‘Gay’ Church’s Pastor May Perform Marriages (Press, 4 June 1985)

On 4 June 1985, Pastor Leigh Neighbour, the leader of the Metropolitan Community Church in Auckland, announced that he has been awarded the right to perform heterosexual marriages as a licensed marriage celebrant. He clarified that, under New Zealand law, he is only permitted to conduct marriages between men and women and that his church would not be participating in "gay" marriages. Neighbour expressed that, to date, no one had approached him to officiate a wedding. The pastor indicated that if the proposed Homosexual Law Reform Bill were to become law, he would consider discussing the implications for potential "gay" marriages with the National Council of Churches. This Bill aims to make discrimination against homosexuals a punishable offence under the Human Rights Commission Act. Currently, Neighbour's church has around 40 to 45 attendees and is in the process of applying for membership with the National Council of Churches. Earlier in 1985, the Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Churches in New Zealand was established as a charitable trust, and Neighbour received the marriage celebrant licence two weeks prior to his announcement. He also addressed the serious issue of AIDS within the gay community, emphasising his efforts to promote monogamous relationships. He lamented that despite his encouragement, some individuals remained intent on engaging in promiscuous behaviour, disregarding the health risks. Neighbour stated he is striving to raise awareness about the dangers that such behaviour poses to individuals' lives and well-being.

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