Methodists Put Minister on Trial for Declaring Herself a Lesbian [NYTimes]

"It's a big deal at any point when a church puts one of its ministers on trial. In this case, you're putting someone on trial basically because she was honest about who she is."
---Mary Ann Tolbert, executive director of the Center for Lesbian and Gay Studies in Religion and Ministry at the Pacific School of Religion.

"This small gathering in this room is a microcosm of the United Methodist Church in its pain, in its yearning for healing, for grace and for direction."
---Bishop William Boyd Grove, serving as judge at the trial of the Rev. Karen Dammann.