BOTHELL, Wash., March 18 (UPI) -- An admitted lesbian United Methodist minister is on trial by her church for her lifestyle in the Seattle, Wash., area, the New York Times reported Thursday.
The trial of Karen Dammann, 47, is taking place in a church in Bothell. The judge is a retired bishop, and the 13-member jury is composed of other ministers.
She is charged with violating church law by living in a homosexual relationship, which United Methodist Church law says is "incompatible with Christian teachings."
Her lawyer, Robert Ward, is a retired minister from Tacoma who says Dammann has "chosen not to live the lie."
"She has invited the United Methodist Church to come out of the closet with her and live a life of open honesty," he said.
Nine votes are needed to convict, and if she is found guilty, the same jury will decide the penalty. It could be as lenient as putting a disciplinary letter in her personnel file, or as severe as ordering defrocking or even excommunication.
