Frank Schaefer
German-American activist, author, and protestant minister

Frank Schaefer

The basics
Quick facts
Intro
German-American activist, author, and protestant minister
Gender:
Male
Places:
Birth:
7 December 1961
Star sign:
Religions:
Biography menu
Menu

Jump to

Introduction Defrocking Speaking engagements and activism Publications
The details
Biography

Introduction

Franklyn "Frank" Schaefer is a German-American author and an LGBTQ advocate.He was formerly an ordained minister in the United Methodist Church.

Schaefer established a popular Internet site for the support of Christian educators and ministers, a forum for the discussion and exchange of resources, called Desperate Preacher's Site, in 1996.

Defrocking

In 2013, he was tried by a United Methodist court for officiating at his son's same-sex marriage. He was defrocked on December 19, 2013, when he refused to uphold the Book of Discipline in its entirety, which would have meant to denounce same-sex marriage rights.

Speaking engagements and activism

Following his defrocking, Schaefer became a speaker and activist. Although he was reinstated by the Northeastern Jurisdictional Committee on Appeals on June 26, 2014 (which was upheld by the Judicial Council on October 25, 2014), he continues to advocate for human rights while also working in a new United Methodist parish in Isla Vista, California.

Publications