Last Friday, the Episcopal Church passed a resolution to protect the rights of gay couples who wish to marry.
At the triennial convention in Austin, Texas, the church’s House of Bishops and House of Deputies decided that couples had the right to marry, even if they are part of dioceses where local bishops object to same-sex marriage.
The Dallas Morning News reports that the debate over the expansion of marriage rights was like a “family argument” between Christian progressives and Christian traditionalists.
Dallas Bishop George Sumner says his diocese is more traditional. He said that if a gay couple wanted to marry, he would reach out to a neighboring bishop to oversee the ceremony and applauds the fact that the resolution gives him the freedom to do so.
On the other hand, progressive Episcopal’s are calling the resolution a positive towards inclusivity in the church.
“I think it’s a wonderful compromise, which respects the dignity of the bishop and his position, but still allows marriage for all in their home congregations,” Connally Davies Penley, a member of All Sacraments for All People, said in an interview with the Tennessean.
The new policy will begin on the first Sunday of Advent, Dec. 2.
By Keshia McEntire
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