Diocesan website reports on the same-sex marriage of prominent layman in Copenhagen

Nigel Rowley, who is an active member of St. Alban’s Church in Copenhagen, a long standing Diocesan Synod representative and a member of the Church of England’s recent facilitated conversations on human sexuality was married on Saturday 13 August in the Lutheran Cathedral in Copenhagen. He and his partner Mikel were married by the Bishop of Copenhagen, Peter Skov-Jakobsen. It was a truly joyful occasion at which the St. Alban’s choir sang alongside the Cathedral singers, and the Cathedral was full of members of the congregation from St. Alban’s, who came to be part of this happy gathering.

“The current Church of England rules on same-sex marriage meant that they could not marry in the church where Nigel serves enthusiastically and where he is much loved. However, our formal Porvoo links allowed the Lutheran Church in Denmark to conduct the ceremony. The bishop and members of the Cathedral were happy to marry them so that they could be blessed with a church celebration in their own city of Copenhagen and with many members of St Alban’s there to wish them well.”

Reprinted from the Diocese in Europe website.

Update: A spokesman for the diocese writes: “as Communications Officer for the diocese we merely reported an event without editorial comment we did NOT ‘welcome’ it”.