Christ First Forum

A Highlands church has voted to stop signing marriage licenses in protest of the state of Kentucky's denial of marriage rights to same-sex couples.

Douglass Boulevard Christian Church made the unanimous vote Sunday. The Rev. Derek Penwell, senior minister of the church, said it's unjust that heterosexual but not homosexual couples can benefit from marital rights involving inheritance, adoption, hospital visits and filing joint tax returns, saving thousands in annual taxes.

"Our congregation believes it is unfair to provide different services and benefits to heterosexual couples than we can provide to gay and lesbian couples,” said a church associate minister, the Rev. Ryan Kemp-Pappan.

In 2004, Kentucky voters passed an amendment to the state constitution by a three-to-one margin, banning same-sex marriage and unions and reinforcing what had already been state law.

Large religious groups were among the drivers of that amendment, with endorsements from leaders in Kentucky's two largest denominations — the Kentucky Baptist Convention and the Catholic Conference of Kentucky. The state's largest congregation, Southeast Christian Church, ran an advertising campaign before the referendum, promoting traditional marriage.

Some congregations, however, support the right of same-sex couples to marry and will perform same-sex ceremonies in their services, even though they have no legal standing in Kentucky.

The congregation, located at 2005 Douglass Boulevard, draws roughly 80 to 120 worshipers per week, Kemp-Pappan said. The Sunday vote follows its decision in 2008 to designate itself an "open and affirming" congregation toward gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgender persons.

The church plans to continue offering religious marriage ceremonies for gay and straight couples, but the latter will need to get a separate ceremony through a justice of the peace in order to get legal recognition. Kemp-Pappan said the church hasn't conducted a same-sex wedding yet but has had inquiries about doing so.

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