Openly gay reverend in Iowa City takes leave of absence

An openly gay reverend in Iowa City is taking a leave of absence indefinitely and says her heart is broken.

This is part of a resolution reached with the United Methodist Church's Iowa Conference Wednesday. This avoided a church trial over several complaints about Reverend Anna Blaedel and her sexuality.

Blaedel worked as the director of the University of Iowa's Wesley Center.

The Methodist Book of Discipline says a member of the congregation can be gay but reverends cannot.

In a statement, the reverend says she hoped for a different conclusion to the complaints, but she adds she is no longer willing to subject herself to what she calls this particular violence.