A retired Presbyterian minister was found guilty of misconduct Aug. 27 by a church court for officiating the weddings of 16 gay couples when same-sex marriage was legal in California.
A regional commission of the Presbyterian Church (USA) ruled 4-2 that the Rev. Jane Spahr of San Francisco â┚¬Å”persisted in a pattern or practice of disobedienceâ┚¬Â by performing the weddings in 2008 before Proposition 8 banned the unions in the state.
The church's highest court has held that Presbyterian ministers may bless same-sex unions as long as they do â┚¬Å”not state, imply, or represent that a same-sex ceremony is a marriage.â┚¬ÂÂ
By willfully challenging that holding, Spahr broke her ordination vows, the commission said in its majority opinion.
The six-member commission representing 54 Northern California churches censured Spahr with a rebuke as punishment. Spahr said she was disappointed by the verdict and would appeal to a midlevel church court.
