Nearly 400 delegates at the United Church of Christ's Connecticut Conference passed a resolution Saturday supporting legal marriages for same-sex couples. It's now up to local churches as to whether they will follow the new policy. On Saturday, 390 delegates voted in favor of the resolution during the two-day annual meeting at Suffield High School, according to Mark Dost, one of three delegates from the First Congregational Church of Watertown. The resolution, which says same-sex couples should not be excluded from the civil right of marriage, was opposed by 138 delegates, with 20 delegates abstaining. Same-sex marriage has been a hot issue with United Church of Christ pastors and church members, causing them to worry about churches breaking away from the conference. In June, the First Church of Christ in Wethersfield, a large and historic parish, quit the denomination over its disagreements with the church's liberal theological bent. "I'm disappointed with the vote by the delegates at the Connecticut Conference during the annual meeting," said Dost, who was designated to speak against the resolution during the conference. "I'm concerned that it could cause local congregations to reconsider their affiliation with the Connecticut Conference." Dost, a 21-year member at the Watertown church, also said this is not the way to handle the same-sex marriage issue.
