The Synod of the Anglican Church of Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia on Thursday passed a motion that for the first time allows clergy to offer blessings to couples in same-sex relationships, though it did not change its definition of marriage.
Anglican Taonga, which is the official news service of the regional Anglican church, said that the province has undergone “earnest debate” over the issue of human sexuality for the past 50 years.
Motion 29, as the provision is called, preserves the church’s teaching that marriage is solely a union between one man and one woman, but opens the door for individual bishops to offer “a non-formulary service” which will allow for gay couples to be blessed.
The changes also will remove disciplinary action for clergy who agree to offer such blessings.
A motion to bless same-sex relationships was put forward at the 2014 Synod gathering, and in the 2016 Synod the province established that the changes on blessings would be additions to the rite, rather than doctrinal changes.
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