Gay Pastor Acquitted

This is good news.

My father was a Methodist minister. And a good one. I grew up listening to his stories of faith and religion.

I also remember the first time I heard of a gay minister.

I was in high school. My parents were discussing the local Episcopal church and how they had removed one of their priests for being gay.

My father was outraged. The man was a great minister. He was kind and considerate and understood people like no one else we knew. I have no idea what happened to him after he was removed from the pulpit. I only know he left town because in the hick town where we lived, no one would leave him alone.

A few years later, when the Methodist church was going through it's own turmoil, my dad once again raised his voice. This time everyone heard it. He spoke out at the regional and national conferences.

I am very proud of my father. He did what was right, insead of what he was told.

Today, the Methodist church is very lenient when it comes to those things. I like to think my dad had something to do with it.