“All 15 people who signed the open letter are members of the national church’s New York Conference, a region that encompasses New York City, Long Island and part of Connecticut. Methodist leaders in that jurisdiction have previously rebelled against the church’s policy by announcing they would not consider sexual orientation when evaluating candidates for clergy.”

In an open letter to The United Methodist Church, 15 clergy members and clergy candidates came out Sunday as gay, lesbian, bisexual and queer — a bold act of defiance against a church that defrocks clergy for marrying same-sex couples or coming out.

“We are compelled now to speak out and tell the whole truth of who we are to the wider church,” they said in the letter. “Ministry requires honesty, courage, integrity.”

The letter comes just one week before The United Methodist Church, the second-largest Protestant denomination in the United States, holds its General Conference in Portland, where representatives will consider new rules allowing clergy to be openly-gay and perform same-sex weddings.

All 15 people who signed the open letter are members of the national church’s New York Conference, a region that encompasses New York City, Long Island and part of Connecticut. Methodist leaders in that jurisdiction have previously rebelled against the church’s policy by announcing they would not consider sexual orientation when evaluating candidates for clergy.

The policy states “self-avowed practicing homosexuals are not to be certified as candidates, ordained as ministers, or appointed to serve in The United Methodist Church.”

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