A Baptist church has announced a gay couple will lead the congregation as co-pastors.
Calvary Baptist Church in Washington D.C. said Sally Sarratt and Maria Swearingen will begin their new jobs on February 26.
It is thought this could be the first time a lesbian couple have been chosen to lead a Baptist church.
Spokeswoman Carol Blythe was quoted by the Religion News Service as saying: "We look for the best people in the world and that's who they were, we're very excited."
It's not the first time the church has been in the news. In 2012 it hit the headlines after breaking away from the Southern Baptist Convention in a row over several issues including the SBC's stance on gay people.
The pair have both been serving in ministry separately until now.
"We have found it so easy to fall in love with Calvary and its longstanding commitment to be a voice of justice and compassion for those who perpetually find the wholeness of their humanity disregarded and maligned," the couple said.
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Article by Antony Bushfield
Antony Bushfield is a multimedia journalist for Premier.
