New Zealand priest in gay marriage row gives up licence

Posted by Kendall Harmon

The New Zealand priest whose gay wedding ceremony has fuelled a row that threatens to split the Anglican Church in Britain has surrendered his own licence to officiate.

The Reverend David Lord – a former Hamilton emergency room doctor ordained as a deacon in December 2005 – angered conservative Christians by exchanging rings and vows with his partner in a church ceremony for his civil partnership in London last month.

But Dr Lord, who tied the knot with English clergyman Peter Cowell, a hospital chaplain, "felt it appropriate to lay down his clergy licence", according to a statement jointly released with the Bishop of Waikato, Rt Rev David Moxon.

His decision will bar him from officiating as a priest.

Read the whole article.



Filed under: * Anglican - Episcopal • Anglican Provinces • Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia • Church of England (CoE) • Sexuality Debate (in Anglican Communion) • Same-sex blessings • * Christian Life / Church Life • Liturgy, Music, Worship • Parish Ministry • * Culture-Watch • Marriage & Family • Sexuality • --Civil Unions & Partnerships

6 Comments
Posted June 16, 2008 at 6:42 am [Printer Friendly] [Print w/ comments]



1. RMBruton wrote:

Oh well, that solves everything. Everyone can go home now, nothing to worry about. Not!

June 16, 6:59 am | [comment link]
2. Br. Michael wrote:

Since when is a deacon a priest?

June 16, 8:08 am | [comment link]
3. driver8 wrote:

I believe he was ordained a priest in New Zealand, at the end of 2007.

June 16, 11:00 am | [comment link]
4. Little Cabbage wrote:

Too typical:  he hung on to his ordination just long enough to make trouble, be ‘in the face’ of the Church.  It meant so little that he then conveniently renounced orders.  Yuck.

June 16, 3:06 pm | [comment link]
5. Larry Morse wrote:

This is simply another example of left wing exhibitionism and narcissism.
Flagrant? Of course? Deliberately so? Of course. We are lucky they at least had their clothes on. Give up his license? For what?

  We are being jerked around, over and over. How is it possible t hat we lack the strength and purpose to break this leash? Larry

June 16, 3:34 pm | [comment link]
6. driver8 wrote:

One thing I don’t know is whether New Zealand priests are permitted to enter same sex unions. I think it may be a matter of controversy within the Anglican Church in New Zealand and that practice may vary from diocese to diocese. Thus it may be that this is one of those times in which a bishop kindly says “we did this by mutual consent”, when what he means is, “If the guy hadn’t agreed to do it I would have removed his licence anyway”.

June 16, 11:51 pm | [comment link]
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