Can I ever get rid of this rumor?!?!?

I doubt it. Not in todays climate of paranoia. But try to remember that the priest isn't saying he believes the rumors. At least I don't think he is. He's just covering his and the church's butt. It has more to do with liability than what people really think of you as a person. Anytime there are any rumors, claims, inuendoes, even if they are totally unsubstantiated, no one wants to take a chance.

The decision you will have to make is if you value this particular church enough to stay there knowing that you will probably never be trusted around kids. I was faced with a similar choice many years ago. During some hard times, I trusted a good friend of mine with my secret of being a BL. I was needing support. He couldn't handle it at the time and "confided" in our pastor. Although I felt hurt and betrayed, I had a talk with the pastor to see where he stood on the matter. He was kind and as supportive as he could be considering he had never dealt with a BLer before, but I was left with the impression that even though he wasn't going to make it public knowledge, it would never be the same again. Any interaction with kids, regardless of how public, would be looked at with suspicion by this pastor. So I felt it was time to leave. Even though I had been one of the founding members of this church, I left it behind. You may have to do the same.

Dakota