This story, which has unfolded in the First United Methodist Church of Alexandria, Indiana, is personal to me for two reasons: First, my straight-but-not-narrow cousin went to jail protesting the anti-gay policy of the United Methodist Church. Second, the maternal side of my family is from Alexandria, where my grandfather preached (not at this church), so it's a town I have very deep roots in.
You may or may not remember the story from almost a year ago. Adam Fraley served as the choir director for the First United Methodist Church for over six years. He is also gay. The official United Methodist line is that "self-avowed, practicing homosexuals are not to be certified as candidates, ordained as ministers, or appointed to serve," which did not affect Fraley as a choir director for the years that he served. He attended the church with his partner and clearly had a place at the table and was respected in the church community. Then the pastor left his position, and interim pastor David Mantor happened:
According to Fraley, the controversy began last year when the church’s former pastor left to take a leadership position with the Methodist church’s governing council, and the interim minster made it clear he was very uncomfortable with Fraley’s sexual orientation.
Fraley, who was previously married and has one daughter, told LGBTQ Nation the interim minister repeatedly questioned him about reconciling with his former wife, and made pointed observations about biblical values.
He said he eventually resigned after the interim minister kept adding to his workload above and beyond his responsibilities and duties as choir director, and because the added workload was interfering with his full-time job as a public school teacher.
Dr. David Steele--who had been a member of the church for over 60 years and served as the chief lay leader--advocated that Fraley be rehired. Mantor's response was to refuse, citing Fraley's sexual orientation, and then to demand Steele's resignation. When Steele defied the resignation request, he was outright fired. Pretty shitty. But the congregation didn't take the news sitting down. Follow me below the fold...
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The reaction from the congregation to Fraley's and Steele's mistreatment was swift and damning--one could say it was of biblical proportions. Up to 80 percent of the church, many of whom were seniors, quite simply stopped attending. Nothing sends a message to a mean-spirited pastor quite like 80 percent of his flock walking out. Most of them, according to Steele, never returned.
Now, there is an update, from the Anderson Herald Bulletin:
The First United Methodist Church in Alexandria, which lost some members about a year ago after a dispute involving its gay choir director, will close its doors for good at the end of 2014.
David Mantor, pastor of the church, said the decision to close the church resulted from falling attendance, membership and financing problems. Mantor said statistics he's seen from United Methodist Church headquarters show a "downward spiral" of membership and donations across the whole UM church for the past 30 years.
"This is a problem that's going on everywhere," Mantor said. "And that's why we're closing."
Right. It's due to external forces. I'm sure it has absolutely
nothing to do with the loss of most of the church congregation due to boneheaded and bigoted mismanagement on the part of the pastor. Mantor wants to emphasize:
This closure is not due to that situation whatsoever.
According to Steele, the church once enjoyed a congregation of more than 700 people. Now, its membership is between 20 and 30.
There is no joy to be found in this recent development. It is just sad. Sad that a pastor so wedded to his hate and bigotry mistreated a beloved choir director and longtime member and then ripped a congregation apart, leaving nothing but a shell. From Steele:
I think this is hurtful for all of us who were involved in that church. I grew up in that church. We had a very tight-knit congregation.
Meanwhile, Mantor--who continues to deny that
he destroyed his church--has no plans to end his career now:
My wife and I have been involved in ministry for years and years. We will follow where the Lord leads us.
Sounds almost threatening, doesn't it?
Fraley continues to practice his musical talent, but with his family now, after the Lord apparently led Mantor to root him out of the church.
He doesn't know me. He doesn't know me at all. To think that he decided that I was incapable of being in this position because of my sexuality really was hurtful. I tried to pretend like it wasn't, but it very much was.
Steele, who left the church with his family after his firing, offers a prescription:
The [United] Methodist Church is archaic in their view, and there needs to be a change from the top.
Indeed. And hopefully this change from the bottom will help.
TOP COMMENTS
December 19, 2014
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From Puddytat:
Pet owners can relate to this one by ghotiphaze. Swallow anything in your mouth before reading.
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I'm still laughing out loud over this one by samanthab. It all started with JekyllnHyde's comment and went "pootie" from there. The whole thread is such fun!
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This comment by fou is a great summation of where Robert P. McCulloch is headed. Taste o' the big time may not be sweet.
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December 18, 2014
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