B.C. tenants evicted for landlord's use after refusing large rent increase to take over neighbouring suite
Ashley Dickey and her mother rented part of the same Coquitlam duplex in three different decades under three different landlords.
The Rev. Craig Duke has been a Methodist minister for three decades, building a reputation as a staunch advocate of LGBTQ inclusion. His pastoral duties have now been terminated -- the result of a bitter rift surfacing in his Indiana church after he sought to demonstrate solidarity by appearing in drag alongside prominent drag queens in the HBO reality series "We're Here."
Duke, 62, said he thought most of his 400-member congregation at Newburgh United Methodist Church shared his inclusive views, and he was taken aback when a prominent congregation member, soon backed by other churchgoers, circulated emails attacking him.
"You have thrown NUMC under the bus to elevate a minority of individuals," said one of the emails. Another, according to Duke, said Satan must be pleased with the discord over LGBTQ rights.
Duke, who declined to identify his chief critics, told The Associated Press that the attacks "felt very personal," causing him to worry about his mental health.
"It was a matter of sadness and disappointment and heartbreak on my part ... realizing I was losing the ability to lead," he said.
Under United Methodist Church protocol, a pastor does not have the option of resigning, but Duke said he made clear to his immediate superior, regional superintendent Mitch Gieselman, that he needed to step away.
On Nov. 26, Gieselman -- who had been hearing from the pastor's critics and supporters -- sent a letter to the NUMC congregation announcing that Duke "is being relieved of his pastoral duties."
Through the next three months, Duke said he and his wife will be allowed to continue living in the NUMC parsonage, while he incurs a 40% pay cut. They must relocate no later than Feb. 28, when his pay will be halted, Gieselman said.
While Gieselman noted in his letter than Duke's actions had "polarized" the congregation, he said none of those actions constituted formal violations of UMC's Book of Discipline, which functions as a legal code for Methodist clergy.
"I was bullied out," Duke said.
The episode of "We're Here" featuring Duke -- at one point shown in a dress, high-heeled boots, a pink wig and heavy make-up -- was taped in July but did not air until Nov. 8.
Duke was invited to participate in the show by an LGBTQ Pride group in nearby Evansville and accepted in part to show support for his 23-year-old daughter, Tiffany, who identifies as pansexual.
The premise of "We're Here," an Emmy-nominated series now in its second season, is that three renowned drag performers travel to towns and small cities across the U.S., recruiting a few locals to join them as drag queens.
Even before the episode was broadcast, some congregation members complained that Duke hadn't given them advance notice of his decision to be in the show, which included scenes filmed at the church. In response, Duke wrote to the congregation in August, saying he was sorry that trust in his leadership had been damaged.
But he defended his motives, saying, "I was willing and excited to share God's love with the LGBTQ community on a national level."
Any hope that conflict would subside vanished in mid-November when the emails attacking him began to circulate.
The rift within Duke's congregation reflects broader divisions within the United Methodist Church, the largest mainline Protestant denomination in the United States.
Conservative leaders in the UMC have unveiled plans to form a new denomination, the Global Methodist Church, with a doctrine that does not recognize same-sex marriage. The move could hasten the long-expected breakup of the UMC over differing approaches to LGBTQ inclusion, including whether LGBTQ people should be ordained as clergy.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the UMC's General Conference -- at which the schism would be debated -- has been postponed for two consecutive years and is now scheduled for August 2022 in Minneapolis.
According to Duke, one of the reasons he was invited to appear on "We're Here" was because of the divisions in both his own church and the UMC.
"My only hope and goal was and is to bring the message of God's unconditional love to a community that has been greatly marginalized," Duke wrote to his congregation.
The decision to terminate Duke's duties already has had ripple effects. His wife, Linda, who was pastor of youth ministry, resigned. So did church administrative assistant Erin Sexton, who along with her husband, Chris, organized a GoFundMe campaign to help the Dukes.
As of Wednesday morning, more than $52,000 had been pledged by more than 900 people, scores of whom added comments thanking Duke for his LGBTQ advocacy.
Chris Sexton said he had been a member of Newburgh United Methodist since childhood and described Duke as "one of the most captivating and genuine" of the many pastors who served over the years. But the Sextons said many congregants shied away from the conflict over "We're Here," allowing Duke's critics to dominate the debate.
Duke is unsure what his next step will be, though he doesn't plan to return to pastoring. One possibility, he said, would be for him and his wife to establish "an inclusive camp" for youths and young adults.
"My heart is moving in a new direction," he said. "There are so many people who have been hurt by religion, felt rejection, who are reaching out, who are hopeful this will spark me to do something different on their behalf."
Ashley Dickey and her mother rented part of the same Coquitlam duplex in three different decades under three different landlords.
A man who fell into a crevasse while leading a backcountry ski group deep in the Canadian Rockies has died.
A new survey by Dalhousie University's Agri-Food Analytics Lab asked Canadians about their food consumption habits amid rising prices.
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment which has been banned at Queen’s Park.
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
As Donald Trump was running for president in 2016, his old friend at the National Enquirer was scooping up potentially damaging stories about the candidate and paying out tens of thousands of dollars to keep them from the public eye.
After Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the federal government would still send Canada Carbon Rebate cheques to Saskatchewan residents, despite Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe's decision to stop collecting the carbon tax on natural gas or home heating, questions were raised about whether other provinces would follow suit. CTV News reached out across the country and here's what we found out.
A Montreal actress, who has previously detailed incidents she had with disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, says a New York Court of Appeals decision overturning his 2020 rape conviction is 'discouraging' but not surprising.
Caleb Williams is heading to the Windy City, aiming to become the franchise quarterback Chicago has sought for decades.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
A property tax bill is perplexing a small townhouse community in Fergus, Ont.
When identical twin sisters Kim and Michelle Krezonoski were invited to compete against some of the world’s most elite female runners at last week’s Boston Marathon, they were in disbelief.
The giant stone statues guarding the Lions Gate Bridge have been dressed in custom Vancouver Canucks jerseys as the NHL playoffs get underway.
A local Oilers fan is hoping to see his team cut through the postseason, so he can cut his hair.
A family from Laval, Que. is looking for answers... and their father's body. He died on vacation in Cuba and authorities sent someone else's body back to Canada.
A former educational assistant is calling attention to the rising violence in Alberta's classrooms.
The federal government says its plan to increase taxes on capital gains is aimed at wealthy Canadians to achieve “tax fairness.”
At 6'8" and 350 pounds, there is nothing typical about UBC offensive lineman Giovanni Manu, who was born in Tonga and went to high school in Pitt Meadows.