"Joe was the first and the only candidate," said the Rev. Keith Hohly, First Lutheran's pastor. "Everybody was very excited about him being a part of our staff."Hohly told the Star that Nadeau's sexual orientation isn't an issue. First Lutheran has adopted a welcoming policy for lesbians and gays. Several of the church's members also sing in the Heartland Men's Chorus, the Kansas City gay choir that Nadeau also directs.
The Star reported a few days ago that Nadeau was ousted from St. Agnes Catholic Church in Roeland Park, Kan., after he refused Monsignor Gary Applegate's request that he resign from the Heartland Chorus. Applegate also reportedly told Nadeau that he had to be celibate and state that he agreed with church teaching that homosexuality is a disorder.
Nadeau said he had already taken the job with First Lutheran when he was first interviewed by the Star, but didn't tell reporters "for fear of dragging First into the brouhaha."
After the article about his firing appeared, though, Nadeau said he got calls from two other churches that wanted to hire him.
What a delight to start a Friday with some good news and to learn that there are some Christians who are actually following the teachings of Jesus.
Happy Friday to you all!
2 comments:
I'm a parishoner at St. Agnes, and many of us loved Joe and condemned the actions of those who were trying to oust him. Unfortunately, we didn't have any say in Monsignor Applegate's decisions. He will be sorely missed. There was a two-hour line to say goodbye to him.
Thank you so much for posting your comment. Bigotry can't stand if folks like you stand up for what's right. We can't always win every battle, but we can speak our truth.
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