"By violating the church's teachings, these bishops have violated their vows of ordination and consecrations."-Mark Tooley, IRD Director of UMAction

Contact: Jeff Walton, Institute on Religion and Democracy, 202-682-4131, 202-413-5639 cell, jwalton@TheIRD.org

WASHINGTON, October 24 /Christian Newswire/ -- A lesbian United Methodist has been "ordained" on October 19 by two retired United Methodist Bishops as a minister within a dissident group. Bishops Susan Morrison and Jesse Dewitt also ordained a heterosexual woman who said she had been denied a United Methodist ordination because of her liberal views on homosexuality. The ordinations took place at the historic Mount Vernon Place United Methodist Church in Baltimore, MD.

The dissident group, the "Church Within a Church (CWAC) Movement" is a pro-homosexuality alternative for United Methodists frustrated by the denomination's continued disapproval of same-sex unions and homosexual practice. The ordinations were also endorsed by the Reconciling Ministries Network, which campaigns to overturn the church's official teachings on marriage and sexual ethics.

United Methodism officially declares that homosexual practice, like other sex outside of marriage, is 'incompatible with Christian teaching.' The denomination affirms marriage as the union of man and woman, does not ordain active homosexuals and expects celibacy of unmarried clergy.

IRD Director of UMAction Mark Tooley commented:

"United Methodists have debated for 35 years and have continuously affirmed Christianity's ancient and universal affirmation of marriage. But liberal bishops, who have presided over declining churches, still aspire for United Methodism to follow the Episcopal Church and United Church of Christ into the vortex of even faster membership decline and cultural irrelevance.

"Vibrant United Methodism that is theologically orthodox continues to grow around the world. But sadly, in America, some clueless bishops prefer the siren call of conformity to America's hedonistic and secular culture. God have mercy!

"By violating the church's teachings, these bishops have violated their vows of ordination and consecrations."

The Institute on Religion and Democracy, founded in 1981, is an ecumenical alliance of U.S. Christians working to reform their churches' social witness, in accord with biblical and historic Christian teachings, thereby contributing to the renewal of democratic society at home and abroad

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