Anglican Church's Christchurch branch votes for acceptance of same-sex marriages

Anglican churches in Christchurch have voted in favour of a push to bless same-sex marriages. Photo / File

The Christchurch arm of the Anglican Church has voted to push national leadership to pass a blessing of same-sex marriages.

A special meeting was convened at St Christopher's church at Avonhead on Saturday, attended by about 250 people.

The purpose was to discuss and vote on what the synod's position was on same-sex marriage, ahead of a general synod vote in May.

The general vote will be participated in by regional synods including the Christchurch diocese following a 2016 report prepared to pave the way for same-sex marriage within the church.

A working group previously presented that report within the church, A Way Forward, which discussed and recommended how that might work in practice.

Vicar Mark Hood described it as a divisive issue for Christchurch, whereby other synods stood more firm in other regions.

However the vote passed in favour of backing a move for the church to authorise same sex marriages with 107 votes for yes, and 71 for no.

Hood said he was disappointed with the vote.

"The Bible is pretty clear, sex is a gift from God for a man and a wife."

He described the official vote in May as set to be a "watershed" moment however, regardless of which way that vote went. Individual churches within the synod would retain their own stance over whether to bless same-sex marriage.

The vote was welcomed by the St Columbia Anglican Church in Auckland's Grey Lynn. On Facebook it posted the vote was "good news...in a slow edging towards equality for same sex couples".