BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Bishop Kee Sloan, the leader of the Episcopal Diocese in Alabama, celebrated Thursday that churches of his denomination will now allow same-sex weddings to be performed.
The Episcopal Church voted Wednesday to allow such ceremonies beginning November 29th of this year, adding a “gender neutral” liturgy to accompany the change.
“Our policy has been for us to find a way for parishes and priests who see this as an extension of the grace of God and the church to bless a union of two people who love each other,” Sloan told AL.com.
The Bishop stressed that no clergy will be forced to perform same-sex marriages, or be reprimanded if they decide to refrain. “No one will have to do this; we won’t make them, or think less of them if they don’t,” said Sloan.
Some churches in Alabama are delighted,” Sloan remarked. “Some are concerned that this is not what scripture teaches and not the tradition of the church. We are not of one mind. We have done a remarkable job of loving each other and carrying on the work of the church.”
“It’s certainly a recognition of the values I think the church has held for a long time,” he said. “Our job as the church is to go out and find the people who have been excluded, pushed out, and invite them to come join us.”
The Episcopal church is the third mainline protestant denomination to announce they will perform same-sex weddings, the United Church of Christ and the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) have also announced they will, and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America lets individual congregations decide.
Some Episcopal priests have spoken out since the vote yesterday, voicing their concern that the move will cause a schism in the centuries-old church.
“The fight has not ended, it’s starting,” said Rev. Jose Luis Mendoza-Barahona of Honduras in an impassioned speech at the denomination’s conference this week. “Those of us in the church who are loyal followers of Christ are going to remain firm in not recognizing what happened today.”
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— Elizabeth BeShears (@LizEBeesh) January 21, 2015
