Church in Wales passes vote to allow same-sex couples to have marriages blessed
But same sex couples still won't be able to be officially married by the Church of Wales
By Corrie David
https://www.walesonline.co.uk/
9/8/2021
The Church in Wales has voted to introduce same-sex marriage blessings for the first time.
The news was confirmed by the Church in Wales ' social media accounts, which said: "A Bill to authorise a service for blessing for same-sex partnerships is passed by the Church's Governing Body today."
The bill was voted in during the governing body's meeting held on Monday, September 6.
The meeting of the governing body took place over eight hours and was streamed live on Youtube.
After hours of debate, those attending were invited to vote on the matter.
The voting was split into three houses, with a two-thirds majority needed in each house to pass the bill.
The vote was passed as followed:
House of Laity
For: 49
Against: 10
Abstained :1
House of Clergy
For: 28
Against 12
Abstained 2
House of Bishops
For: 4
Against: 0
Abstained: 0
Senior Bishop of the Church in Wales, Bishop Andy John confirmed the passing of the bill following the vote.
He said: "I'm able therefore to confirm that having received two third's majority in all three houses that the bill is passed.
The governing body was then invited to stand as the Bill was passed.
Senior Bishop John formally passed the bill, through a statement: "I hereby promulgate this bill as a canon of the Church in Wales and it shall henceforth be a law of the Church in Wales and binding on all members thereof."
While same-sex marriages are still not yet able to take place in the Church in Wales, it shows a shift in the Church's opinion.
In 2015, a secret ballot was held to vote on the matter, giving the body the chance to vote a) in favour of same-sex marriage, b) in favour of same-sex blessings, or c) no change.
Members of the Church in Wales Governing Body voted 61 in favour of gay marriages in church, nine in favour of blessing gay partnerships and 50 for making no change.
While it was a step, the results were considered too narrow to get the required two-thirds majority, until now.
It will still be down to individual clergy whether or not they conduct a blessing, however, John Gillibrand of the parish of Pontarddulais has been one of the first to confirm his support
And Bishops of CiW said the bill was a "step on the way towards repentance of a history in the Church which has demonised and persecuted gay and lesbian people, forcing them into fear, dishonesty and sometimes even hypocrisy".
Jayne Ozanne, a prominent campaigner for LGBT+ equality in the Church of England, said she was thrilled by the vote, adding: "I yearn for the day when the Church of England has the courage to make the same step."
Same-sex marriage is still forbidden in the Church of England and the Roman Catholic church, but permitted by Quakers in Britain, the General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches, the Scottish Episcopal church and United Reformed Church.
In July, The Methodist Church became the largest religious denomination in the UK to allow same-sex marriages.
END