The future for a local Methodist pastor is still uncertain after meeting with his bishop for a prayer vigil Thursday afternoon in Syracuse.
Pastor Stephen Heiss of Tabernacle United Methodist Church in Binghamton faces possibly losing his job for officiating gay marriages, which goes directly against what the church believes. According to the United Methodist Church Upper New York Annual Conference’s Episcopal Office, the conference filed a complaint against Heiss after he wrote a letter to the bishop in May expressing his support for gay marriage, and asking the church to do the same.
The bishop says they are not authorized to make or change church law, but they are required to fully and fairly administer it. Heiss has admitted to officiating several gay marriages, including his daughter’s. The church says this is the first step to determining whether Heiss has a future with the church.
