Former Ferndale LGBT-Community Church Pastor Died of Organ Failure

The Rev. Mark Bidwell, former pastor of the Metropolitan Community Church of Detroit in Ferndale, an LGBT-community church, died of organ failure Tuesday afternoon, Bidwell's daughter, Amy Dooley, 29, told the Daily Tribune.

The church announced the news via its website and Facebook page Tuesday.

Bidwell, 53, had resigned from the church  after a  that resulted in the death of a 43-year-old man in Bidwell's Ferndale home of what police said was a drug overdose. At the time, Bidwell was also a Ferndale police chaplain. The scandal resulted in his termination at that position.

“We are deeply saddened whenever drug addiction impacts an individual or community,” the Rev. Nancy Wilson, moderator of the Metropolitan Community Church, said in a news release in September. “No community across this country is immune from the scourge of illegal drugs, but when it hits close to home, we are reminded of the commitment we have to teach people about the harms of drug abuse and to be a place of spiritual healing for those who are recovering.”

Metropolitan Community Church of Detroit licenses a space from the  in Ferndale.

Funeral services are set for Saturday at , 1368 N. Crooks Rd., in Clawson. Visitation is set for noon-2 p.m. with the service at 2 p.m.