Emmanuel Church has long supported same-sex marriage and has blessed committed same-sex unions since 1981.

Following the Supreme Judicial Court’s May 2004 Goodridge decision legalizing civil marriage for same-sex couples in Massachusetts, Emmanuel’s vestry wrote A Message to the Emmanuel Community about Sacramental Same-Sex Marriage.

At the October 2006 Annual Convention of the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts, Emmanuel’s vestry submitted the resolution shown below. Following its adoption, one of Emmanuel’s representatives remarked: “The road still remains long at the national level, but Cranmer’s beautiful marriage ceremony is one step closer to belonging publicly to all of us.”

RESOLVED, that the 221st Convention of the Diocese of Massachusetts request the 76th General Convention to authorize use of the rites for Celebration and Blessing of a Marriage and The Blessing of a Civil Marriage in the Book of Common Prayer for same-sex couples in those civil jurisdictions that permit same-sex marriage, and to authorize modification of gender references in the rites to accommodate such marriages, and be it further

RESOLVED, that the 221st Convention of the Diocese of Massachusetts request the 76th General Convention to amend Title I, Canon 18: Of the Solemnization of Holy Matrimon by striking the words “a man and a woman” and “husband and wife” wherever they appear, and inserting in place thereof the words “two adults”, and be it further

RESOLVED, that the 221st Convention of the Diocese of Massachusetts request the 76th General Convention to amend Title I, Canon 19: Of Regulations Respecting Holy Matrimony, by striking the words “husband or wife” and “the husband or the wife”, wherever they appear, and inserting in place thereof the word “spouse”.

Adopted on votes of 265–102 and 268–102
October 28, 2006