Churches in Essex, including FIEC and Grace Baptist churches, received curt letters from their local register office on April 22 demanding they register to conduct same sex ‘marriages’.
The demand came with the usual quarterly letter requesting details of marriages carried out, or a nil return for the previous three months, and was unsigned.
It said: ‘I am writing to advise you that with immediate [sic] effect your church must be licensed by the register office to conduct same sex marriage. Regards, Colchester Register Office’.
Apologies
Knowing that churches legally only need to opt in out of choice, the registrar at one church contacted the General Register Office. A senior person there was very surprised that such a letter had been sent out and asked to see it. As a result a second letter was sent out by Colchester Register Office on April 29.
In a slightly longer statement it said: ‘Further to our letter of April 22, we apologise for the misleading information given regarding registering for same sex marriages. The letter should have advised that should you wish to conduct marriages for same sex couples, you need to apply to the registrar (address given). Please accept our sincere apologies for … distress that may have been caused by our previous letter. Regards, Colchester Register Office.’
Knowing the law
Picking up on this situation, The Christian Institute put out a press release which said: ‘The behaviour of Essex County Council goes to show why churches need to know their legal rights, because bureaucrats who want to push for gay marriage will try and go beyond the law’.
The Christian Institute have produced a guide, Same-sex marriage: Your legal rights to object, which provides simple, clear and accurate explanations and answers to 19 crucial questions which Christians are asking about the new legal landscape.
The booklet is free and is comprehensively referenced. It also gives helpful advice for Anglican and non-Anglican churches.
