An Indiana pastor who dressed up like a drag queen on a reality show last month has been “relieved of his duties” and will go through a process of “renewal, reflection, and recovery.” according to a report from CBN News.
Rev. Craig Duke served at Newburgh United Methodist Church (NUMC) near Evansville until Dec. 1, the church said in a statement to its congregation. Duke appeared on the HBO docuseries, We’re Here, which follows several drag queens as they visit small towns to recruit residents into participating in their shows.
During an interview with Religion News Service, the pastor explained that he anticipated a “challenging experience” at church following his performance on the show. The following is an expert of the statement made:
“Grace and peace to you in the name of Jesus Christ. I pray that your Thanksgiving observances were joyful, even though they come at a most challenging time in the life of your congregation. There has been a great deal of information circulating in recent weeks concerning the status of Rev. Craig Duke in the wake of his appearance on the HBO production “We’re Here.”
Much of
that information has been less than completely accurate. My hope is to clarify the situation as best I’m able. No single resolution will be satisfactory to all. I’ve received numerous calls and emails that are highly critical of Craig’s actions, and I’ve received numerous messages of support for him.
In such a polarized climate, our main intent is to foster an environment in which both NUMC and the Duke family can move forward in grace. Rev. Duke is being relieved from pastoral duties effective December 1, 2021. He will not be available to perform any pastoral functions at NUMC. He and Linda will continue to reside in the parsonage until no later than February 28, 2022, but he will not be at the church in any capacity.
Rev. Mark Dicken will serve as interim pastor, with full pastoral authority, until a full appointment is made. Rev. Dicken’s compensation will be provided by funding from the Southwest District. Rev. Duke will continue with a significantly reduced salary until no later than February 28. This will, of course, pose a huge challenge for Craig and Linda. Craig has not “resigned,” nor has he been “fired,” as these are not actions that are consistent with our appointment system.
While there is a diversity of opinion regarding the moral implications of Rev. Duke’s actions, he has not been found to have committed any chargeable offense or other violation of the United Methodist Book of Discipline. In short, Craig has reached a place where he feels unable to continue to serve in parish ministry at present.
During his time of being relieved from pastoral duties, he will be engaging in a process of renewal, reflection, and recovery that will be monitored by our conference Director of Leadership Development, Bishop Trimble, and myself. Our desire is to provide an opportunity for Craig to again be able to utilize his numerous gifts as a pastor in a local congregation. He will not, however, be returning to the NUMC pulpit”. You can view the full statement HERE.
Religious News Service stated: “Clearly, there were folks that were more displeased with my participation than I was aware of, or, at least, the group that was unhappy continued to work together,” he said. ’The emails from congregants began not long after Duke’s episode of “We’re Here” aired on Nov. 8, the pastor said.
The show follows renowned drag artists Eureka O’Hara, Shangela, and Bob the Drag Queen as they travel to small cities and towns across the United States, transforming locals into drag queens.
Duke accepted an invitation to appear in an episode filmed in the Evansville area because he said he wanted to better empathize with LGBTQ people in his community and to express support for his daughter, who recently came out as pansexual.
Some of the messages the pastor received were positive. Enough was so negative that — at the “insistence” of Newburgh’s Staff-Parish Relations Committee, Duke said — he requested a new assignment from Bishop Julius C. Trimble of the Indiana Conference of the United Methodist Church.
