Following a federal court's legalization of same-sex marriage in Alabama, a volunteer minister at a Southern Baptist church has begun performing gay weddings.
Meanwhile, in an apparent conflict with the federal government, the state judges responsible for issuing marriage licenses have denied them to gay couples in 12 counties. In 40 additional counties, probate judges stopped issuing marriage licenses altogether Feb. 9, when the federal court's ruling took effect.
The chief justice of Alabama's Supreme Court advised probate judges not to issue marriage licenses to gay couples, and Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley said no probate judge will be punished for failing to issue same-sex marriage licenses. Keep reading
In a denomination in which the local church is the final authority in ecclesiastical matters, the local church has the last word in who it ordains as a pastor. A local church may call a council of the pastors of the other churches in an area to examine a candidate for ordination and make its recommendations. The local church is not bound to accept the council’s recommendations. The churches whose pastors formed the council are also not bound to recognize the ordination if the local church ordains the candidate against the council’s recommendations. While the ordination of a woman pastor is unusual, it is not entirely unknown. Such an ordination is generally a strong indicator that the local church who ordained the woman pastor is a “progressive” or “liberal” church. Consequently the pastor of this particular church’s acceptance of gay marriage is not surprising nor is the woman pastor’s officiating at a same sex wedding ceremony. Whether the state Southern Baptist convention and area Southern Baptist association declares that they are no longer in fellowship with the church remains to be seen. This is what has happened elsewhere.
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