In Pennsylvania, officials with the United Methodist Church have defrocked a pastor who officiated at his son’s marriage to another man. Frank Schaefer had told officials he could not uphold church teachings that he viewed as biased. He responded to Thursday’s decision at a news conference.

Rev. Frank Schaefer: “As you can tell, I’m visibly shaken. I guess when I went into the hearing this morning with the Board of Ordained Ministry, I was hopeful that it wouldn’t come to what it has come to: my defrockment. I am a very positive person, I’m an optimist. You could say I always look at the glass half full. And I said to myself, you know, I just can’t see them take my credentials. I mean, what I did was an act of love for my son. And they did anyhow.”