Scottish Episcopal Church votes to allow gay marriage

The Scottish Episcopal Church voted today to allow clergy to marry same-sex couples, the first Anglican branch in Britain to permit gay marriage. Church members voted to remove the doctrinal clause describing marriage as a “union of one man and one woman,” putting the Scottish Church at odds with the official stance of the Anglican Communion. The decision required the backing of at least two-thirds of each house of bishops, clergy, and laity at the annual synod meeting in Edinburgh. Opponents of the decision announced they will appoint a missionary bishop “to serve the needs of those who oppose gay marriage,” according to the BBC. At last year’s synod, church members agreed to send the issue for discussion to the seven dioceses of the Scottish Episcopal Church. Six of them voted in favor of amending the law.

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