c. 2007 Religion News Service
Gay Episcopal Bishop Says `Unprecedented’ Demands Will Dominate Meeting
WASHINGTON (RNS) On his way to a crucial meeting of Episcopal bishops, the openly gay bishop whose election set off a row in the global Anglican Communion said church governance, not gay rights, may dominate the agenda.
Episcopal bishops will meet behind closed doors Friday through March 21 in Navasota, Texas. They are expected to discuss recent demands by Anglican primates, or top bishops, that the American church promise by Sept. 30 to stop electing gay bishops and authorizing blessing rites for same-sex unions.
The primates also said the Anglican Communion, of which the Episcopal Church is the U.S. branch, should set up a new system to deal with breakaway conservatives. The new system would include a council of foreign Anglican and American leaders and a “primatial vicar” to take the place of Episcopal Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori in ministering to dissident conservatives.
“The most important question is whether the primates have the power to make these demands or not,” said New Hampshire Bishop V. Gene Robinson, whose election as an openly gay bishop in 2003 brought the 77 million-member Anglican Communion to the brink of schism.
“It’s unprecedented in the history of the Anglican Communion. There are plenty of people are not remotely sympathetic to the situation of gays and lesbians who are outraged at this affront to our polity.”
The 38 regional and national churches that make up the Anglican Communion are considered autonomous bodies. In recent years, however, conservative Anglicans have pushed for more centralized authority with the power to enforce traditional interpretations of the Bible.
Robinson was the keynote speaker at an “Opening Minds” conference hosted by the Washington Center for Justice and Inclusion on Wednesday (March 14). He talked about the upcoming bishops’ meeting in an interview.
A number of Episcopal bishops have publicly questioned why Jefferts Schori,who supports gay rights in the church, agreed to the primates’ demands.
Robinson said he’s “basically waiting to hear from her own lips the background to her consent.” Jefferts Schori will address the bishops twice on Friday, Robinson said.
_ Daniel Burke
Christian College Settles Case With Transgender Professor
SPRING ARBOR, Mich. (RNS) Spring Arbor University and fired transgender professor Julie Nemecek reached a financial settlement Monday (March 12) in her discrimination suit.
“It was a difficult thing for me and for the university, but I think we both walked away happy,” Nemecek said Tuesday.
As part of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission mediation agreement, the amount of the settlement was not disclosed.
Officials at the Christian university fired the 55-year-old adult-studies professor Feb. 26, less than a month after her story went public in the Jackson (Mich.) Citizen Patriot. It has since been printed, broadcast and blogged worldwide.
“I’m smiling ear to ear,” Nemecek said regarding the settlement, reached after 13 hours of mediation last week and Monday in Detroit.
Jeff Lambert, a spokesman for the college, said university leaders planned to issue a statement.
Nemecek, an ordained Baptist minister, was a professor at SAU for 16 years as a man. After Nemecek was diagnosed with gender identity disorder and began the transformation to the female gender, university officials amended her contract.
But Nemecek soon was scolded for appearing feminine on or near campus. She was notified in late December her contract would not be renewed at the end of May.
University officials have said little publicly, except that staff are expected to present themselves as Christians. The university is connected to the Free Methodist Church.
“I appreciate the work that Spring Arbor University does, but in this one area, they were wrong,” Nemecek said.
Nemecek and her wife, Joanne, have been married 35 years. They have three grown sons and have pledged to remain together. Julie Nemecek said she does not plan to undergo sex-change surgery.
_ Steven Hepker
Professor Who Claims Gender Derailed Tenure Files Suit
(RNS) Sheri Klouda, a former Hebrew professor at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary who claims she was denied tenure because of her gender, has filed a federal lawsuit against the seminary and its president, Paige Patterson.
Klouda was hired by the seminary’s board of trustees shortly before Patterson became president in 2003. Klouda alleges that Patterson first assured her that her gender would not be an issue in her employment but later told her it was the reason she was being denied tenure.
Klouda has since obtained a tenure-track position at Taylor University in Upland, Ind.
Her attorney, Gary Richardson of Tulsa, Okla., filed the suit in Fort Worth, Texas, on March 8. The suit alleges breach of contract, fraud and defamation, and seeks damages and declaratory relief.
Nothing about gender discrimination is mentioned in the lawsuit, Richardson said, because that was “a matter of interpretation.”
“The thrust of the suit is breach of contract and defamation,” Richardson said, “but you have the president of a seminary who hires Dr. Klouda and then another comes along, allegedly of the same faith, and terminates her for a religious interpretation. He has every right to his own interpretation of Scripture, but the board hired her and approved her.”
Klouda told the Chronicle for Higher Education that she “is saddened that it became necessary to file this suit, and disappointed that we were not able to resolve this matter fairly and privately.”
John Zellers, a spokesman for the seminary, said that because the matter dealt with pending litigation, neither the seminary nor Patterson would comment.
_ Greg Horton
Religious Groups to Protest Fourth Anniversary of Iraq War
WASHINGTON (RNS) A coalition of Christian peace groups will meet here Friday (March 16) for what they say will be the largest gathering of Christians opposing the Iraq war since the conflict began four years ago.
The Christian Peace Witness for Iraq will mark the fourth anniversary of the Iraq war with public prayer at the National Cathedral and a candlelight procession through the capital, ending with a protest outside the White House. So far, more than 3,500 people have registered for the evening’s events.
“It’s time to reshape our swords into plowshares,” said Bishop Gabino Zavala, president of Pax Christi USA, a Catholic peace group, and an auxiliary bishop in Los Angeles.
“All wars are contrary to the plan of God for peace and harmony,” he said. “We call on President Bush and Congress to bring our troops home from Iraq, move our bases and stop threatening Iran and other nations.”
Nearly 190 cities across the United States and around the world plan to hold their own protests in solidarity with the gathering in Washington, said Rick Ufford-Chase, executive director of the Presbyterian Peace Fellowship and a former moderator of the Presbyterian Church (USA).
Ufford-Chase said some 700 of the protesters have indicated they are willing to risk arrest by kneeling and praying in front of the White House.
Organizers were quick to point out that they support the troops while their protest is directed toward the war.
“We are very concerned that our troops be treated with justice and respect in gratitude for their tremendous contribution to this effort,” said Marie Dennis, director of the Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns.
The Rev. Jim Wallis, president and executive director of Sojourners/Call to Renewal, was an early critic of the war and called it a “political mistake” and a “religious offense.”
“There are millions of Christians in America who are against the war for reasons of faith,” he said. “It isn’t just a political issue for us _ it’s not about disliking George Bush.”
_ Katherine Boyle
Quote of the Day: Democratic Presidential Hopeful John Edwards
(RNS) “I think that Jesus would be disappointed in our ignoring the plight of those around us who are suffering and our focus on our own selfish short-term needs. I think he would be appalled, actually.”
_ Former Democratic Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina, who has announced his candidacy for president, speaking with Beliefnet about what aspects of American life would most outrage Jesus.
KRE/PH END RNS
