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Religion Forum Index » Christian Methodist Forum » UMNS: Jury issues statement on Dammann decision
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 Posted: Tue Mar 23, 2004 7:39 am |
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Jury issues statement on Dammann decision
Mar. 22, 2004
BOTHELL, Wash. (UMNS) - After announcing a verdict of not guilty in the
clergy trial of the Rev. Karen Dammann, the jury offered insight into
its decision through a statement presented to the court.
The Rev. Karla Fredericksen, a member of the 13-member jury, or trial
court, read the statement at about 5:40 p.m. Pacific time March 20.
Fredericksen is a pastor serving in Tukwila, Wash.
The full text follows (the paragraph reference in the opening sentences
is to the denomination's Book of Discipline):
"The only charge brought against the Rev. Karen T. Dammann is 'practices
declared by The United Methodist Church to be incompatible with
Christian teachings,' under Paragraph 2702.1b relating to the Judicial
Complaint of Bishop Elias Galvan. While sustaining the specification
that Rev. Karen Dammann is a self-avowed practicing homosexual, we, the
trial court, do not find the evidence presented by church counsel to be
clear and convincing that Karen Dammann has engaged in any 'practices
declared by the United Methodist Church to be incompatible with
Christian teachings.' We cannot sustain the charge.
"We, the trial court, reached our decisions after many hours of painful
and prayerful deliberation, and listening for and to the word of God. We
depended on the prayers of the whole church, which undergirded our
process. We depended on the leading of the Holy Spirit.
"We have made every attempt to be faithful to the Book of Discipline in
its entirety. We have taken very seriously the mandate to presume
innocence unless there is sufficient evidence to bring a different
verdict. The church's obligation is to present clear and convincing
evidence to sustain the charge. We searched the Discipline and did not
find a declaration that 'the practice of homosexuality is incompatible
with Christian teaching.'
"We did see in the Discipline many declarative statements. An example
is: 'Inclusiveness means openness, acceptance, and support that enables
all persons to participate in the life of the Church, the community, and
the world. Thus, inclusiveness denies every semblance of
discrimination.' (Section 6 of The Ministry of all Christians, section
VI, 'Called to Inclusiveness,' Paragraph 138, p. 93, second paragraph)
"Although we, the trial court, found passages that contain the phrasing
'incompatible with Christian teaching,' we did not find that any of them
constitute a declaration.
"We realize that the church is divided regarding issues of
homosexuality. We, as the trial court, are far from unanimous regarding
biblical and theological understandings.
"The beginning sentence of 'Our Theological Task,' Paragraph 104,
Conclusion, p. 85,
says: 'Doctrine arises out of the life of the Church - its faith, its
worship, its discipline, its conflicts, its challenges from the world it
would serve.' In this spirit, we have engaged in this judicial task."
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United Methodist News Service
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