Aley United Methodist Church embraces same-sex marriages




Aley United Methodist Church and its pastor the Rev. Eston Williams have long extended welcome to all people, including the Cedar Creek Lake's sizable LGBT community.

In July the congregation took it a step further by voting to go against the Methodist doctrine by approving marriages between same-sex couples and allowing them to be performed in the church.

Of the 87 members, 69 voted to allow the marriages in the sanctuary, eight sought to prohibit them in the church but recognize such marriages performed elsewhere and two members were undecided, according to a report in the Athens Daily Review.

Williams, whose wife and children have lived in the Cedar Creek Lake area 30 years, said the church's congreation risked being charged with breaking church law and tried for the offense.

Williams said that if the North Texas Conference of the Methodist Church took such action and dismissed him and other clergy, he would start a new congregation independent of the United Methodist Church.

"At the end of the day, I'd rather be excluded for who I include than included for who I exclude," Williams told the Athens newspaper.

Williams and other clergy taking such action regarding same-sex marriages is asking the General Conference of the Methodist Church not to try any pastor who conducts same-sex marriages and to not penalize any church allowing a same-sex marriage.

Northaven United Methodist Church in Dallas also voted to perform same-sex marriages.

Prominent members of Aley United Methodist Church include Gun Barrel City Mayor Jim Braswell and retired Judge Ron Chapman.

Cedar Creek Lake also has a predominantly LGBT church in the Payne Springs area known as Celebration on the Lake Church.




Tell us what you think!

Beacon Hill at Cedar Creek Lake

Cedar Creek Lake Email Updates


 

Visit our Cedar Creek Lake Sponsors!

Cedar Creek Lake on Social Media

 
       

Cedar Creek Lake Current Weather Alerts

There are no active watches, warnings or advisories.

 

Cedar Creek Lake Weather Forecast

Wednesday

Mostly Sunny

Hi: 63

Wednesday Night

Chance Thunderstorms

Lo: 45

Thursday

Mostly Sunny

Hi: 69

Thursday Night

Mostly Clear

Lo: 54

Friday

Partly Sunny

Hi: 75

Friday Night

Breezy

Lo: 60

Saturday

Mostly Cloudy

Hi: 77

Saturday Night

Mostly Cloudy

Lo: 63


Cedar Creek Lake Water Level (last 30 days)


Water Level on 3/28: 322.37 (+0.37)



Cedar Creek Lake

Fishing Report from TPWD (Mar. 20)

EXCELLENT. Stained; 62 degrees; 0.08 feet below pool. The hybrid striped bass and white bass have recently been staging in the creek arms to spawn these past few weeks. Fish are now coming back into the main lake in droves to recover from the spawn and are on a feeding frenzy. Look for heavy bird activity throughout the lake on flats and near the dam on edges of drop offs especially on cloudy and overcast days. The bite will continue to get even better in these areas as the shad spawn will start to take place in the next 2-3 weeks across the lake. Retrieve shiny slabs or spinnerbaits off the bottom at a very slow retrieve to catch these fish in depths of 17-26 feet of water. The crappie bite has picked up in the creeks and inlets in 2-10 feet of water throughout the entire lake. We are now seeing the crappie migrate back into the main lake. Look for them under bridge pylons or under docks where the depths are between 4-10 feet. Guides have been reporting exceptionally nice catches on sunny warmer days. Report by Brent Herbeck, Herbeck’s Lonestar Fishing Guide Service.

More Fishing Reports