A United Methodist pastor in Pennsylvania who officiated his son's gay wedding in 2007 has been suspended from his duties for 30 days.

The Washington Post is reporting that Frank Schaefer was convicted of breaking church law when he officiated over his son's wedding. In addition to the charges and suspension, his church has ordered him to surrender his ministerial credentials completely if he "cannot adhere to the Church's Book of Discipline" within those 30 days of his suspension.

Despite the threat of losing his pastoral title, Schaefer says that he has no intentions of giving up the fight for gay and lesbian equality, both in American society and the Church. “I feel I have to be an advocate, an outspoken advocate for all lesbian, gay, transgender and bisexual people," Schaefer told NBC News. "The church needs to stop judging people based on their sexual orientation. We have to stop with the hate speech. We have to stop treating them as second-class Christians. I will never be silent again. This is what I have to do."

Although the United Methodist church accepts gays and lesbians into the church to worship, it rejects homosexuality on the basis that it is "incompatible with Christian teaching." While the minister initially claimed that he officiated over his son, Tim's, wedding out of love, his testimony yesterday indicated that his purposes were much greater. “I have to minister to those who hurt, and that’s what I’m doing,” Schaefer said. When demanded by the church jury to "repent" his "sins," Schaefer simply replied, "I cannot."

Jon Boger, the naval officer who filed the initial complaint against Schaefer, said he was "outraged" at the pastor's refusal to repent. “Frank Schaefer sat here and openly rebuked the United Methodist Church, its policies, standards and doctrines,” he said. “He should no longer be in service as a minister of the United Methodist Church, not at Iona [in Lebanon, PA], not anywhere else.”