The Presbyterian Church's version of the U.S. Supreme Court censured the Rev. Jane Adams Spahr for marrying 16 same-sex couples during the brief time such marriages were legal in California.
A lower court rebuke of the 69-year-old Spahr, a lesbian, was upheld by the General Assembly Permanent Judicial Commission, which ruled that she violated the church's constitution and her ordination vows when she officiated at the same-sex weddings, reports the Los Angeles Times.
The tribunal also warned that ministers who officiate at such weddings could face church sanctions. Spahr, however, said she would continue to marry gay and lesbian couples despite the verdict.
The ruling widens a fissure within the church over the inclusion of gays and lesbians. Last spring, the Presbyterian Church (USA) approved the ordination of gays and lesbians as ministers. This summer, the church's general assembly is expected to debate the definition of marriage and whether its ministers can officiate at same-sex marriages.
