Almost a year ago in early February of 2019, David Killeen, the rector of St John’s Episcopal Church at Tallahassee sat down with the parish and told them they would undergo a yearlong discernment asking for God’s guidance on whether St. John’s would offer same gender marriage.
A year later, St. John’s has opened its arms to allowing everyone including same gender marriage in their church.
Churches have the option to implement gay marriage, and Killeen knew that there would be people who did not agree with the decision but said there was not too much backlash because of the decision.
“The Episcopal Church defines marriage as a lifelong covenant between two people,” Killeen said.
In order for a marriage to happen at least one member of the couple must be baptized and a member of St. John’s. They also need to undergo premarital preparation.
“What I am trying to do is help people at St. John’s understand that whether you agree or not with our vestries decision that all people are welcome at St. Johns, and we are going to walk forward in unity with each other.”
In 2018, individual episcopal churches were able to decide if they were going to perform marriage rights between same marriage couples. It previously had been up to the bishop in 2015 if same marriage couples could, but in 2018 it was left up to individual churches.
“My job as rector at St. John’s is to care for all of God’s people both those who agree with the decision and also those who don’t agree with the decision, and so I feel like my calling is to try to keep people moving together and keep people moving forward in unity.”
Mandy Schnittker, director of communications with St John’s Episcopal church says the focus at St. Johns is for everyone to have a place to walk with God whenever they are in their spiritual journey.
“We had people who were opposed to same gender marriage and people who were for it,” Schnittker said.
Schnittker said there had been a lot of people who were interested in the decision, and the response had been well received in the parish and the community.
St. John’s website said their clergy had been in touch with Bishop Howard to share the St. John’s Vestry’s decision.
“Bishop Howard has pledged to continue to wholeheartedly support the missions and ministries of this church.”