Gay pastor won’t return to Ellensburg

YAKIMA — The Rev. Karen Dammann, a lesbian pastor who was the focus of a United Methodist church trial, has chosen not to return to her Ellensburg church, a church official said Friday.

Dammann chose to remain on family leave rather than return to First United Methodist Church in the central Washington city, said the Rev. Ron Hines, superintendent of the Pacific Northwest Conference’s Seven Rivers District.

“Karen is still a pastor in good standing with the conference. It was her choice that she continue on family leave,” Hines said.

Dammann, 47, declared her sexual preference in February 2001, when she sought a new church appointment. After receiving Dammann’s letter, Northwest Conference Bishop Elias Galvan, under church orders, filed a complaint against her.

Clergy in the conference voted to retain Dammann, but the denomination’s Judicial Council reversed that decision last fall.

In March, a jury of 13 pastors meeting in the Seattle suburb of Bothell acquitted Dammann of violating Methodist church law even though she acknowledged she had a female partner. The trial decision figured prominently at the United Methodist national policy meeting last week in Pittsburgh, where discord over gay-related issues showed a deep rift in the nation’s third-largest denomination.

Church law prohibits the ordination of self-avowed, practicing homosexuals. The church’s Book of Discipline declares homosexuality to be “incompatible to Christian teachings,” although the church’s social principles support gay rights and liberties.

Dammann married her partner of nine years, Meredith Savage, in March in Oregon. She has been on family leave since March 1, caring for their young son, who has a respiratory illness.

Dammann did not return telephone messages seeking comment. She had previously said she hoped to eventually return to her Ellensburg congregation as pastor.

Lindsay Thompson, an attorney for Dammann, said the move to remain on family leave is strictly a short-term decision and in no way implies Dammann might not seek a post next year.

Thompson also said Dammann believed it would be unfair to leave the Ellensburg congregation waiting to see if she would ever return.

“Karen just decided to take a year to spend time as a family and see what direction she wants her career to take. She has specifically not made any kind of long-term decision about what she wants to do,” Thompson said. “I’m sure when they have more news about their plans, they’ll let us all know.”

Hines said Galvan intends to appoint the Rev. Katherine Makus of Colfax to the Ellensburg church during the Northwest Conference’s annual meeting next month.

Makus did not return a telephone message seeking comment.