Former New Jersey governor's path to Episcopal priesthood has been put on hold indefinitely:
The church, which accepts gays and women into the clergy, wants McGreevey to wait so he can put more distance between his possible ordination and the fairly recent turmoil in his life: his coming out in a nationally televised speech, his resignation and a messy divorce from his wife, Dina Matos, in 2008.As a fellow Episcopalian, I can see why the church would want him to get some distance between his very public and controversial personal ordeals and now his faith journey towards becoming a priest. That said, I also think there might be a strong potential for him to make an excellent priest because of his particular story and faith journey.
The Rev. William Sachs, director of the Center for Interfaith Reconciliation in Richmond, Va., said it's "not unusual" for people to be deferred. Sachs said church officials would be interested in how someone with McGreevey's baggage would handle the ministry.
"How would he apply what he's learned to his ministry? Does he translate from being the person he was in the political realm to being in ordained ministry," Sachs asked. "It doesn't surprise me there would be an instinct to defer."
