Pastor Bradley Schmeling was completely honest from the outset about his sexual orientation when St. John's Lutheran Church in Atlanta called him as their pastor in 2000. The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America congregation -- all but a very few members, anyway -- fell in love with their new pastor, and attendance and membership grew in the past several years.
But then the unattached Schmeling fell in love with another male Lutheran pastor he met, and they entered into a committed relationship. Schmeling immediately informed his church and his bishop, Ronald Warren of the Southeastern Synod of the ELCA, that his status had changed, and Warren, who's retiring soon, in turn filed charges against Schmeling for breaking church law, which requires gay and lesbian ministers to remain celebate, I assume because they aren't married. Meanwhile his congregation has rallied around their pastor. They don't want him removed from the church because he is gay.
Schmeling's trial starts later this week. I urge you to follow the news and offer whatever support you can. More below the fold.