By Chad Groening and Jody Brown
May 18, 2001

(AgapePress) - One of the leading advocates for reform in the United Methodist Church says it is tragic that a Methodist-affiliated university is going to allow a homosexual "commitment ceremony" to be conducted on its campus.

Atlanta's Emory University is going to allow two lesbians to have their "commitment ceremony" at the school's Cannon Chapel tomorrow. It is the first time such an event will take place in the school's 165-year history. Methodist reform activist Mark Tooley is with the United Methodist Committee of the Institute on Religion and Democracy. Tooley calls the move "tragic" because Emory University was founded by the Methodist church and legally is still owned by the Methodist church -- "although to look at its faculty and curriculum you would not easily recognize that fact," he says.

Tooley says the Methodist church could fight the move, but that even the more conservative southeastern jurisdiction of the United Methodist denomination does not seem willing to wage the necessary fight. "We could take it to court and really fight this battle if we chose to," he says. "Unfortunately, I don't have full confidence in even our southern bishops to wage that battle."

Tooley believes the Methodist church needs to either reassert its authority or cut loose from its affiliation with Emory University. He says the Christian influence at Emory "is certainly minimal ... and it's silly to go on pretending that it's a Methodist school in any plausible way."

Under a compromise policy adopted in 1997 by Emory University, same-sex commitment ceremonies can be held in campus chapels if conducted by a minister ordained by a religious group that is officially recognized by the university. Two lesbian Emory alums -- Heather Ryan, 31, and Susan Leisure, 29 -- are members of one of those religious groups: the Unitarian Universalist Association. Their same-sex union on Saturday will be officiated by their pastor, Edward Frost, at Cannon Chapel.

© 2001 AgapePress all rights reserved.

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