Founder of activist group Ordain Women is barred from services 'for conduct contrary to laws and order of the church'

The Mormon church has excommunicated an activist on charges of apostasy in response to her advocacy for women’s ordination within the church.

Kate Kelly, a founder of the group Ordain Women, was told Monday of the decision after a disciplinary trial by leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS). She received an email from her former ecclesiastical leader, Bishop Mark Harrison in Virginia, saying she was convicted in apostasy – the most serious punishment a church court can administer to members.



Harrison said in the email verdict that Kelly, an international human rights lawyer who now lives in Utah, was being excommunicated “for conduct contrary to the laws and order of the church”. This means she cannot participate in church proceedings such as taking the sacrament, speaking at church or offer public prayer at a church meeting.

"Harrison said in the email verdict that Kelly, an international human rights lawyer who now lives in Utah,



“These conditions almost always last at least one year,” Harrison said in the email. “If you show true repentance and satisfy the conditions imposed below while you are no longer a member, you may be readmitted by baptism and confirmation.”

She could be re-baptised in the church, provided she abides by certain conditions, Bishop Harrison said in the email.

"In order to be considered for readmission to the church, you will need to demonstrate over a period of time that you have stopped teachings and actions that undermine the church, its leaders, and the doctrine of the priesthood. You must be truthful in your communications with others regarding matters that involve your priesthood leaders, including the administration of church discipline, and you must stop trying to gain a following for yourself or your cause and taking actions that could lead others away from the church."

Kelly was contacting family and friends about the decision on Monday evening.

"The decision to force me outside my congregation and community is exceptionally painful,” she said in a statement. “Today is a tragic day for my family and me as we process the many ways this will impact us, both in this life and in the eternities. I love the gospel and the courage of its people. Don’t leave. Stay, and make things better."

Earlier this month, church leaders summoned Kelly to a disciplinary trial set for 22 June. She was tried in absentia by an all-male panel of three judges. To defend her case, she sent a letter to the panel along with about 1,000 letters from supporters.

“There are a lot of Mormons who have a lot of opinion, from the ridiculous to the sublime, and they’re expressed every Sunday in church, but this is different,” Kathleen Flake, a professor of religious studies at the University of Virginia, told The Guardian.



“The point is they have excommunicated her for apostasy, which means she is engaging and advocating and then organizing others to act and speak contrary to the doctrines of the church,” said Flake, who is a member of the Mormon church.



“In a church that considers itself as a family, this is a sad day for everyone,” Flake said. “I don’t think there is anyone who feels good about this day, from top to bottom.”



Church leaders had also put Kelly on informal probation for activities related to Ordain Women in May, according to a letter obtained by the Salt Lake Tribune.



She is one of two prominent Mormon activists facing apostasy charges. The other, John Dehlin, operates several popular blogs and podcasts that question LDS policies, including the church’s stance on gay members – which says gay members are allowed, as long as they don’t act on their feelings.



These are the most high-profile church excommunications since a one month period in 1993, when a group known as the September Six were tried for questioning church doctrine and its leadership. Five of the six people were excommunicated and one person was disfellowshipped, a lesser penalty that allows the person to remain a member of the church but with restricted membership.



The Mormon church declined to comment except to urge Kelly to publish its letter to her in full. The Cultural Hall, a Mormon podcast, obtained a copy of the letter and posted it online (pdf).

