Morristown Church Mounts Quadruple Wedding

On Sunday the Church of the Redeemer will celebrate and bless the marriage of four couples from the congregation that are all gay or lesbian. Another gay couple will have their civil marriage blessed and many, both gay and straight, will renew their vows. In addition, there will be a prayer for members who were in long-term relationships, whose spouses have died.

“This will be an opportunity for us to celebrate, not only with our gay and lesbian couples, but with all the members of the Redeemer community, the hundreds and hundreds of years of commitment that our members have made to their spouses,” said the Rev. Cynthia L. Black, rector of Redeemer.

A member of the congregation has offered a free pair of tickets to a Broadway play to the person who most accurately guesses the numbers of years of commitment represented in all of the couples present in the congregation on Sunday.

Since 1991 the Church of the Redeemer, 36 South Street, Morristown, has offered commitment services for its gay and lesbian couples. In 1995 the church adopted the term “Sacramental Marriage” for the ceremonies because they did not qualify as legal marriages in the state of New Jersey.

“Finally all can be called marriages,” Black,said. “We don’t have to distinguish between one form of marriage or another. The State of New Jersey has finally caught up with Redeemer.”

Sunday is both World AIDS Day and the first Sunday of Advent, which is the first Sunday of the Church year.

“It feels like a really auspicious day to be getting married,” said George Jordan, who will marry his partner of 22 years, Peter Arney, on Dec 1. “Peter and I met while doing AIDS buddy training, and it was through it that we found our way to Redeemer. We were the first gay couple to have our relationship blessed at Redeemer, in 1991. It felt like a radical act.”

The Church of the Redeemer, located at 36 South Street, Morristown, is a Christian liberation community in the Episcopal tradition, serving the people of Morristown and beyond for more than 160 years. Sunday services are at 8:00 and 10:30 a.m. (inclusive worship). As part of its practice of radical hospitality, the church provides space to the Community Soup Kitchen of Morristown, the Eric Johnson House (part of NJ AIDS Services), a number of 12 step groups, and Empty Bowl Zendo. To learn more, please visit:  www.redeemermorristown.org