Defiant minister faces disciplinary proceedings for homosexual marriages

By CP Staff, Monday, March 15, 2004

Defying church law for several weeks by performing homosexual “marriages”, Rev. Karen Oliveto of Bethany Methodist Church in San Francisco now faces disciplinary hearing by regional church bishops.

Oliveto was brought before a regional United Methodist Bishop last week after a formal complaint was filed against Oliveto. Now, Oliveto may likely lose her pastoral duties as well as face a church trial in front of thousands of clergy and non-clergy during a general conference in April.

Local Methodist leaders are outraged by Oliveto’s rebellious actions as she has blatantly defied UMC policy which only recognizes the sanctity of marriage as one only between a man and a woman. Even outside Christian groups have looked disapprovingly on Oliveto who ministers in a region soaked into this issue.

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Mark Tooley of the Institue for Religion and Democracy, a Christian watchdog group said, “It is sadly predictable that a United Methodist pastor of that region would eagerly follow the latest secular fad and preside over homosexual nuptials in San Francisco.”

Local churchgoers in San Francisco agree that it is sad to see such occurrences happen within a church.

“When I see these homosexual weddings, it makes me sad," she said. "I'm sad for the society and sad for the children who are growing up in this world where things are reversed from the way they should be,” Miriam Guardado, a catholic housewife from nearby Oakland said.

Since the Mayor Gavin Newsom began his defiant campaign against the California Marriage law began, Oliveto has performed a total of 14 homosexual “marriages” in total. Now, this has come to an end as the California Supreme halted these homosexual “marriages”.

Now, as Oliveto faces a soon to come church trial and as Newsom faces a public trial, the battle to hold onto the sanctity of family throughout the country is continuing to gain new ground.