In a church trial, the Korean Methodist Church suspended Reverend Lee Dong-hwan from his clerical position for two years for blessing sexual minorities at the Queer Cultural Festival.

The judicial committee of the Gyeonggi branch of the Korean Methodist Church made the decision in a hearing at Onnuri Keunbit Church in Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-do on October 15. The committee said, “His (Reverend Lee) attending the queer festival in clergy vestments and publicly blessing sexual minorities is proof that he supports homosexuality,” and further explained the reason for the decision saying, “The phrase, ‘the Methodist church and queers together,’ which was on the poster (promoting the blessing), is also strong evidence.”

Lee, a pastor at Glory Jeil Church in Suwon, a member of the Korean Methodist Church, gave blessings to sexual minorities at the Second Incheon Queer Cultural Festival on August 31, 2019. During the ceremony, he sprinkled flower petals over LGBQT participants and also said a prayer blessing them. The Methodist church claimed that Reverend Lee’s actions went against the Korean Methodist Discipline, which is a type of church law, and referred the case to the church’s judicial committee on June 17. Reverend Lee was the first person that the Methodist church charged for supporting sexual minorities.

This day, attorney Choi Jeong-gyu, one of the legal representatives of Reverend Lee Dong-hwan said, “This is equivalent to maximum punishment in a social court.” Paragraph 8 in Article 3 of the Korean Methodist Discipline stipulates “violations of the Narcotics Control Act, gambling and actions supporting or aiding homosexuality” as “a wrong.” If a person stands on trial for committing such wrongs and loses, that person can be suspended or dismissed from his clerical position or even be denied his status as a church follower and be excommunicated. He can be suspended of his pastoral position for up to two years.

Reverend Lee’s supporters and his lawyers held a press conference in front of the church immediately after the trial and announced plans to appeal the latest decision. The judicial process in the Methodist church is a two-tier system, and if a party refuses to accept the decision in the first trial and appeals, a second trial is held at the judicial committee of the church’s main body. Reverend Lee said, “In the face of today’s ruling, I am ashamed of the Methodist church, of which I am a part,” and said, “I refuse to accept the decision.” he also said, “If Jesus came to this land, he would have sought out and blessed the sexual minorities, who suffer from all kinds of discrimination and hatred.” He added, “Just as the geocentric model has become obsolete and slavery abolished, just as women are ordained pastors now, I will not give up and I will fight until the end in order to make a church equal and safe for all.”

Problems were raised about the Korean Methodist Discipline. Lawyer Choi said, “The article in question leaves room for arbitrary interpretations, so much so that it is on par with the crime of encouraging and praising rebellious groups stipulated in the National Security Act. So we stressed a strict interpretation from the bench.” He also said, “On the previous court day, the chief judge said, ‘I also oppose hatred of homosexuality,” but the articles are currently being applied in a situation where it is impossible to determine the difference between opposition and support for hatred, and how they differ.” Reverend Lee’s supporters said, “We will work to revise the bad law at the general legislative session next year.”