United Church of
Christ Backs Gay Marriage
By AP from the
NYTimes on the Web, July 5, 2005
ATLANTA -- The president of
the United Church of Christ said his denomination ''acted courageously to
declare freedom'' when it passed a resolution endorsing same-sex marriage on
Independence Day.
The resolution calls on member churches of the liberal denomination's 1.3
million members to consider wedding policies ''that do not discriminate against
couples based on gender.'' It also asks churches to consider supporting
legislation granting equal marriage rights to gay and lesbian couples and to
work against laws banning gay marriage.
The endorsement by the church's rule-making body Monday makes it the largest
Christian denomination to endorse same-sex marriage. The vote is not
binding on individual churches, but could cause some congregations to leave the
fold.
''On this July Fourth the General Synod of the United Church of Christ has acted
courageously to declare freedom, affirming marriage equality, affirming the
civil rights of same gender couples to have their relationships recognized as
marriages by the state, and encouraging our local churches to celebrate and
bless those marriages,'' said the Rev. John H. Thomas, president of the United
Church of Christ.
Roughly 80 percent of the representatives on the church's 884-member General
Synod voted to approve the resolution Monday, a day after a committee
recommended it.
A small group of conservative congregations had proposed an alternative
resolution defining marriage as between a man and a woman, and suggested that
supporting gay marriage could lead to the church's collapse.
The Rev. Brett Becker, who represents a group of more conservative churches,
said it is possible his congregation at St. Paul United Church of Christ in
Cibolo, Texas, will leave over the resolution.
''I would like to see us stay in the denomination and network for positive
change,'' Becker said. ''However, many of my members have expressed very
clearly that this decision would cause great consternation and that, if this
happened, they would want to see us leave.''
Formed in 1957 and traditionally strong in New England, the United Church of
Christ has a tradition of support for gays and lesbians. It is distinct
from the more conservative Churches of Christ, which has some 2 million members
in the U.S.
UCC churches are autonomous, meaning the General Synod does not create policy
for its more than 5,700 congregations.
In the early 1970s, the denomination became the first major Christian church to
ordain an openly gay minister. The church declared itself to be ''open and
affirming'' of gays and lesbians 20 years ago.
''This is a significant moment,'' said the Rev. Rebecca Voelkel, of Cleveland,
coordinator of a church coalition addressing gay and lesbian issues. She
said the decision emphasizes that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people
are ''spiritual people who love and are loved by God.''
But Becker does not think Monday's vote was representative of the wishes of most
church members.
''If we had put it to a vote of the people in the pews, it would have failed
overwhelmingly,'' he said. ''This is truly Independence Day for the UCC --
we have declared ourselves independent from the teachings of Jesus and the clear
teachings of Scripture.''
Homosexuality also has been a divisive issue for a number of other churches.
The Anglican Communion has been divided since its U.S. branch, the Episcopal
Church, consecrated an openly gay bishop in 2003. The United Methodist
Church is also debating a panel's decision to reinstate a gay minister who had
been defrocked.
This summer, a special task force of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is set to
finish its report about how to overcome severe disagreements on gay
relationships and other issues.
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