Reverend Colin Coward, 65, a homosexual priest at St John the Baptist Church in Devizes, Wiltshire, England, has announced plans to marry his Nigerian male model boyfriend, Bobby Ikekhuame Egbele, 25. Mr. Egbele is a fashion designer and runs an online clothing shop, Bobafrique ( http://www.bobafrique.com/index.htm ), where he models clothes.

Devizes has four Church of England parish churches, the oldest, St John the Baptist Church founded in 1130 and dedicated to St John the Baptist.

The Church was stunned with Rev. Coward’s proclamation, because ordained homosexual clergy of Church of England are required to be celibate. Coward failed to reassure the Church he would remain celibate with the gay union.

Coward lives with his gay fiancé in Marston, near Devizes and believes his marriage would set a “visible example” to other homosexuals within the church. ( Continues below…… )



Photo Above: British Gay Priest Rev. Colin Coward with Nigerian Gay Fiancé Bobby Egbele (Photo 1)

Rev. Coward speaking on his proposed gay marriage said: “My goal is for everyone within the church to feel comfortable with the situation because at the moment the majorityof gay Christians marry secretly.

“It is a taboo subject but the church is now under huge pressure to change its stance and that pressure will only increase in the future.

“Clearly the blessing is going to be quite a sensitive issue. I know that many people will see it and view it with horror.

“But we are both deeply committed Christians so it would be unthinkable for me not to do it in church and not to do it with the congregation and with all of our friends.

“I hope my wedding will inspire others and set a visible example to the church that we are not afraid.” ( Continues below…… )



Photo Above: British Gay Priest Rev. Colin Coward with Nigerian Gay Fiancé Bobby Egbele (Photo 2)

Coward who found out he was gay when he was a teenager, kept it a secret. He was ordained a priest in 1978 after resigning his job as an architect. He openly declared his homosexuality in 1991 to the surprise of Church of England.

Coward met his Nigerian gay partner, Egbele in 2007 at a Christian conference in Togo, a West African nation. The duo became engaged two years later, last year. They plan a civil partnership ceremony October 9 at the register office in Devizes and later service at St John the Baptist Church. The service would be a communion Eucharist rather than Blessing which is forbidden for homosexual couples.

Coward speaking on the planned Church service said: “Churches are not supposed to bless civil partnerships. It can bless almost anything else; animals, bombs, battleships, armies going to war but gay couples? No. So our church blessing has to be carefully-worded in so far as it does not use the word blessing in the context of the two of us in relationship.”

Sex is only permitted for married couples under Church of England laws, but the Church does not recognize same-sex civil partnerships as marriage.

Masterweb will keep you updated as more information becomes available.

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