The vicar of Llangollen has spoken of the significant part he played in the Church in Wales Governing Body voting to make permanent provision for church blessings for couples in same-sex civil marriages and civil partnerships.
Five years ago, after deciding that it was “pastorally unsustainable” for the Church to make no formal provision for those in committed same-sex relationships, the Governing Body yesterday (Thursday), meeting in Llandudno, approved a service of blessing for an experimental five-year period, which is due to come to an end in September this year.
Father Lee Taylor, priest-in-charge at St Collen's, said: "It’s a real landmark decision and I had the privilege of being a part of it by speaking in the debate and by being on the Select Committee to shape the new liturgy/service."
Speaking in support of the bill, he said: "There’s a podcast called The Telepathy Tapes, exploring the experiences of non-speaking autistic people who communicate in alternative ways. In one part, someone was asked a simple but profound question: what is love? And the response was: ‘Love is anything that unifies.’
"Love is a unifying force. And this force, this power, this intelligence, this universal mind, we call God. God’s love does not diminish or separate… it unifies. I support this bill because it makes room for grace… for love. And it demonstrates that God is always at work where love, faithfulness and commitment are found.”
Over two days the Church's Governing Body debated a motion to make the provision permanent by incorporating a rite for the blessing of same-sex marriages and partnerships into the Book of Common Prayer
The measure needed a two thirds majority of each of the Orders which comprise the Governing Body: Bishops, Clergy and Laity. All five Bishops voted in favour. The clergy voted 32 – 7 in favour, with 5 abstentions, and the laity 48 - 8 in favour, with 2 abstentions.
The Church in Wales does still not have provision to marry same-sex couples. However, in November 2025, after several months of careful listening exercises, the Bishops of the Church issued a pastoral letter noting that the process had shown a majority “in favour of the view that the time is right to offer equal marriage.”
Further proposals will duly be brought forward in April 2027 to allow the law of the state and of the Church to be changed to permit equal marriage in the Church in Wales.
Speaking about yesterday's vote, the Most Revd Cherry Vann, Archbishop of Wales, said: “I want to thank everyone for the ways in which this debate was conducted – calmly, and with mutual respect. The Bench of Bishops and I recognise that this is an issue about which people hold strong convictions. We want everybody to be able to hold their views with integrity whilst not losing sight of the image of God that resides in all of us. We want to build a church that can make space for each other whatever our different perspectives.”
* You can read the proposed liturgy here, and the amendments proposed by members of the Governing Body here.
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