Former Methodist ministers in Nevada back same-sex unions

RENO (AP) — Five retired United Methodist ministers are taking a stand against their church’s rules regarding same-sex unions.

Retired Revs. John Emerson and Nadene DeWitt of Sparks and Karla Bowman of Reno announced at a news conference in Reno on Friday they’ve signed onto a covenant with 80 of their colleagues in California to perform same-sex holy unions.

Retired Revs. Bill McCord of Carson City and John Sublett of Sparks also are on board.

The United Methodist Church officially bans holy unions as well as same-sex marriages, which now are legal in California, but not in Nevada.

DeWitt told the Reno Gazette-Journal the position seems to fly in the face of the church’s long history of being on the cutting edge of social justice.