out in the mountains

january 2005 17

The Trial of Beth Stroud

Lesbian’s pastoral credentials revoked by Methodist.-court.

 

BY EUAN BEAR

ermantovt n. PA — Last
month. after a two-day
trial. the liastem

l’ennsyl\'ania (‘onference of the
Lfnited Methodist Church
revoked the ministerial creden-
tials of pastor Irene lilizabeth
(“Beth"t Stroud as an "avowed
practicing homosexual." Stroud
had written and preached about
her decision to be out to her con-
gregation. its other pastors. and
to her bishop. The vote by the
I3-member “trial court" was if!-
I for conviction of the charge
and 7-6 for revocation of her
credentials.

By her own admission.
Stroud made a conscious deci-
sion to out herself. knowing the
potential consequences.
According to the sermon she
delivered on April 27. 2003
wherein she declared herself at
least temporarily » "your openly
lesbian. fully credentialed.
United Methodist pastor." she
also said. “I know that. by telling
the truth about myself. I risk los-
ing my credentials as an
ordained United Methodist min-
ister. And that would be a huge
loss for me."

That prediction has
cotne to fruition. And the
process was both intense and in
some way fullilling, says Beth's
sister. Burlington social worker
(and occasional ()I'l‘M contribu-
tor) Max llenson-Stroud. She
and her partner Kendra were in
the hearing room in the confer-
ence's retreat center at (‘amp
lnnabah for the second day of
the trial.

Henson—Stroud said that
waiting for the penalty decision
was harder than waiting for the
guilty—not guilty verdict: “There

was not much debate over the
facts. and we kind of knew when
we were called back so quickly.
that it was likely a guilty ver-
dict."

When the penalty ver-

‘‘I know that by

went out to dinner after the ver-
dict and penalty were decided
and told family stories and
laughed together with the docu-
mentary film crew (that had been
working on a story on the church

website.

Stroud was no newcom-
er to being out as a lesbian. She
had come out during her under-
graduate studies at Bryn Mawr.
She was active in ACT UP and

tellin

the truth about myse ,
I risk losing my
credentials as an

ordained United ‘
Methodist minister.
And that would be a

huge loss for me.”
Rev. Beth Stroud, April 27, 2003

diet was delivered. “it was
intensely emotional and very
hard. There were a lot of tears.
Beth was extremely strong. She
hugged every member of the
jtiry and thanked them for their
time. The room was filled with
supporters. some of whom start-
ed to sing." There had been
hopes that the trial court would
opt for a lesser penalty. That was
not to be.

The family — including
members who had come in from
Michigan. Vermont. and
Washington. DC . and the parents
of Beth‘s partner Chris Paige —

when Stroud came out) and a
few other close supporters. Three
days later the Strouds and the
Paiges made lunch for the entire
First United Methodist Church
of Germantown. Beth's congre-
gation.

That church is an
activist congregation. a member
of the Reconciling Ministries
Network. “a national grassroots
organization that exists to enable
full participation of people of all
sexual orientations and gender
identities in the life of the United
Methodist Church. both in policy
and practice according to its

co-founded LGNY. which later

became Gay City News. But. sis-
ter Max Henson—Stroud says. her
sexuality “just never came up" in
the context of her church and her

, job. Beth Stroud says in a docu-

ment on her website that she was
not in a committed relationship
when she was appointed to either
of the churches she pastored.

The charge of which
she was found guilty included
the step of telling a bishop of her
orientation and active relation-
ship. a sort of “Don‘t Ask. Don't
Tell" policy.

Across the country.

another Methodist court acquit-
ted openly lesbian minister
Karen Damman earlier last year
in an action analogous to “jury
nullification.” In such cases, it is
clear that the charges are prov-
able, but because the jury dis-
agrees with the law, they decline
to find the defendant guilty.
Max Henson—Stroud
came away from the experience
“a little hurt”_ that their family’s
church could do such a thing to
her sister, despite abundant testi-
mony to her excellence as a nun-
ister. Max and Kendra Henson-
Stroud are not connected to a
church in Burlington, although
now that they are expecting a
child, the couple 'aie"1ii the .
process of evaluating that
choice.
“Do you stay in the
United Methodists? Or go to the
Unitarians or the Episcopals,
where it‘s not your [church] cul-
ture or upbringing but they’re
more accepting.” Henson—Stroud
wondered. “Why do gay
Methodists stay? I read that
George W. Bush and Dick
Cheney are United Methodists.
That made me almost want to
leave. But the church was proba-
bly where I got my first sense of
social justice values. It hurts
when this organization that says
it is founded on love disallows
our love. And then were asked
to forgive. and that’s really
hard."
Beth Stroud has been

retained by her congregation as a
lay worker. She is not allowed to
wear ministerial regalia or
administer the sacraments of
baptism. communion. or mar-
riage. V »