United Methodists postpone church trial for Thomas Ogletree

Renee K. Gadoua

(RNS) The trial of a retired United Methodist pastor and former Yale Divinity School dean accused of breaking church law by performing a gay wedding has been delayed indefinitely.

Bishop Clifton Ives, a retired Maine bishop overseeing the trial, and pastors representing the church and the Rev. Thomas Ogletree, all agreed to pursue a “just resolution” before resorting to a trial, said the Rev. William S. Shillady, secretary of the trial court.

Ogletree, 80, faced a church trial March 10 and 11 in Stamford, Ct., for officiating at the 2012 wedding of his son to another man. The church defines marriage as between a man and a woman, and bans clergy from performing and churches from hosting same-sex ceremonies.

The New York Conference of the United Methodist Church, to which Ogletree belongs, announced the postponement Monday (Feb. 10).

http://www.religionnews.com/2014/02/10/united-methodists-postpone-church-trial-thomas-ogletree/