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Lesbian Couple Ordained in Presbyterian Church

gay rights symbol

WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) - A Presbyterian church in Wilmington held a joint ordination ceremony this weekend for a lesbian couple.

The joint ordination of Kaci Clark-Porter and Holly Clark-Porter took place Sunday afternoon at First & Central Presbyterian Church.

Church members believe the two women are the first same-sex couple ever to be ordained jointly by the Presbyterian Church USA.

Earlier this month, with a congregational vote in New Jersey, members of the national church gave final approval to a measure expanding its definition of marriage and recognizing gay marriage as Christian in the church constitution.

The denomination has about 1.8 million members and 10,000 congregations, and is the largest Protestant group to authorize gay weddings churchwide.

The change comes four years after the Presbyterians authorized gay ordination.

Don Rush is the News Director at Delmarva Public Media. An award-winning journalist, Don reports major local issues of the day, from sea level rise, to urban development, to the changing demographics of Delmarva.