homosexual clergy news stories on Newser

Presbyterians Vote to Allow Gay Clergy

Rob Quinn — Wed, 11 May 2011 04:50:00 CDT

The Presbyterian Church USA has, after 33 years of debate, voted to allow the ordination of openly gay and lesbian ministers. A majority of the church's 173 governing bodies nationwide voted to scrap a requirement for clergy to live in "fidelity within the covenant of marriage between a man and...

Episcopalians Ordain 2nd Gay Bishop

Sun, 16 May 2010 08:14:14 CDT

The Episcopal Church has consecrated the Rev. Canon Mary Glasspool as its second openly gay bishop, seven years after stirring lingering controversy by ordaining a man to a similar post. She was installed at Long Beach Arena before 3,000 people, who burst into applause at the end, a church...

Episcopal Church Names Second Openly Gay Bishop

Sun, 06 Dec 2009 06:07:00 CST

The Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles yesterday elected the Rev. Mary Glasspool as its second openly gay bishop, underscoring Episcopal commitment to accepting same-sex relationships despite enormous pressure from other Anglicans. "Any group of people who have been oppressed because of any one, isolated aspect of their persons yearns for...

Vatican Slams Sex Abuse in Other Religions

Jason Farago — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 05:22:01 CDT

The Vatican hit out at critics of its handling of the church's sexual abuse crisis yesterday, maintaining that most of its abusive clergymen were gay men and not pedophiles. The Holy See's UN representative cited "available research" that only 5% or less of its clergy were involved in child sex...

Lutheran Branch Allows 'Monogamous' Gays as Clergy

Will McCahill — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 19:41:01 CDT

The largest US Lutheran denomination will allow gays in “life-long, monogamous” relationships to serve in clergy and other leadership positions, the Washington Post reports. Delegates at the convention of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America approved the measure 559-451; the denomination, which has 4.8 million US members, previously allowed...

Episcopal Church Lifts Ban on Gay Bishops

Jason Farago — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 05:54:10 CDT

Leaders of the Episcopal Church voted overwhelmingly yesterday to allow the ordination of gay and lesbian bishops, risking further fissures with conservative parishes and the Anglican Communion. The new policy reverses a 2006 compromise that prohibited the consecration of homosexual clergy, in line with other Anglican churches. Episcopalians will vote...

Episcopal Splinter Group to Ban Gay, Female Clergy

Ambreen Ali — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 01:25:23 CDT

Hundreds of former Episcopal parishes are meeting to form the Anglican Church in North America this week, parting ways with their previous church to ban women and gays in the clergy. Robert Duncan, the former bishop of Pittsburgh, is leading the congregation of 300—including 50 bishops—and is expected...

Lutheran Panel Backs Gay Unions, 'Married' Gay Clerics

Rob Quinn — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 03:27:49 CST

A task force from the nation's largest Lutheran denomination has recommended the church give its blessing to same-sex unions, reports the Los Angeles Times . The panel also recommended that the Evangelic Lutheran Church in America allow gays—currently only permitted to serve as clergy if they are celibate—to serve...

Conservatives Break With Anglican Church

Jason Farago — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 10:30:18 CDT

Traditionalist Anglican bishops, most of them representing the developing world, have broken away from the Anglican communion and formed their own global church. Galvanized by the consecration of Gene Robinson, the openly gay bishop of New Hampshire, the disgruntled clergymen have formed the Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans, which rejects the...