A House of God divided: Why this lesbian minister left the United Methodist Church

Rev. Karyn Wiseman has been at the center of the United Methodist Church's conflict over same sex-marriage and LGBTQ clergy her entire life. Why is the church so fractured?

Air Date: March 12, 2019

The Rev. Dr. Karyn Wiseman, a former United Methodist pastor (right), and her wife, Cindy Clawson. (Emma Lee/WHYY)

The United Methodist Church recently voted to strengthen its ban on same-sex marriage and LGBTQ clergy. One lesbian minister, the Rev. Dr. Karyn Wiseman of Montgomery County, has been at the center of this conflict nearly her entire life. A few years ago, Wiseman made a difficult decision to avoid being brought up on charges of homosexuality and risk being defrocked. Why is the church still so fractured, and how is the UMC responding to those who no longer feel welcome? Wiseman shares her story on this episode of The Why. Click here to read the full statement from the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference of the UMC.

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