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Jan 24, 2013 | Luke Blount

St. David's, Austin, Prepares for First Same-Sex Blessing

Last summer, Bishop Andy Doyle laid a pathway forward in the same-sex blessing debate with his document Unity in Mission. In it, Bishop Doyle approved St. David's, Austin, and St. Stephen's, Houston, to begin a study with their churches on how to proceed with blessing same-sex covenants. Bishop Doyle also offered alternative ways forward for other churches, including rejecting same-sex blessings or remaining neutral on the matter.

 

Now, St. David's is preparing to perform the first same-sex blessings as soon as next month. Read this excerpt of a report from the Austin American-Statesman:

 

St. David’s Episcopal Church in Austin will bless a same-sex couple next month, possibly becoming the first Episcopal church in Texas to perform the groundbreaking liturgical rite.

 

Located downtown on East Eighth Street, St. David’s is the largest Episcopal church in Austin, and gays and lesbians make up what its rector, the Rev. David Boyd, called a significant number of the church’s roughly 2,500 parishioners.

 

Last spring, the bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Texas, the Rt. Rev. Andy Doyle, named St. David’s and St. Stephen’s Episcopal in Houston the first in Texas with his permission to bless same-gender unions. The Episcopal Church approved blessings for same-sex unions at its national convention last July.

 

Boyd said this week that he had determined there was general agreement within his church to proceed with the rite. The couple who will receive the blessing have not been selected, nor has a date in February been decided, Boyd said.

 

The Rev. Lisa Hunt, rector at St. Stephen’s, said she was working with couples to begin the process there. She said rites for two couples are scheduled for April.

 

Read more from the Statesman here.