Marriage of Same-Sex Couples

[21 October 2016: for immediate release]

Wimbledon church to register for Same Sex Marriage

Members of Trinity United Reformed Church in Wimbledon have voted to open the doors for the marriage of same-sex couples in their church.

Following discussion and prayerful reflection over a period of months, a special church meeting was held on 4 October. Members of the church on Mansel Road were brought up-to-speed on the laws and regulations relating to marriage, then spent time listening carefully to one another’s views before taking the landmark vote.

Commenting after the meeting, Trinity’s minister Revd Dominic Grant said:

“This has been an important decision for our church, and for Wimbledon as a whole.

“Trinity encompasses a range of cultures, opinions, and orientations – just like our town. At our church meeting we heard from people with quite different beliefs about marriage; everyone was listened to with warm respect, and with a determination to prove that as a community we can stay united even when we’re not unanimous.

“Our approach with wedding enquiries has always been to meet with the couple so that we can determine together whether marriage in church is the right option for them. Now we look forward to offering same-sex couples the same possibility of making their marriage vows, before God and among family and friends, right here in Wimbledon.”

[Ends]

Notes for Editors:

• The national United Reformed Church (URC) General Assembly agreed on 9 July 2016 that each of the denomination’s 1400 local churches has the legal authority to decide whether to offer marriage services for couples of the same sex. It thus became the largest UK denomination to freely permit the celebration of same-sex marriages in its churches.
• Trinity URC Wimbledon is at present the only United Reformed Church in the London Borough of Merton.
• It is anticipated that Trinity’s registration for the solemnization of same-sex marriages will be completed before the end of 2016, enabling such marriage ceremonies to take place from the beginning of 2017.

Enquiries: Revd Dominic Grant, Trinity United Reformed Church Wimbledon. Tel 03303 211872, email revdsgrant@gmail.com