A Mormon church excommunicated Kate Kelly after she founded the women’s group Ordain Women, which seeks to put women in the priesthood.
ABC News reported that Kelly had been central in putting together protests in order to fight for women to have a larger role in the Mormon Church.
She fought to avoid excommunication, sending letters and photos of her life through the Church and she had over 1,000 letters from supporters.
The Associated Press reported that Kelly had been found guilty by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints of what is known as apostasy, in which people continue to advocate for matters of public issues that are opposite when it comes to the teachings that are in place by the church.
Kelly reportedly commented on the decision saying, “Today is a tragic day for my family and me as we process the many ways this will impact us, both in this life and in the eternities.”
While women have different kinds of positions in the church, they are not able to hold congregations. While officials in the Mormon faith have been open to discussing people’s questions, they do feel the actions taken by some members of the faith may lead to a contradiction when it comes to the teaching of the church doctrine.
A spokeswoman for the church, Ally Isom, said, “In the Church, we want everyone to feel welcome, safe and valued, and of course, there is room to ask questions. But how we ask is just as important as what we ask. We should not try to dictate to God what is right for his Church.”