A pastor based in Chicago has been suspended -- and may soon be fired -- for overseeing a marriage between two men.
The Chicago Tribune reports that the Rev. Judy Peterson was suspended from her job as campus pastor at North Park University after she officiated the wedding of Marcus and Roel Mason-Vivit last year.
On Friday, Peterson is facing a disciplinary hearing that could result in her getting completely fired from the university.
Marcus Mason-Vivit, who now lives in Berkeley, tells the Tribune that he feels horrible that his wedding has led to Peterson potentially losing her job.
"Knowing someone so beloved by thousands of people had something taken away from her because of who I married and who I love and who loves me — we’re deeply saddened,” said Mason-Vivit, 31, who now lives in Berkeley, Calif. “We have a bit of hope that this is not the end for Judy and that this is not where the conversation ends for the Evangelical Covenant Church.”
Peterson was originally suspended by the Evangelical Covenant Church, which oversees North Park University, after a photo of her officiating the wedding surfaced online. More than 4,400 North Park students and alumni signed a petition urging the church to reconsider its decision to suspend Peterson, but so far the church has not budged.
