A GROUNDBREAKING church near Oxford is believed to have become the first in the county to offer marriage ceremonies to same-sex couples.

Cumnor United Reformed Church, in Leys Road, said its congregation had voted ‘unanimously’ to make the change.

It comes after the United Reformed Church General Assembly – the denomination’s top decision-making body – allowed its churches to do so last summer.

Rev Nigel Appleton, the associate minister in Cumnor, said a celebration to mark the change would be held at a Sunday service on June 4, at 10.30am.

He added: “Every group of people will include folk who are gay, bisexual or transgender and, in fact, we have people in our congregation who have family members who are gay and also some same-sex couples.

“The background atmosphere of exclusion, and not being able to offer them marriage, was very hurtful but now the law of the land has changed and we decided it was the right thing to do.

“We think we are the first church in the area to offer this but we haven’t got anyone queuing up yet.”

Same sex couples seeking to be married at Cumnor United Reformed Church will have to go through the same initial interview and preparation as couples of mixed gender seeking to be married there, Rev Appleton said.

“People will have to explain some of the reasons they want to be married in a church.

“But we have got a nice little church here and we hope lots of people will come to us to begin their committed life together.”

Rev Appleton, who was ordained in 1970, added: “We are really glad that we can now make that possible.”

The United Reformed Church General Assembly’s decision in 2016 followed legislation in 2013 and 2014 bringing recognition for same-sex marriage into law in England, Wales and Scotland.

The legislation, passed by the Coalition Government, said religious organisations would have to ‘opt in’ if they wanted to offer marriage services to same-sex couples.

However, both the Church of England and Catholic Church do not allow same-sex marriage.

A statement from the denomination’s church in Cumnor said: “The United Reformed Church has traditionally offered a welcome to all who choose to come to it, believing that the love of God is offered to all people, regardless of gender, race or sexual orientation.

“We now rejoice that they can extend the invitation to couples who wish to begin their married life with a service in church the opportunity to do so, regardless of gender.”