US: Moravian Church gives rites to gay clergy and same-sex unions
The Moravian Church in North American approved same-sex clergy and the religious rite to bless same-sex unions in a 181-62 vote of the Synod.
The province’s Book of Order, the church’s sacred text, will be altered to include this updated policy.
The Northern Province is the Moravian Church’s largest region in North America, including: New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Washington D.C, Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota, California, Ontario and Alberta.
Gays and lesbians have been accepted as full members of the Moravian Church since 1974, making it one of the first LGBT inclusive churches.
The Church was founded in 1457 on the teachings of Czech martyr Jan Hus. It is the oldest Protestant church and has over 20,000 members in North American.
