Arkansas Episcopal church backs gay rites

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) — After years of discussion, St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Fayetteville has decided to support blessing ceremonies for same-sex couples.

However, the congregation will not develop an official ceremony nor conduct same-gender blessings until at least next summer, when national church leaders are expected to take up the issue at the Episcopal General Convention. St. Paul's is the first congregation among Arkansas' 55 Episcopal churches to support such a ceremony.

In March, the U.S. Episcopal House of Bishops imposed a one-year moratorium on same-sex blessings to ease the crisis in world Anglicanism after the Diocese of New Hampshire elected an openly gay priest as its leader in 2003. That same year, General Convention delegates also approved a measure on gay blessings that some dioceses have interpreted as allowing the ceremonies.

The Episcopal Church is the U.S. province of the 77-million-member Anglican Communion.