Excellent news
from the Episcopal Church:
Episcopalians voted overwhelmingly Wednesday to allow religious weddings for same-sex couples, solidifying the church's embrace of gay rights that began more than a decade ago with the pioneering election of the first openly gay bishop.
The vote came in Salt Lake City at the Episcopal General Convention, just days after the U.S. Supreme Court legalized gay marriage nationwide. It passed in the House of Deputies, the voting body of clergy and lay participants at the meeting. The House of Bishops had approved the resolution Tuesday by 129-26 with five abstaining.
This vote also nixes gender-specific language in marriage ceremonies according to church law. They will refer to the couple as "the couple" instead of "husband" and "wife." The changes kick in Nov. 29, the first Sunday of Advent this year.
Some clergy, like Rev. Jose Luis Mendoza-Barahona of Honduras, have voiced their disappointment with the Episcopal Church's new stance on gay marriage, vowing to fight the new rules. Clergy can also refuse to perform ceremonies. But to so many in the Church, this decision was huge.
The Rev. Bonnie Perry of Chicago, a lesbian married to a fellow Episcopal priest, hugged fellow supporters on Wednesday and said, "We're all included now."
"For the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in our congregations now know under the eyes of God and in every single state in this blessed country, they are welcome to receive all the sacraments," she said.
As a PK of an Episcopal priest, this decision makes me proud to have grown up in one of the more progressive Christian communities. Bravo to Episcopalians for being front and center in embracing the fact that gay marriage is now law of the land.