Methodist pastor may lose church for performing same-sex wedding

A Florida Methodist Pastor may lose his church after he performed a same-sex wedding, but he is standing by his promise that the church serves as "an altar for all."

Rev. Andy Oliver of Allendale United Methodist Church took out a full-page ad in February to apologize for the United Methodist Church recently voting against permitting church clergy to officiate same-sex marriages, and ordain gay and lesbian people in relationships. The decision has caused a rift in the church, inspiring middle schoolers to refuse to be confirmed, and many others to threaten leaving to form a new denomination.

On March 16, Rev. Oliver made another statement against the church's decision when he officiated a wedding between two female members of his church, as he wore a rainbow-colored stole.

Ten days later, on March 26, the Rev. Brent Byerman of Lake Magdalene United Methodist Church in Tampa filed a formal complaint against Oliver with the bishop of the United Methodist's Florida Conference, Bishop Ken Carter, the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Bishop Carter will host Byerman and Oliver, along with six other guests, including one of the brides of the March wedding, on May 29.

The bishop could strip Oliver of his credentials and install another pastor at Allendale UMC. Regardless of this threat, the church shared on their Facebook page, "Allendale remains committed to a wedding altar (and pulpit) open to LGBTQ persons, no matter how hot the water."

In a statement shared on Facebook, Oliver explains that he is not the victim, writing, “The real victims are LGBTQ persons who are having their lives and their faith legislated. This complaint system seeks to create a culture of fear that would try to prevent clergy from doing the same thing that we did, opening up their marriage altar to all people ready for marriage."

"I hope the complaint will be resolved, dropped, or dismissed,” Creative Loafing Tampa on Friday. “I do not believe the United Methodist denomination in Florida has any interest in doing more harm to LGBTQ persons.”

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