National LGBTQ Task Force to Review TN Episcopal Same-Sex Marriage Ban
by Nathan Glover, World Religion News:
The Episcopal Diocese of Tennessee has turned to the National LGBTQ Task Force to review the Church’s ongoing issues with ministers officiating at same-sex marriages. Although the Episcopal Church at the national level has given official permission in 2015 to all Episcopalian churches to accept gay marriages, it had also allowed bishops to choose whether or not they will accept same-sex marriages at the diocesan level or not.
It was under this provision that the bishop of Tennessee, John Bauerschmidt, banned the clergy in his diocese from officiating same-sex marriages. Although he hasn’t said he diocese won’t be accepting these couples, members of the Episcopal Diocese of Tennessee feel that the ban is an impediment to the progress the Episcopal church has been making.
Bishop Bauerschmidt has asked same-sex couples who want to get married to do so in another diocese. As the power to allow same-sex marriages rests with the bishops, same-sex couples are forced to look for dioceses where same-sex marriages are allowed and get married there. The Bishop himself refers the couples to neighboring Kentucky.
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