Pastor Lee Dong-hwan announces his position on the sentence of "exile" at a banquet of the Christian Daesoon Methodist Church in Dongan-gu, Anyang-si, Gyeonggi Province, on April 8. Courtesy of Rev. Lee Dong-hwan's task force

It has been confirmed that Pastor Lee Dong-hwan, who was sentenced to a church tribunal for praying a so-called "LGBTQ blessing," has been expelled from the church. Citizens in solidarity with the pastor are protesting the decision and have launched a fundraising campaign to support his appeal to the church tribunal.

The Gyeonggi Conference Tribunal of the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church sentenced Lee to disfellowshipping, the denomination's highest level of discipline, on Aug. 8. The tribunal found that Lee's conduct and advocacy of LGBTQ blessings violated Article 3.8 of the Book of Discipline (church law), which prohibits "pro-homosexuality and sympathetic behavior.

The Presbytery sentenced Lee to a two-year suspension for conducting a blessing ceremony at the second Incheon Pride Parade in 2019. The decision to leave the church was meant to compound his punishment for repeating the same behavior after his suspension.
Lee and his supporters immediately reacted to the decision to leave the church. "It was a foregone conclusion," Pastor Lee said shortly after the sentencing, "I approached the trial with the mindset of 'speaking to the church,' but in the end, the sentence was expulsion." He added, "I will not give up speaking. Today's verdict is not something to be angry about, but let's not focus on hate and hatred."

In response to the decision, the Task Force for Pastor Lee Dong-hwan, who is being tried for praying a blessing for LGBTQ Christians, criticized the decision, saying, "The sentence of expulsion for praying a blessing for LGBTQ Christians and volunteering for pastoral care is a declaration of expulsion from the church and denominational boundaries for LGBTQ Christians who have shared their faith for decades or even their entire lives."

A fundraising campaign is underway. In order to proceed with the appeal, he needs to pay 7 million won, the cost of the lost trial. Supporters of the pastor are donating to the fundraiser, saying they want to "help in a small way" and "thank you for your efforts." The task force will continue to raise money until the 20th of this month, as the law requires an appeal within two weeks of the first trial.