I’m posting the quote below from an article about a Methodist minister who is trying to come to terms with committed gay couples in a very public way here on Good Home because I think it very much goes to the heart of what the foundations of a “good home” are. As the wedding coordinator for our church I think about this issue a lot, with very mixed emotions.

From the Washington Blade:

Rev. Dean Snyder can’t officially marry gay or lesbian couples.

But denominational bylaws won’t stop the senior pastor at Washington’s Foundry United Methodist Church from conducting services that honor same-sex couples.

“It seemed uncharitable and unfair to make such a big deal about our straight couples’ commitments and not to honor the commitments of our gay and lesbian couples when the fruits of the spirit, the signs of God’s grace, were obviously present in their relationships,” he said, “just as it was in our straight couples’ relationships.”

Snyder, who is straight, recently told his congregation he would preside over services that “recognize and honor” gay couples in committed relationships.

He said the services are not marriage ceremonies, but allow “us to gather as a congregation, and as family and friends of a couple, and say we recognize your commitment and we honor it.”

“After three years of prayer and discussion, this is where I came to,” Snyder said. “It’s not a good solution, but it’s a step in the right direction, not treating gay and lesbian couples as though their relationships didn’t coun

t.”