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UK News

Steve Chalke's Oasis church to offer gay marriages

He revealed the news whilst launching a charter for churches to sign up to which promises they'll be inclusive of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender people.

Oasis Church in Waterloo, London, had applied to authorities for a marriage licence that would allow it to perform gay weddings, he told Premier.

He said exclusion by the Church has had a deeply damaging effect on LGBT people, both directly and indirectly.

His 'Open Church Charter', which he claims the overwhelming majority of churches can agree to, includes a commitment to provide gay marriages "within the scope of current British law".

Where this is not allowed under law the churches will offer celebration, preparation and support for same-sex marriage partners in loving, healthy monogamous relationships, the charter states.

It also includes a commitment to encourage every person to be "as open as they desire about the nature of their sexuality" and actively listen and respond to any feedback from the LGBT community.

The charter is being supported by gay rights organisation Stonewall.

Steve Chalke told Premier: "Oasis Church in Waterloo has reached the decision, it's taken us some time to reach it, that this is something we want to do.

"We're registering at the moment and we will be able to do this.

"This is not because we're liberal, it's not because we're light on the Bible, it's because we take the Bible very seriously.

"We want to move away from a over simplistic, over literalistic, immature understanding over Biblical texts that dumps many but keeps the ones we want."

Oasis Church becomes the most high profile Church to offer gay marriages.

Listen to Steve Chalke speaking to Premier's Antony Bushfield:

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