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Chalice Press to Publish New Book by Defrocked United Methodist Pastor Frank Schaefer

St. Louis, February 27, 2014 – Chalice Press has signed defrocked United Methodist pastor Frank Schaefer to write a book scheduled to be published in the first half of 2014.

In his book, Schaefer tells the story of officiating at his gay son’s same-sex marriage and, six years later, his subsequent trial by a United Methodist court. That trial stripped Schaefer of his ordination after more than 20 years of ministry in the nation’s largest mainline Protestant denomination.

“This is a critical time, not just for the United Methodist Church but for all mainline Protestant denominations and even the evangelical world,” Chalice Press President and Publisher Brad Lyons says. “Frank Schaefer’s story is really a harbinger of the bigger story of the struggle for LGBTQ equality in the world and in our faith communities. We’re thrilled to be able to bring his story to an even wider audience.”

A documentary film entitled An Act of Love is also in production about Rev. Frank Schaefer and the LGBT movement in the United Methodist Church. For more information on the film and to donate, please visit: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/kateslogan/an-act-of-love-the-story-of-rev-frank-schaefer.

ABOUT FRANK SCHAEFER
Frank Schaefer is a former ordained minister of United Methodist Church where he ministered for more than 20 years until December 2013. He is married to Brigitte and has four children. He was educated at Princeton Theological Seminary and also earned a CPE degree at Hershey Medical Center’s residency program for chaplains. In 2013, Frank Schaefer was tried by a United Methodist court for officiating his son’s same-sex marriage and was defrocked over his refusal to uphold the Book of Discipline, which meant virtually to denounce gay marriage rights. Now a United Methodist layperson, speaker and activist, he continues to advocate for human rights.

ABOUT CHALICE PRESS
Chalice Press is an imprint of the Christian Board of Publication, an ecumenical ministry of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) based in St. Louis, Mo. CBP’s mission is to publish resources inviting all people into deeper relationship with God, equipping them as disciples of Jesus Christ, and sending them into ministries as the Holy Spirit calls them. You can visit Chalice Press online at: http://www.chalicepress.com.
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