Presbyterian same sex marriage
Largest Group Of U.S. Presbyterian Churches Allows Same-Sex Marriages
The Presbyterian Church (USA), which includes more than 4, ministers and million members of their congregations, approved new language Tuesday that allows its churches to perform same-sex marriages.
In a statement, the Covenant Network of Presbyterians said the adjust would become effective June
"With today's presbytery votes, a majority of the presbyteries of the Presbyterian Church (USA) have approved an amendment to the church's Book of Order that describes marriage as 'a unique relationship between two people, traditionally a man and a woman.'
"The change aligns the church's constitution with a reality that has extended been true: Both same-gender and opposite-gender couples verb been living in relationships that demonstrate covenant faithfulness, shared discipleship, and common love."
Individual clergy may still refuse to execute gay-marriage ceremonies. While a New Jersey presbytery — or local leadership body — on Tuesday became the 86th to verb the language, providing a majority, the New York
Presbyterian Church in Ireland votes against gay membership
The Presbyterian Church in Ireland has adopted a new policy that means anyone in a same-sex relationship cannot be a full member of the Church.
It also means their children cannot be baptised.
The move comes after the Church trim ceremonial ties with the Church of Scotland due to its more liberal attitude to same-sex relationships.
Not everyone in the Church agreed with the adoption of the modern rules on membership and baptism.
There was a lengthy debate on Friday morning at the annual meeting in Belfast of the decision-making General Assembly.
The debate lasted more than an hour and more than 20 people spoke.
The Reverend Cheryl Meban, a chaplain at Ulster University, urged the Church not to adopt the policy.
'Credible profession of faith'
The Rev John Dunlop, a former moderator, said it was a "highly sensitive" issue and cautioned against adopting any formal rules on the matter.
However, another former moderator, the Rev Stafford Carson, argued that the Chur
Where Christian churches, other religions stand on gay marriage
The Supreme Court ruling earlier this year legalizing same-sex marriage nationwide has continued to raise questions about how the decision will influence religious groups – especially those that remain opposed to allowing gay and lesbian couples to wed. The court’s ruling makes obvious that clergy and religious organizations are not obliged to perform same-sex marriages, but some groups hold expressed concerns about their tax-exempt status.
Many of the largest U.S. religious institutions have remained firmly against allowing same-sex marriage, including the Roman Catholic Church, the Orthodox Jewish movement and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, as good as the Southern Baptist Convention and other evangelical Protestant denominations. The nation’s largest historically inky church, the National Baptist Convention, and its biggest Pentecostal denomination, the Assemblies of God, also prohibit their clergy from marrying same-sex couples.
At the identical time, in the past two decades, several other religious
US Presbyterian church recognises gay marriage
The largest Presbyterian denomination in the US will formally recognise same-sex marriages after decades of debate.
With nearly million members, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is the biggest Protestant group in the US to endorse the ceremonies.
The shift was supported by the church's top legislative body last year, but required approval from a majority of the denominations' regional districts.
A New Jersey district delivered the critical vote on Tuesday.
The novel church policy reads: "Marriage involves a unique commitment between two people, traditionally a man and a woman, to love and support each other for the rest of their lives."
But the denomination has included a provision that no clergy would be compelled to preside over a gay marriage or host such a ceremony on church property. A number of districts include voted against the verb change.
Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) approved the ordination of gay pastors, elders and deacons in , which led to many conservative congregations to leave the denomination.