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| birthname = Melvin Ernest Wheatley Jr. |
| birthname = Melvin Ernest Wheatley Jr. |
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| caption = Melvin E. Wheatley Jr. in 1936 |
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| birth_date = {{Birth date|1915|05|7}} |
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| birth_place = [[Lewisville, Pennsylvania]], U.S. |
| birth_place = [[Lewisville, Pennsylvania]], U.S. |
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Revision as of 03:12, 1 April 2024
Melvin E. Wheatley | |
|---|---|
 Melvin E. Wheatley Jr. in 1936 | |
| Born | Melvin Ernest Wheatley Jr. May 7, 1915 Lewisville, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Died | March 1, 2009 (aged 93) |
| Education | American University (BA) Drew Theological School |
| Occupations |
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| Title | Former bishop of the United Methodist Church |
| Spouse |
Lucille Elizabeth Maris
(m. 1939) |
| Children | 3 |
Melvin E. Wheatley was a bishop best known for appointing the first openly gay pastor in the United Methodist Church.
Biography
Melvin E. Wheatley Jr. (May 7, 1915 - March 1, 2009) was born in Lewisville, Pennsylvania, the son and grandson of Methodist ministers.[1]
In 1972, Wheatley was appointed a bishop of the United Methodist Church. The same year, the Church took its first official stand against homosexuality. Wheatley, whose son John came out as gay in 1973, made it clear in the intervening years that he would not support such anti-LGBT policies. At the Church's 1980 General Conference he was the only bishop that refused to sign a statement condemning homosexuality.[1]
In 1981, Julian Rush, an associate pastor at First United Methodist Church in Boulder, Colorado, was under fire when he came out as gay. Wheatley, who was the bishop of the Rocky Mountain Conference which includes the entire state of Colorado, hoped that a compromise could be reached that would allow Rush to stay at his post.[1]
When an agreement could not be reached with First Methodist, in a controversial move, Wheatley assigned Rush to the St. Paul United Methodist Church in Denver, which had a significant number of openly gay congregants. This was the first time that an United Methodist bishop appointed an openly gay pastor. Prior to the appointment, Wheatley wrote a letter to all of the ministers in the Conference in support of Rush which included the following statement:
Homosexuality quite like heterosexuality is neither a virtue nor an accomplishment. Homosexual orientation is a mysterious gift of God's grace communicated through an exceedingly complex set of chemical, biological, chromosomal, hormonal, environmental, developmental factors totally outside my homosexual friends' control. Their homosexuality is a gift, neither a virtue nor a sin. What they do with their homosexuality, however, is definitely their personal, moral and spiritual responsibility. Their behavior as homosexuals may be very sinful---brutal, exploitive, selfish, promiscuous, superficial. Their behavior as homosexuals, on the other hand, may be beautiful---tender, considerate, loyal, other-centered, profound.[1][2][3]
Death
Wheatley died March 1, 2009 in Mission Viejo, California, after a long illness.[1]
“So many gay men and women who have been ministers in the church were in essence thrown under the bus. He kept that from happening to me,” Rush, who remained a minister in good standing, told The Los Angeles Times shortly after Wheatley's death. “He really pushed the bishops in the church to start reevaluating. There has been a huge upheaval since then, which has been very healthy.”[1]
See also
Paul Abels
Homosexuality and Methodism
Gene Leggett
LGBT-affirming religious groups
Karen Oliveto
Reconciling Ministries Network
Julian Rush
References
- ^ a b c d e f Woo, Elran (15 March 2009). "Melvin E. Wheatley dies at 93; Methodist bishop caused a stir by appointing gay pastor". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, California. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
In 1980 he broke with fellow bishops when he refused to support their joint statement calling homosexuality "incompatible with Christian teaching." Two years later, he appointed an openly gay pastor, the Rev. Julian Rush, to a Denver church and was accused of heresy but was absolved by a national church panel.
- ^ Hart Merrick, Lee (2001). Julian Rush-Facing the Music: A Gay Methodist Minister's Story. Lincoln, Nebraska: Writers Club Press. p. 58. ISBN 0595196586.
Homosexual orientation is a mysterious gift of God's grace communicated through an exceedingly complex set of chemical, biological, chromosomal, hormonal, environmental, developmental factors totally outside my homosexual friends' control.
- ^ "Bishop insists on appointing homosexual". Latrobe Bulletin. Latrobe, Pennsylvania. 12 April 1982. p. 11. Retrieved 31 March 2024 – via newspapers.com.
A United Methodist bishop is standing firm on his decision to appoint a homosexual minister to a Denver church and says he isn't bothered by the possible church trial that could result.
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