Indiana church that booted gay choir director to close due to falling attendance

[tay]

A Methodist church in Indiana that suffered a massive walk-out after forcing its gay choir director to resign, will close its doors for good at the end of 2014.


David Mantor, pastor of the First United Methodist Church in Alexandria, Ind., says the decision to close the church resulted from falling attendance, membership and financing problems, reports The Herald Bulletin.


The church made national headlines in January when as much as eighty percent of the congregantsleft the church after a popular gay choir director was forced to resign, and a respected church lay leader was fired for his support of the choir director.


Former choir director Adam Fraley worked at the church for six years and attended with his partner, but when a new minister took over, he said that he resigned because of pressure about his sexual orientation.Dr. David Steele, a member of the church for nearly 60 years, was subsequently fired from his leadership position after advocating that Fraley be re-hired.


Steele says most of the congregants who left the church, including himself, never returned.


But Mantor says the closure “is not due to that situation whatsoever,” and cites statistics he says he’s seen from United Methodist Church headquarters that reflect a “downward spiral” of membership and donations across the whole UM church for the past 30 years.


Indiana church that booted gay choir director to close due to falling attendance | Gay Richmond News, Entertainment, Nightlife & LGBT Community Guide :: GayRVA

 

[taxslave]

Law of unintended consequences took effect.

 

[WLDB]

Is there a straight choir director?

 

[Walter]

Is there a straight choir director?

Just a bit prejudiced.

 

[taxslave]

Is there a straight choir director?

Probably. You just haven't met her yet.

 

[Sal]

the power of the people speaks...good that they had the courage of their convictions, I wouldn't have thought it but it's nice that they did

 

[Locutus]

suddenly everyone cares about churches now? who knew.

 

[IdRatherBeSkiing]

I love poetic justice.

Of course it was unrelated. All churches today can survive an 80% drop in membership.

 

[gerryh]

suddenly everyone cares about churches now? who knew.

everyone? Do you always say stupid things?

I wouldn't have thought it but it's nice that they did

Of course you wouldn't have, that's because your view of Christians is bigoted.

 

[Locutus]

everyone? Do you always say stupid things?






.

it was sarcasm, even walter got it. ;-)

 

[coldstream]

It seems this individual was really not released because he was a practicing homosexual.. which in any case is incompatable with Christian morality.

He was released or pressured to resign because he was flagrantly homosexual.. parading his orientation to the congregation in a manner that DEMANDED affirmation and legitimization of what all true Christian teaching defines the PRACTICE of which is aberrant, sinful, and corrosive to the individual and the community.. and within the willful ability of the individual to resist and desist as an obligation of the faith.

There are lots of denominations now that openly ignore Christian scripture and tradition and 'bless' homosexual unions.. and depict it as 'natural' or 'graceful'. It seems this individual might have gone out his way to impose himself on a church that does not.. as a political statement.. and to create an atmosphere of dissension and confusion in the parish.

Who is really being victimized here?

 

[gerryh]

It seems this individual was really not released because he was a practicing homosexual.. which in any case is incompatable with Christian morality.

He was released or pressured to resign because he was flagrantly homosexual.. parading his orientation to the congregation in a manner that DEMANDED affirmation and legitimization of what all true Christian teaching defines the PRACTICE of which is aberrant, sinful, and corrosive to the individual and the community.

There are lots of denominations now that openly ignore Christian scripture and tradition and 'bless' homosexual unions.. and depict it as 'natural' or 'graceful'. It seems this individual might have gone out his way to impose himself on a church that does not.. as a political statement.

Bullshyte on your entire diatribe. Homosexuality was brought up by the jews in the OT along with a lot of other bullshyte. The majority of the "other" bullshyte didn't get carried over but the prejudice against homosexuality did. Leviticus was "man's" laws, NOT God's. The 12 commandments are God's laws. So pull your head out of your a$$ and start listening instead of blindly following.

F U C K does this P I S S me off. It's homophobic. useless tits like coldstream and others of his ilk that give Christianity and Christians such a bad name. They aren't forgiving, they aren't inclusive, they aren't ANYTHING of what Christ said we should be striving to be.

 

[Sal]

Of course you wouldn't have, that's because your view of Christians is bigoted.

it has zero to do with Christian or non Christian

 

[gerryh]

it has zero to do with Christian or non Christian

bullshyte

 

[Locutus]

stupid question but why don't the higher-ups fire this particular minister. what's the harm? who hired him in the first place. he doesn't run the show, surely not.

 

[Sal]

bullshyte

k :thumbright:

 

[taxslave]

Bullshyte on your entire diatribe. Homosexuality was brought up by the jews in the OT along with a lot of other bullshyte. The majority of the "other" bullshyte didn't get carried over but the prejudice against homosexuality did. Leviticus was "man's" laws, NOT God's. The 12 commandments are God's laws. So pull your head out of your a$$ and start listening instead of blindly following.

F U C K does this P I S S me off. It's homophobic. useless tits like coldstream and others of his ilk that give Christianity and Christians such a bad name. They aren't forgiving, they aren't inclusive, they aren't ANYTHING of what Christ said we should be striving to be.

Well said ger.

Although i don't believe in any god I am far more "christian" than a good may believers I have come across.

 

[IdRatherBeSkiing]

stupid question but why don't the higher-ups fire this particular minister. what's the harm? who hired him in the first place. he doesn't run the show, surely not.

Churches of most denominations have bureaucracies and usually removing a minister is somewhat difficult particularly if they don't have a specific policy on this. I think the Catholics probably have it easiest in that I think a bishop has that authority if he chooses (gerry can correct me if I am wrong). But my church it can take years to remove a minister unless the congregation decides to do it and even then it is months and months and not always successful.

 

[Nuggler]

Well said ger.

Although i don't believe in any god I am far more "christian" than a good may believers I have come across.

When did you start ?

 

[Ludlow]

Do Ministers get unemployment when they are told their services are no longer required?

sho me sweep de flo