A Pennsylvania pastor was fired after he officiated over the
wedding of a State College gay couple.
Rev. Ken Kline Smeltzer told the Centre Daily Times that
after marrying Joseph Davis and Gregory Scalzo on August 19 at the
home of State College Mayor Elizabeth Goreham he was let go.
Smeltzer is listed as the interim pastor of Burnham Church of the
Brethren in Burnham. His wife, Bonnie Kline Smeltzer, is the pastor
of University Baptist & Brethren Church in State College.
“It's true,” he
told the paper, “but I can't give out any more information.”
The couple received a marriage license in Montgomery County, which
began issuing marriage licenses to gay couples in defiance of state
law in July. A court has ordered the county to stop issuing such
licenses and it is unclear whether the licenses issued are valid.
(Related: Pennsylvania
clerk to appeal ruling blocking issuance of gay marriage licenses.)
Goreham had originally agreed to marry the couple but decided
against the move on the advice of the city.
Smeltzer said in a statement offered at the ceremony that he
agreed to perform the wedding because he supports marriage equality
and the couple is “very much in love and obviously committed to
each other.”