Metro

Church Breaks Away Over Gay Marriage

The United Church of Christ's endorsement of same-sex marriage has prompted the Suffolk Christian Church in southeastern Virginia to split with the national group.

The Rev. Michael D. Halley, minister of the 145-year-old church, said more than two-thirds of his congregation supported leaving the 1.3 million-member denomination. Halley said the synod's decision led some congregants to conclude that their values diverged from the UCC's.

The action was in response to the vote by the UCC's General Synod, a biennial meeting of delegates from member churches, affirming "equal marriage rights for couples regardless of gender."

Congregations also were asked to oppose campaigns that advocate constitutional amendments to limit marriage according to sex. Virginia is among the states with such a campaign.

As many as 25 congregations within the UCC's Southern Conference, which includes eastern Virginia and all of North Carolina, have left since the vote, said the Rev. Stephen Camp, the conference's administrator. The synod's action made the church the first major Christian denomination to endorse gay marriage.

Report Criticizes Center for Retarded

The Central Virginia Training Center in Lynchburg relies too heavily on mechanical restraints and medication to manage its mentally retarded residents, a report by an oversight agency concludes.

The center, Virginia's largest and oldest institution for the mentally retarded, does not have the staff to shield patients from harm, according to the report by the Virginia Office for Protection and Advocacy.

"The nature and frequency of injuries sustained due to challenging behaviors supports the conclusion that behavior support services are inadequate, placing individuals at significant risk of bodily harm," V. Colleen Miller, executive director of the watchdog agency, said in a letter delivered last month to the state commissioner of mental health, mental retardation and substance abuse services. The findings were first reported by the Richmond Times-Dispatch.

James S. Reinhard, the state commissioner responsible for the institution, and other Virginia officials said they had not seen the report on which Miller's letter was based.

MARYLAND

FBI Faulted on Luna Death Investigation

A report by the inspector general's office of the Justice Department details "credible evidence of serious misconduct" by FBI agents investigating the death of federal prosecutor Jonathan P. Luna more than two years ago.

The report does not accuse the FBI of bungling the investigation to the point that the probe into Luna's death was compromised. But it faults FBI agents for the way they questioned one of their own about rumors of an affair between the female agent and Luna.