Birmingham, Ala., Feb 29, 2004 / 22:00 pm
Six months after the ordination of their denomination’s first openly homosexual bishop, Alabama Episcopalians have voted for a resolution to reject same-sex marriage and the ordination of homosexual bishops.
At a special state diocese meeting, Feb. 28, officials voted 208-140 to adopt a resolution, declaring that "blessings of same-sex unions and ordinations of non-celibate unmarried persons are not part of the common life of this diocese," reported the Associated Press.
The resolution was in reference to the August ordination of New Hampshire Bishop V. Gene Robinson, who has lived with his male partner for years. In a show of protest, five Alabama churches have held back contributions to the national church.
Alabama Bishop Henry N. Parsley told AP that the vote "expresses disagreement, but not division" with Robinson’s ordination. He added that there are no plans to split from the national church.