Headlines have said that we were defying the Church – that is not true. We were offering the liturgy and the ceremony and the welcome of the Church to fully include a gay couple into the worship of our Church. – Rev. Robin Hynicka
Even as the United Methodist Church was preparing for the trial of the Rev. Frank Schaeffer for performing a same-sex wedding ceremony for his own son, Arch Street United Methodist Church in Philadelphia joined in challenging the current position of the denomination by hosting the marriage of two longtime male members on November 9th. And what’s more, over 50 clergy joined Arch Street Senior Pastor, the Rev. Robin Hrynicka, in co-conducting the ceremony. This week, a Methodist jury found Rev. Schaeffer guilty, and sentenced him to a 30-day suspension – a sentence that anticipates his renouncing his commitment to equal blessings for LGBT couples. We’ll talk to Rev. Hrynicka about the trial, about the ceremony at his own church, and about why he considers the risks not only worth it – but necessary.
Read the statement on the ceremony at the Arch Street United Methodist Church website here.
Scroll down for transcript. To hear the entire November 23, 2013 State of Belief Radio program, click here.
Methodist Marriage: Robin Hynicka State of Belief Radio Interview, November 23, 2013
