December 2. The next day, the same jury decided her penalty: removal from the ministry. Her local congregation, however, has kept Stroud on the job as a lay minister.
      Gay City News reported that Stroud's appeal would be based on two factors in her trial and penalty: first, that the presiding minister excluded from the panel any members who could not in principle accede to the United Methodist Church law barring practicing homosexuals from the ministry; second that the law barring gay and lesbian ministers is superceded by other sections of the constitution and discipline of the church regarding inclusion and affirmations of the sacred worth of all persons.
      A third possible area of appeal was that presiding retired Bishop Joseph Yeakel did not allow Stroud to cite the finding of a Seattle Methodist church court in the case of openly lesbian Rev. Karen Damman, who was judged not guilty and allowed to retain her credentials.
      The Northeastern Jurisdiction could uphold the Pennsylvania Conference Court's decision, order a retrial in Pennsylvania, or refer questions on interpretation to the United Methodist national Judicial Council. Regardless of the outcome, it seems a foregone conclusion that the issue of lesbian, gay, and transgender people's inclusion in Christian church membership and authority will garner attention across the nation.