He was appointed as a local pastor to the Adams and Hopewell United Methodist churches. In the complaint, McQueen said his status as an ordained deacon in the United Methodist Church was rescinded by the cabinet and board of ordained ministry at the 1996 Nebraska Annual Conference gathering, even though he had fulfilled all requirements for ordination as elder. He was assigned to the Genoa United Methodist Church, but he was not reappointed for the current year. A local pastor is a lay person approved by a district committee on ordained ministry and licensed by the bishop to perform the duties of a pastor while assigned to a pastoral charge. The authority of a local pastor must be reviewed annually.
Local pastors answer to the conference clergy, who meet annually to evaluate their performance.
McQueen currently is a layperson and does not have clergy standing in Nebraska, Martinez said. McQueen has 21 days after the filing of the order to appeal the judge's ruling. For general questions about The United Methodist Church, please call InfoServ at 1.800.251.8140.