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The Rev. Keith Boyette knows what it means to interpret the law.
Before he became senior pastor at Wilderness Community Church in Spotsylvania County, he was a trial lawyer in Richmond, arguing civil cases before judge and jury.
"As an attorney, I'm trained to see what's really the issue and understand what people are really saying," said Boyette, whose congregation is affiliated with the Methodist Church. "That's a skill that's really important in the midst of conflict."
Boyette relied on those skills to guide him last week during the United Methodist Church's General Conference in Pittsburgh.
While serving on the Judicial Council, which acts as the church's supreme court, he was asked to clarify the church's stand on homosexuality.
Instinctively, he hit the books. Specifically, the Book of Discipline, which contains the church's laws. It states--and the council reaffirmed--that homosexuality is "incompatible with Christian teaching."
The United Methodist Church, which has about 9 million members worldwide, has addressed the issue of homosexuality and what the Bible states on the subject since the 1970s, Boyette said.
The question has come up every four years during the church's General Conference, and each time church leaders have referred to the Book of Discipline.
But this year was different. The conference had to comment on the church trial of a self-avowed lesbian, the Rev. Karen Dammann.
The 47-year-old pastor of First United Methodist Church in Ellensburg, Wash., was recently acquitted of charges of violating church law. Dammann, who married her partner of nine years in March, is currently on leave.
The trial was conducted by the Pacific Northwest Conference.
The 13-member jury ruled that church law did not make it a chargeable offense for gay clergy to be sexually active.
"That's what's caused all the problems because everyone is saying, 'How can they do that since the Book of Discipline is so clear?'" said Carole Vaughn, director of communications for the Virginia Conference in Richmond. She also attended last week's conference.
As a result, the nine-member Judicial Council was asked to review the Dammann case.
But council members explained that it does not have the authority to review the case unless there's an appeal from the defendant. Dammann is not expected to appeal because it was a favorable ruling for her, and the church has no right of appeal.
Four council members, including Boyette, dissented from the decision, stating that the case "negated, ignored and violated provisions of the [Book of] Discipline."
Therefore they consider the jury ruling "null, void and of no effect."
Boyette said he can't comment on the particular issues in the case because there's a possibility that it will come back before the Judicial Council.
The 51-year-old Spotsylvania resident said he was called to enter the ministry in 1991.
"I sensed God's spirit speak to my spirit to be a pastor of a church," he said. "And I was obedient."
Boyette started Wilderness Community Church in 1999 with the mission of reaching out to those who don't have a relationship with God.
There are currently 250 church members.
Jim Sizemore, a member of Tabernacle United Methodist Church in Chancellor, also attended the General Conference as a lay delegate.
He served on the Church and Society Committee, which also dealt with the homosexuality issue.
"There were some divisions, but we tried to come together in the spirit of unity," he said.
Concerned with the church's approach to the issue, a group of 20 members--representing both sides of the issue--met last week during the conference and discussed some options including an "immediate separation."
Documents were drafted, copied and distributed. Rumors of a possible schism spread like wildfire, Boyette said.
In response, the General Conference adopted a resolution on church unity, which stated: "As United Methodists we remain in covenant with one another, even in the midst of disagreement, and reaffirm our commitment to work together for our common mission of making disciples of Jesus Christ throughout the world."
Boyette, who said he is proud to be a United Methodist, doubts the denomination will split.
"I think the fact that we've struggled with this issue for 30 years shows we have a commitment to living together in the midst of this tension," he said.
To reach JESSICA ALLEN: 540/368-5036 jiallen@freelancestar.com