United Church of Christ gay marriage resolution divides local congregation

Another church falls to liberal leadership who side with homosexuals.

Local church of Christ split

United Church of Christ gay marriage resolution divides local congregation

By BRYANT PERKINS
The Eagle-Gazette Staff
bperkins@nncogannett.com

LANCASTER - The issue of gay marriage has arrived at the altar of Grace United Church of Christ in Lancaster.

The United Church of Christ's governing body, the General Synod, passed a resolution July 4 in Atlanta, Ga., supporting equal marriage rights for same-sex couples.

The decision is sending shock waves through Lancaster's religious community and has split the 30-member congregation of Grace Church in half.

Sue Hockradel, 72, has been a member of Grace Church for 15 years and is strongly opposed to the gay-marriage resolution. Like others, she worries that potential persecution of her church could cause members or even whole congregations to break away from the denomination.

"It scares me that this is dividing us," Hockradel said.

She's not the only Grace Church member concerned with the United Church of Christ's decision.

"Now we are being targeted in our own community, by other churches who believe we are gay-marriage supporters," Grace Church member Paul Delong said.

Associate minister for the United Church of Christ's Central South East Ohio Association, Rev. Dr. G. Forrest Hoppe, and Grace Church members organized a forum to discuss the resolution at the church July 19.

Delong, 68, attended the meeting and strongly opposed the resolution. He believes marriage should be between a man and a woman.

"I am not a homophobe, and I am not anti-gay, but I just don't believe in gay marriage in the church. I thought the General Synod and the delegates from the Central South East Ohio Association that voted on the resolution were brash and arrogant in there decision," Delong said.

Jill Glass is the administrative assistant for the association's 38 churches. She was also at the meeting at Grace Church and was one of four delegates from the Central South East Ohio Association who went to Atlanta and voted in support of the resolution.

"I have personal friends who are in a same-sex committed relationship who I feel deserve to have the same rights as a heterosexual couple," Glass said.

The Ohio delegation was not unanimous in its support of the resolution. Neither was the Synod. The final vote on the resolution appeared to represent a 75 percent approval with 25 percent either opposed or abstaining, Hoppe said.