Methodists end case against bishop who performed gay wedding
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) – The United Methodist Church is dismissing a complaint against a retired bishop who performed a same-sex wedding in Alabama.
A church statement says the case against retired Bishop Melvin G. Talbert is ending with a settlement that the denomination calls a “just resolution.”
Methodist teaching doesn’t allow same-sex marriages, and Talbert faced potential sanctions for performing one.
In the agreement, Talbert expresses regret that some felt harmed when he performed the wedding ceremony in Birmingham in October 2013.
But Talbert also says he still believes his actions were correct.
North Alabama Bishop Debra Wallace-Padgett filed a complaint against Talbert last year after he wed two men who were refused permission to marry in their Birmingham-area church.
United Methodists are among the religious denominations struggling with how to handle same-sex marriage.
