"Through the grace of Holy Baptism, there are no second class members of the Body of Christ, " Chane said in a statement. "We are of equal value in the eyes of God, and any one of us may be called by the Holy Spirit into holy relationships as well as Holy Orders."
The Episcopal Church approved a resolution last summer allowing "bishops, particularly those in dioceses within civil jurisdictions where same-gender marriage, civil unions or domestic partnerships are legal" to "provide generous pastoral response to meet the needs of members of this church."
Chane has cited the familiar Scripture passage on loving your neighbor as yourself as one of the reasons he felt "compelled" to offer the sacraments of the church to gay and lesbian couples.
The Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Equality Amendment Act of 2009 was passed by the Washington D.C. City Council in December and signed by Mayor Adrian M. Fenty. Congress did not intervene to prevent the bill from becoming law on Wednesday. The U.S. Supreme Court also refused to intervene.
A group of ministers, including Bishop Harry Jackson, are pushing for a ballot initiative to try to overturn the act.
