It’s been a tumultuous last six weeks or so for the Rev. John Thomas, who heads the United Church of Christ, and his 1.2-million member denomination.

There’s the IRS looking into the church’s possibly improper politicking on behalf of UCC-member Sen. Barack Obama, the brouhaha surrounding controversial sermon bits from UCC-pastor Rev. Jeremiah Wright. All this on top of a denomination that’s still facing internal squabbles over its support for gay rights.

I spoke to Thomas recently. Here’s part one of a transcript of our conversation.

Q: What are people around the UCC saying about the controversy surrounding Wright?

A: Some people are quite upset and outraged at what they heard on these brief little clips on the news. Others are angry because they feel Rev. Wright’s views have been taken out of context-it doesn’t reflect the man who’s so well known in the UCC. By and large, there’s a lot of pain for what he’s going through and anger that he’s not being treated fairly.

Q: Have you talked to Rev. Wright since the situation erupted?

A: I have not. He’s been away and not available for comment.

Q: You’ve written that people are asking for your resignation over the Wright controversy. Is that something you’d consider?

A: It’s never pleasant to here that kind of angry criticism. I understand people are upset, after eight years in office I’m quite used to people getting critical, some of it is honest criticism based on facts, some folks are not aware of context. I try not to simply take it in stride but to listen and to adjust.

Q: How does this compare to the outcry when the UCC came out in support of gay marriage?

A: It’s quite similar, actually.

Q: Do you think there are legitimate reasons to be concerned over some of his remarks and the fact that he’s been a longtime spiritual leader to a major presidential candidate?

A: You have to assess the whole body of his preaching and not phrases here and there, like what you’ve heard on the television. You want to listen to the entire sermon and also look at the congregation he’s shaped over the years. It’s not shaped around hatred, it’s been very supportive of a predominantly white denomination. It’s fair game to assess the background of a candidate’s spiritual life, but it needs to be a fair assessment.

Q: Do you agree with Rev. Wright’s remarks about AIDS-that it was invented by the U.S. government to oppress minorities?

A: While I’m reluctant to comment on any one sentence in a sermon lifted from its context, and particularly reluctant in light of the clear intent of many in recent days to attack the integrity of Dr. Wright using this kind of citation, if the question posed is “Do I think the U.S. government invented AIDS to oppress minorities?” my response would be “no.”

Q: You’ve said that sermons you’ve heard at Trinity UCC have been “prophetically challenging.” What do you mean by that?

A: Jeremiah Wright has always been prepared to offer a strong, biblically based critique of American society, whether it’s persistent racism, indifference to poverty or reliance on weapons to solve our problems. He uses provocative language and he’s very blunt in his criticism, much as the biblical prophets were. He challenges us to be a better church and a better nation. He also uses humor, it’s not like every sermon is a diatribe. Each sermon has moments of gentleness, challenging times, times of humor.

Q: How many times have you heard Rev. Wright preach?

A: I’ve heard him probably half a dozen times in various settings. I heard him preach at his congregation one Sunday three different sermons at three different services. I’ve heard him at national UCC gatherings. He’s widely respected and highly regarded as a preacher in our church.

Q: Had you ever heard him say things as controversial as those now circulating in sermon blips, such as the AIDS reference?

A: No, I never heard that kind of language firsthand.

Q: What was your first reaction when you heard it on the news?

A: My first reaction was: This does not reflect Jeremiah Wright or his preaching. It’s so clearly taken out of context. It’s a very unfair and distorted view. I’m more shocked by the attempts to discredit Rev. Wright than I am shocked by the language (he) used. I know Rev. Wright well enough to know that context is all.

Q: You’ve said it’s not the UCC’s place to censure its pastors. But are there occasions when you would step in and say something to a pastor who was using anti-gay language, for instance?

A: There are certain givens: We are not going to tolerate racist language from the pulpit. There are certainly diverse perspectives on human sexuality in our denomination, but we are not going to tolerate rhetoric about gays and lesbians that’s demeaning or will incite prejudice and violence. If I heard a sermon from someone that was racist that would not be tolerated within the denomination. Clearly, that’s not the case with Rev. Wright.

Q: Have you ever confronted a pastor over something like that?

A: No. I’ve never had occasion to do that. I’ve had lots of disagreements with pastors who disagree with me. It’s not that we all have to have common agreement but there are certain boundaries that language or theology that’s demeaning or racists is not to be tolerated.