Love is love! Local church votes in favour of same-sex marriages

A LOCAL church has voted overwhelmingly to endorse same-sex marriages. 

Wesley Methodist Church Welcomes same sex Marriages – L to R Rev Tina Swire, Ray Warren, Jean Fraser, Ruth Jones, Doreen Hillier and Rev Jill Warren.

The move, by Frome Wesley Methodist Church, means that same-sex couples in Frome can now have their marriage ceremony in a place of religious worship. 

“The Methodist Church has voted to endorse same sex marriage,” said Rev. Tina Swire, who is the Superintendent Minister for the Somerset Mendip Methodist Circuit. “At a local level, each church has to decide if this is something they would consider. 

“We at Frome Wesley Methodist Church, have voted, overwhelmingly, to say yes. We believe that we are all created in the very image of God and are rich in our diversity.  

“Going forward, we hope that all people will see that God’s love is inclusive and that our church is open to all.” 

Same-sex marriages were made legal in England, Wales and Scotland in 2014. However, the laws introduced allowed for religious organisations to opt-in or opt-out to conducting marriages for same-sex couples. The law also protected the Church of England’s right to not hold same-sex ceremonies, protecting them from any legal challenges under the Equality Act. 

The decision by the Methodist Church, makes them the largest religious denomination in Britain to permit same-sex marriages.