Shamed or shameless: The life of a lesbian minister and her struggle in the Methodist Church in Southern Africa (MCSA)

This paper reflects on the life experiences of Reverend Ecclesia de Lange, a lesbian minister in the Methodist Church of Southern Africa (MCSA), culminating in the Constitutional Court's ruling that the MCSA had the sole discretion to dismiss de Lange for entering into a same-sex marriage. The Methodist Church is one of the most prominent denominations in the world and claims to be liberal and supportive of individuals in same-sex relationships. Nonetheless, de Lange suffered shame, discrimination, and the loss of her job as an ordained minister because of her sexual orientation. The Church charged de Lange with failing to abide by the laws and discipline of the Church, which recognise only heterosexual relationships and forces ministers to take an oath during their ordination to abide by and implement the rules, policies, decisions, practices, and usages of the Church. Interestingly, the MCSA produced a conference resolution to advance a "community of love rather than rejection," yet to this day, does not accept homosexuality within the Church. Accordingly, I analyse how the MCSA synod responded to de Lange's decision to marry her long-time same-sex partner. I use intersectional and queer theories to drive the discussion. I reflect on how de Lange was shamed by the MCSA for her decision and how the MCSA was unsupportive and did not act consistent with their claim to being a non-homophobic denomination. This is evident in the disingenuous claim by the Methodist Church that it accepts individuals unconditionally, while women continue to experience stigmatisation and are discriminated against by the patriarchal rules of the MCSA.