Gay United Methodist pastor, supported by church, forced to resign

[gollygee]

http://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/index.ssf/2015/07/community_rallies_around_gay_p.html


The Rev. Benjamin Hutchison has been a senior pastor at Cassopolis United Methodist Church since January 2013. Hutchison said he legally changed his last name to his partner's last name, Hutchison, in February 2013, and it has been well known and accepted in the congregation that he is gay.

"It's no different than I'm white," Hutchison said.

Hutchison was contacted by the United Methodist Church's district superintendent, the Rev. John Boley of Kalamazoo, on Monday. Boley asked to meet with him and said someone had made it known in the bishop's office that Hutchison has a gay partner.

"He asked me if I did and I said yes," Hutchison said. "By that evening at 7:00 I resigned under the condition of immediate termination. If I wouldn't have resigned, they would have fired me."

[brooklynite]

1. If I were him, I would have made them fire me...and deal with the political consequences