Rev. Greg Dell of Chicago will be tried by a jury of 13 Methodist ministers next month for performing a “marriage” ceremony in which two men were united.
Charged with “disobedience to the order and the discipline” of the Methodist Church, Rev. Dell could face suspension, censure, or at worst, lose his status as a Methodist minister.
Rev. Dell’s prosecutor, the Rev. Stephen C. Williams, was quoted as saying “It couldn’t be clearer that Greg Dell violated his ministerial vow to uphold the church’s teachings.”
The charges did not come as a surprise to Dell, who said he expected his performance of the “service of holy union” would cause an uproar. He hopes that his actions will encourage serious discussion about his Church’s views on lesbian and gay people.
