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Press

Highlights

Emotionally powerful and ultimately uplifting, this film follows the travails of Pennsylvania minister Frank Schaefer, who gets into trouble with the United Methodist Church when he officiates the wedding of his gay son. Director Scott Sheppard presents a lovely portrait of a family and sensitively explores the concerns of a mainstream church struggling to deal with cultural shifts. It’s compelling from beginning to end."

The story drew national attention and resulted in a massive trial for the faith leader that eventually led to his "refrocking" -- but not without an immense amount of controversy throughout the whole ordeal.

Now, a film documenting Schaefer's journey called An Act Of Love is being released and the public will be able to see Schaefer's story in full for the first time."

James Michael Nichols

'The United Methodist Church is the second largest protestant denomination in the country and it’s still sharply divided on the issues of accepting the LGBT community,' said Manning. 'Although we have made strides in the LGBT community, for full equality, I do think that we still have a ways to go.' The team of “An Act of Love” plans to bridge that distance by presenting a story with which everyone can relate."

Beatrice Verhoeven

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  • "'Act of Love' Shows Pastor's Struggle With Church Over His Gay Son" Lansing State Journal

  • "Rev. Frank Schaefer is the focus of the documentary, 'An Act of Love'" Talent Monthly Magazine

  • VIDEO: Discussing "An Act Of Love" Inside The Documentary

  • "An Act of Love: Frank Schaefer, United Methodists and Homosexuality" Patheos

  • "Methodist Minister Thrown Out of Church for Officiating Gay Son's Wedding" OUT

  • VIDEO: "This Minister Defied His Church to Perform Son's Wedding" The Advocate

  • Bentonville Film Festival Focus - "An Act of Love" We Are Moving Stories

  • VIDEO: "Documentary made about pastor defrocked after officiating same-sex wedding" NBC WGAL 8

  • "Documentary examines Methodist Church's divide on homosexuality" Lancaster Online

  • VIDEO: "An Act of Love" Filmmakers Interviewed on USC's The Morning Brew (begins at 18:00)

  • "How Minister's 'Act of Love' Became an LGBT Symbol" Philadelphia Inquirer

  • "A Father's Love" Dallas Voice

  • "From The Altar To The Silver Screen" Philadelphia Gay News

  • "Refrocked and Ready: Franklyn Schaefer, LGBTQ Faith Hero" Huffington Post

  • "Documentary follows church’s fight over same-sex equality" Colorado Independent

  • "Defrocked Methodist Minister Subject of New Documentary" The Advocate

  • "Methodist Minister, Removed Over Same-Sex Wedding, Is Reinstated" The Advocate

  • "Pastor defrocked over gay wedding is reinstated" Associated Press

  • "Meet the pastor who was defrocked for officiating his son's gay wedding" Al Jazeera America

  • "An Act of Love: A Documentary Inspired by Rev. Frank Schaefer" Believe Out Loud

  • "Among Methodists, schism over gay rites" The Boston Globe

  • VIDEO: "Defrocked Methodist pastor speaks" CNN

  • VIDEO: "Methodist pastor who officiated son's same-sex wedding is reinstated" CNN

  • "Pauley Perrette helps create documentary about Rev. Frank Schaefer" GLAAD

  • VIDEO: "Pastor Under Fire for Officiating Gay Son's Wedding" Good Morning America

  • "Kate Logan's 'An Act of Love' Tells Story of United Methodist Minister Frank Schaefer" The Huffington Post

  • "United Methodist Church Makes Small Step Toward Accepting Same Sex Marriage" The Huffington Post

  • "Top United Methodist Church Court Supports Rev. Frank Schaefer's 'Refrocking'" The Huffington Post/AP

  • "Methodist minister defrocked after officiating at son's gay marriage" Los Angeles Times

  • "Defrocked Pastor Defends Gay Rights at New Pulpit" Los Angeles Times

  • VIDEO: "Methodist pastor 'refrocked' after performing gay son's wedding" MSNBC

  • VIDEO: "'Refrocked' pastor: I will not be afraid again to speak out" MSNBC

  • "Methodists Reinstate Pastor, Deepening Church's Rift Over Gays" New York Times

  • "Four Key Questions to Defrocked Pastor Frank Schaefer about LGBTQ's and the Church" Progressive Chrisianity

  • "Ire, joy follow resolution of bishop complaint" United Methodist News

  • "Pastor's defrocking over son's gay wedding overturned" USA Today

  • "Pastor Frank Schaefer never expected to speak for gay rights. His son's gay wedding changed everything." The Washington Post

  • "Pastor Led Son’s Gay Wedding, Revealing Fault Line in Church" New York Times

  • "A Pastor, his son, and the test of gay marriage" Worcester Telegram

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