Churches ready for gay marriage
By Chris Cassidy / Staff Writer

With three days before gay marriage becomes legal in Massachusetts, several religious leaders in Concord said they will perform same-sex marriages in their churches and centers of worship.

In many cases, marriage procedures and wedding ceremonies for gay couples will differ only slightly, mainly in the wording of their vows. Many religious leaders said they would offer the same pre-marital counseling sessions to gay couples as they do to heterosexuals.

At their annual meeting in February, members of the Trinitarian Congregational Church on Walden Street adopted a statement of welcome designed to make the congregation all-inclusive, regardless of age, gender, race, class, or sexual orientation, according to Senior Minister John Lombard.

"Part of that is that all people are entitled to receive the benefits of being married in the church," Lombard said.