Pastor's Fate Over Gay Marriage Ceremony to be Decided in Spring City

A Methodist pastor will stand trial at Camp Innabah in Spring City Monday for officiating his son’s same-sex wedding six years ago.

Frank Schaefer, pastor at Zion Methodist Church of Iona, Pa., married his son, Tim, and his husband in 2006. The marriage ceremony took place in Massachusetts, a state that legalized same-sex marriage in 2004.

Schaefer’s act allegedly violates the church’s Book of Discipline, which does not allow same-sex marriage.

The church accepts gay and lesbian members, but states that the practice of homosexuality is “incompatible with Christian teaching,” according to the United Methodist Church.

"The love for my son took over the fear of losing my job with the United Methodist Church," Shaefer told the Lebanon Daily News. "It was a tough decision in some sense, but I just knew I had to make it. I had to follow my heart."

Members of the congregation filed a complaint against Schaefer just 26 days before the statute of limitations on the act would have expired.

A 13-member jury, called a "trial court," will decide the Schaefer's fate; punishments range from reprimands to losing his credentials.

For more on the story, visit the 'Stand with Pastor Frank' Facebook page.