
Last year, Frank Schaefer, of Lebanon, Pennsylvania was suspended by the Methodist Church for officiating the wedding of his gay son. He was later defrocked for refusing to promise that he would never preside over another same sex wedding. Schaefer appealed the decision, on the grounds that the church made the decision based on an assumption. Today, a nine-person United Methodist Church panel overturned the decision to defrock Schaefer, though they upheld his 30-day suspension. Schaefer will receive backpay dating back to when his suspension ended, last year …