April 29, 2005
By Erik Alsgaard

BALTIMORE – Irene Elizabeth "Beth" Stroud, who was found guilty of violating United Methodist church law for being a practicing lesbian and lost her clergy credentials last December, won her appeal in a decision announced April 29.

Stroud had appealed the Dec. 2 verdict in her clergy trial to the Northeastern Jurisdictional Committee on Appeals, which met April 28-29 at the Sheraton International Hotel near Baltimore-Washington International Airport.

The clergy court had found her guilty of violating denomination law, which forbids the ordination and appointment of "self-avowed practicing homosexuals." Stroud had disclosed that she was living in a committed relationship with another woman. The trial was held in the United Methodist Church's Eastern Pennsylvania Annual (regional) Conference.

The appeals committee upheld part of the trial court's finding but overturned the verdict in an 8-1 vote, citing legal errors.

At the time of the trial in December, Stroud was serving as associate pastor of First United Methodist Church of Germantown in Philadelphia. She had served in that capacity since July 1, 1999. Since the verdict, which removed her clergy credentials, she has been employed as a lay staff member at the church.

The appeals committee's ruling reinstates her clergy standing. However, Stroud said in a press conference after the ruling that she would not exercise the ministry of an ordained person until the "whole process is concluded."

The appeal committee's written ruling was that "the verdict and the penalty are reversed and set aside." However, it said that "the evidence in support of the charge was overwhelming and would be sustained in the absence of legal error."

In the first, it cited an earlier ruling by the United Methodist Church's supreme court, the Judicial Council, regarding the rights of ordained elders – "members in full connection" – to an appointment or ministry in the church.

"It is the judgment of the committee that Judicial Council Decision No. 702, which binds this committee, makes it legal error to try, convict and deprive a member in full connection of her right to an appointment pursuant to Paragraphs 304.3 and 2702.1(b) of the Book of Discipline, when, as in this case, neither the General Conference nor the pertinent annual conference has defined the words, ‘practicing homosexual' and ‘status.'"

The General Conference is the church's top legislative assembly.

Second, the committee wrote that "legal error was committed by trying and convicting (Stroud) on the basis of Paragraph 304.3 because that provision constitutes a ‘new standard or rule of doctrine' which has not been declared by the General Conference to be ‘not contrary' to the present standards, in violation of the First Restrictive Rule and paragraph 102 of the Discipline."

The First Restrictive Rule, found in the church's constitution, states that the General Conference shall not establish any new standards or rules of doctrine contrary to the church's existing standards of doctrine.

The committee did not comment on its ruling further, because it might be appealed, said the Rev. William "Scott" Campbell, pastor of Harvard-Epworth United Methodist Church in Cambridge, Mass., and chairman of the committee.

The lone dissenting opinion was offered by the Rev. LaGretta Bjorn, from Spring Valley, N.Y. She did not agree with the majority opinion that the First Restrictive Rule is violated by Paragraph 304.3. That paragraph, in the 2000 Book of Discipline, states that "self-avowed practicing homosexuals are not to be accepted as candidates, ordained as ministers or appointed to serve" the church.

The 2000 Book of Discipline is relevant in this case because the original charges and relevant conduct were received when that version was in use.

"We are clearly disappointed," said the Rev. Tom Hall, a clergy member of the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference who served as counsel for the church. "This affects 40,000 clergy across the church."

Hall sought to reassure those pastors and the church by saying that the denomination's policies remain in effect and unchanged. Although he was not certain if the case would be appealed to the Judicial Council, he said at a press conference that he was confident the Judicial Council "will give us a clear ruling on the requirements for ordination."

Stroud briefly spoke to the media after the decision, saying she felt a sense of "relief."

"This is just one step in the whole process," she said, "but it gives me hope that the United Methodist Church has resources to do justice."

Asked what was going through her mind when the decision was announced, she said she was glad she wouldn't have to make the next decision – that is, whether to appeal an unfavorable ruling to the Judicial Council.

"I know our church is divided on this issue," she said. "This is a process the church has been struggling with for a long time and will struggle with for a long time in the future. I believe the decision today sends a message of hope to the church."

Stroud reiterated that she would not resume the functions of the ministerial office, even though she has been reinstated as a clergyperson.

"I will not exercise the functions of the ordained ministry," she said, "until this whole process is concluded. Ordination is a sacred trust. You can't just take it off or put it on like a suit of clothes. To do so would be to trivialize it. I'm going to wait."

In April 2003, Stroud wrote a letter to her congregation, stating that she was a lesbian living in a committed relationship. She also shared this information in a sermon at the church that same month.

After a complaint was filed – based on the Book of Discipline's prohibition of gay clergy – Stroud underwent a series of meetings with conference officials. The confidential due process, called the "Supervisory Response," sought to achieve a just resolution to the complaint.

When that didn't happen, Bishop Peter Weaver, then-leader of the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference, began a judicial complaint process in March 2004. That process ultimately led to the trial, held at Camp Innabah near Pughtown, Pa.

The appeals committee included five clergy and four lay members. Because the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference conducted the original trial, alternate members of the committee on appeal were seated.

The full text of the committee's decision is available as a PDF Document.

United Methodist News Service
Erik Alsgaard is managing editor of the UMConnection newspaper and co-director of communications for the Baltimore-Washington Conference.