Newington Green Unitarian Church approved for civil partnerships
First among equals: Unitarian Church on Newington Green. Photograph: Hackney Citizen
Newington Green Unitarian Church is now the first religious building in Hackney to be approved as a venue for civil partnerships.
This makes Hackney one of the very first places in the UK to offer civil partnerships ceremonies in a religious setting since the law was changed in February this year.
Lead member for equalities at Hackney Council, Cllr Sophie Linden, said: “We are very pleased to announce that same sex couples can now have a civil partnership ceremony in this church if they wish.”
In 2004 the Civil Partnership Act legalised civil partnerships, but it originally blocked the possibility of registering them in religious premises due to resistance by the Church of England.
Before the change in legislation, same sex couples who wished to have a religious blessing as part of their civil partnership ceremony were required to first attend a registry office for the legal part of the ceremony and then go to a separate venue to receive their blessing.
The new legislation removes this drawn out process.
Now a registrar from Hackney Council can register the civil partnership in a religious building such as the Newington Green Unitarian Church, allowing the couple to combine the legal and
religious ceremony together.
Rev. Andrew Pakula of Unitarian Church said: “The civil partnership blessings I have conducted have been some of the most meaningful occasions of my ministry. Often, the couples have been together a long time and never imagined a religious institution would have them much less bless their relationship.
“There are often tears – sometimes from me.”
Newington Green Unitarian Church, which was founded in 1708, is one of England’s oldest Unitarian churches.
Rev. Pakula added: “The Church was the only congregation of any kind in the country to refuse to do straight marriages until they were able to carry out civil partnerships for same sex couples.
“It will be interesting to see what happens now that the Tories, Lib Dems and Labour all seem to be in favour of full gay marriage rights.”
For more information please visit:
hackney.gov.uk/marriages-and-civil-ceremonies or email
registrars@hackney.gov.uk