Few Churches Onboard With Performing Same-Sex Marriages

From Minnesota-

With gay marriage signed into law, the attention now turns to its implementation.

The option for churches to turn away gay couples is written clearly into the law, and it appears to be an important component, at least for Mankato churches.

Of those we spoke with, only St. John's Episcopal Church on Warren Street said they would be performing same-sex marriages.

The Reverend Paul Rider says, "They would need to come and talk to me, establish a relationship with both me and the congregation, which isn't that hard to do, we're a pretty welcoming and open congregation. And then we need to begin the process of pre-marital counseling which typically lasts six sessions."

Episcopalian churches are one of the few denominations to allow gay marriages.

The others are the Evangelical Lutherans, and United Church of Christ.

First Congregational UCC leaders were unavailable to comment, but we did speak to ELCA churches, who said they have yet to have a conversation with their members about whether a ceremony could take place at their church.

And still other congregations in town had support for gay marriage from both its members and the clergy, though not from the denomination as a whole... a subject on which they hope to have a continuing conversation.

Leaving just St. John's.

Rider says, "I believe that expanding it to same-sex couples says that God's love is inclusive of all people. The love that exists between two people in a covenanted sacramental relationship is one which God, I believe, has made holy and is showing signs of Christ's love for the whole world."

More here-

http://www.keyc.tv/story/22252786/few-churches-onboard-with-performing-same-sex-marriages