Re: Lesbian priest says she wants license to minister in ND

[Louie Crew <lcrew@andromeda.rutgers.edu>]

I know Gayle Baldwin and respect her immensely. She heads the Religion
Department at the University of ND. She has visited Newark repeatedly
to do major research into the community's [non] response to the
murder of Sakia Gunn, a 15-year-old lesbian killed in cold blood at our
major interection downtown a few years back. Judy Baldwin (no relation) was
then vicar at House of Prayer and shared her pulpit with Gayle on
several occasions.

I have no doubt that the bishop has canonical license to bully her in
this matter, but he has no such license as a Christian. I grieve that
Gayle must yet take up her cross another time.

Louie
Good Friday, 2008

> Lesbian priest says she wants license to minister in ND
>
> The Associated Press - Friday, March 21, 2008
>
> GRAND FORKS, N.D.
>
> A lesbian priest says she wants to start a dialogue with church
> leaders after the Episcopal bishop of North Dakota refused her request
> for a license to minister in the state.
>
> The Rev. Gayle Baldwin, 62, an associate professor of religion at the
> University of North Dakota, was ordained an Episcopal priest in 1980.
> She came out as a lesbian a decade ago in Wyoming, where she has a
> license to preach and administer the sacraments. She came to UND in
> 2000.
>
> Baldwin went public this week with a letter Episcopal leaders
> explaining her request to be licensed in North Dakota.
>
> The Episcopal Church' consecration in 2003 of the first openly gay
> bishop, V. Gene Robinson of New Hampshire, led to division in the
> church and several dozen conservative U.S. parishes have split from
> the national denomination.
> .......