JUDGE COPS OUT OF LESBIAN MINISTER JUDGMENT
Ecclesia De Langa
In a major setback, the judge deliberating the firing of Ecclesia de Lange (43) as a minister by the Methodist Church because she is lesbian has dismissed the case.
On Wednesday morning, Judge Veldhuizen dismissed, with costs, De Lange’s application to order the Church to reinstate her on the basis that she was discriminated against because of her sexual orientation.
Veldhuizen ruled that the application to the High Court was premature and has referred the matter back to arbitration.
An attempt to resolve the dismissal through arbitration has previously failed.
A ruling on the matter could have broken new ground as it deals with complex issues of constitutional equality, labour law and freedom of religion.
De Lange’s spokesperson, Mike Luppnow said that there was a “feeling of betrayal” among De Lange’s supporters in court.
“We do not feel that justice has been served,” Luppnow told Mambaonline. “We see it as a travesty that we are being forced back into the lions’ den, back into an unfair arbitration process. It’s a Church appointed arbitrator, who is biased. And it took four years to get through arbitration last time. She was denied legal counsel before and will likely be denied this again.”
He said it was unfortunate that while De Lange had been denied an income by the Church she was now also being forced to pay the legal costs for the case.
Luppnow explained that De Lange’s legal team was assessing the judgment to decide on how to proceed but said that “whether Ecclesia has the energy and the political will to walk the journey is another story. It’s a highly expensive exercise. We don’t have huge pockets of funding.”
De Lange was not in court as she is on holiday and the announcement of the judge’s ruling gave her little time to return.
In a statement, the Presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church of South Africa (MCSA), Bishop Ziphozihle Siwa, said: “We welcome the judgement; the Church will continue to be in prayer and conversation over this issue as we encourage life giving interaction and dialogue.”
The MCSA further insisted that the case was “not about the church being homophobic or discriminating against anyone because of their sexual orientation. Rather, it was a disciplinary matter dedicated to upholding the standards set out in our Laws and Discipline, the constitution of our Church.”
De Lange was dismissed by the MCSA in 2010 when she announced her intention to marry her female partner.
In January 2010, a disciplinary hearing found De Lange guilty of “failing to observe the provisions of the Laws and Disciplines and all other policies, decisions, practices and usages of the Church…”
A month later, the MCSA’s Connexional Disciplinary Committee upheld the guilty verdict and sentenced De Lange to be “discontinued” from the ministry of the MCSA.
judge is a coward, she could have made a name for herself
This is very unfortunate. I wonder if the judge has ever tried to negotiate with a Church Council. There’s no such thing as “internal arbitration” with Church councils. Once they got hooked on something, they will force it through, no matter what, regardless of how much they will use God’s name in falsehood to justify their own inhumane cause. This is once again the very sadness of the South African legal system: You are only entitled to force down your rights if you are a millionaire. People who cannot afford court cases, regardless of how much their rights are being violated, sorry, no go for you! I hope Ecclesia has the will and power to continue fighting this.
Who is the Church, she can start her own congregation!
Their standards, laws and disciplines are homophobic. The Church always tries to hide behind fancy words. Homopobia is the attitude that Gay people should be treated as 2nd class citizens, nothing to do withy emotions
. That is definately part of their laws, standards and disciplines.
I salute the High Court for dismissing Lesbian Minister Ecclesia de Lange’s case against the Methodist church. This is a victory for all churches and Christians. Its by time that homosexuals are stopped, they want to take over everywhere. We are called homophobic when we speak out against their perverted lifestyles, and in my case even reported to Human Rights Commission and Equity Court for the truth. To hell with all homosexuals. Homosexuals think they are untouchable, and yes let she pay all the legal cost including the legal cost of the church. I rejoice in the ruling and this should be a lesson to all homosexual ministers that your perverted lifestyle is an abomination to God and the church is in its rights to fire homosexuals from their services. Wake up smell the roses we don’t have place for homosexuals in society and the church. Homosexuality is a curse and all those who practise this sick lifestyle will burn in hell.
Jirre, het niks vir jou hande te doen nie Bougardt? Kyk die kerk het sekerlik hul eie s? oor wie hulle wil aanstel of nie, maar ek dink hulle moet vir De Lange ten minste dan ‘n baie goeie pakket aanbied.
Vir die wat voel hulle het ‘n roeping tot die een of ander geloof, moet eerder aansluit by ‘n gay gemeente en hul potensiaal ten volle uitleef. Dit gaan nog jare indien nie dekades neem vir die hoofstroom kerke om wakker te word.
En weer terug na die ene Bougardt – Jy is ‘n siek mens. Jou hele lewe draai rondom die aftakeling van gay mense, Jy het ‘n probleem en moet liefs ‘n sielkindige gaan sien sodat jy kan ontslae raak van jou obsessie. Jou tipe hou ‘n groot gevaar in vir ‘n vreedsame samelewing van diversiteit.
Dit is dominees soos Bougardt wat kerke ‘n slegte naam gee. Ek wonder of die Methodistekerk van SA die moed sal h? om die man te repudieer? Waarksynlik nie!