A bishop has defied the rules of the United Methodist Church in the United States by performing a gay marriage.
Bishop Melvin Talbert and Pastor Val Rosenquist married two men in North Carolina on Saturday.
The pair risk being defrocked after breaking the rules when they allowed the men, one of whom had been attending the church for over 20 years, to wed.
Jim Wilborne and John Romano, both 52, kept the wedding a secret to prevent "people having time to organise a protest".
They hired security guards for the church.
Bishop Melvin Talbert was arrested alongside Martin Luther King Jr in 1960 and is known for his activism.
Speaking before the ceremony he told Buzzfeed News the church's views on homosexuality were "immoral, unjust, and oppressive, and they no longer deserve our loyalty and support."
Pastor Rasenquist added: "It's time to make a stand. I am willing to face whatever consequences I encounter. I am totally at peace with this decision."
The United Methodist Church, the US's largest Protestant denomination, is due to discuss allowing its pastors to conduct gay marriages in May.
A Monthly Gift Of $11 Makes A World Of Difference
In a world of fake news there’s never been a greater need for quality Christian journalism. Premier’s mission is to provide the Church with the most up to date and relevant news, told from a Christian perspective. But we can’t do it without you.
Unlike many websites we haven't put up a paywall — we want to keep our journalism free at the point of need and as open as we can. Premier’s news output takes a lot of time, money and hard work to produce. No one in the USA is sharing news like we are across radio, magazines and online so please help us to continue that today.
For a monthly gift of $11 or more we’d also be able to send you a free copy of the brand new Premier Bible, a wonderful Anglicised version of the NLT packed with exclusive bonus content, reading plan and resources to help you get the most out of scripture.
Your monthly support will make a world of difference. Thank you.
Sorry, your web browser is not capable of supporting the features required by this website. We advise you upgrade your web browser before continuing to use this website.
The following web browsers are supported by this website:
Apple web kit UI:
Version 537 or later
Microsoft Internet Explorer:
Version 11 or later
Microsoft Edge:
Any version
Google Chrome:
Version 70 or later
Mozilla Firefox:
Version 65 or later
Apple Safari:
Version 601 or later
Opera:
Version 60 or later
Facebook App:
Any version
Twitter App:
Any version
Please contact your system administrator if you require assistance upgrading or changing your web browser. We will not notify you again about this until you next restart your browser.
