Bishop Melvin Wheatley,
an outspoken Methodist minister and human rights advocate, died
earlier this month in Mission Viejo, Calif. He was 93.
Wheatley was known for
his sometimes unpopular stances on issues like gay rights and
interfaith tolerance. In 1980, Wheatley publicly refused to
support a statement by fellow Methodist bishops calling
homosexuality "incompatible with Christian teaching,"
according to the
Los Angeles Times.
Then in 1982, he
appointed the Reverend Julian Rush, who was openly gay, to a
church in Denver, causing outcry and accusations of heresy
against Wheatly. He was later absolved by a national church
panel, where he said that "homosexuality is a mysterious
gift of God's grace." Since then, other openly gay
clergy have been appointed to churches.
"He was the Martin
Luther of the Methodist Church," said the Reverend Donald
Messer, president emeritus of the Iliff School of Theology in
Denver. "He freed all of us to be less prejudiced, biased,
and dogmatic."
Before he was elected
bishop, Wheatley worked at the Westwood Methodist Church in Los
Angeles for 18 years.
"He was well loved
in this congregation and he was pastor for what we would really
consider to be dynamic and peak times in this church,"
said Westwood pastor John Robert Woodall. He added that
Wheatley's inclusive nature was "ahead of his
time," and that he was encouraging to others who
may not have otherwise been as devoted to church.
"At Westwood in
particular, many of our members remember Mel as one of the
reasons why they got involved in this church, and I would also
say that he is particularly well remembered by those in the gay
and lesbian community, who saw him as a groundbreaking in
opening up the church dialogue, and emphasizing inclusion into
all facets of the church," he said.
Wheatley is survived by
his wife, Lucile, his sons Paul and James, and three
grandchildren.