Gay Methodist minister wins a partial victory
A hearing has COLUMBUS — led to a decision some say is a victory for LGBTQ Methodists and allies.
The Rev. David Meredith, a United Methodist minister who broke church rules when he married his same-sex partner last year, appeared before the West Ohio Conference Committee on Investigation on Sunday in Columbus. The committee determined that only one of three complaints against Meredith was valid to be considered further. The next steps could include a trial, and Meredith could still potentially lose his credentials in the church.
Charges that Meredith, pastor at Clifton United Methodist Church in Cincinnati, was a “self-avowed practicing homosexual” and immoral were dismissed. He still faces a charge of disobedience to church discipline for a ceremony celebrating a homosexual union in the church, according to a release from Meredith’s supporters.
“This may be the first time in United Methodist history that a charge relating to homosexuality reached the Committee on Investigation only to be dismissed,” the statement said.
The United Methodist bishop must now set an church trial date and select a presiding officer, though a conclusion can be reached before the trial. The mediation process that has been going on since the complaints against Meredith were filed in June 2016 is continuing.