The annual Baltimore-Washington Conference of the United Methodist Church has voted to allow pastors in jurisdictions where same-sex unions are legal to perform the ceremonies. They're trying to change the rules in the church's Book of Discipline which says that performing that type of ceremony is a “chargeable offense,” based on a ruling made by Bishop Beverly J. Shamana in April of 2009.

The affirmative vote was something of a surprise for everyone involved. Rev. Dean Snyder, a member of the group that wrote the resolution, Foundry United Methodist, says somewhere between a quarter and a third of the Foundry's members are openly gay.

The change will be brought to the General Conference in April of next year. In order to be passed, it must win the majority of the votes from 1,000 delegates. Members of the church who are hopeful the resolution will be passed seem to think it's a possibility.

Ann Birkel, head of the Foundry's LGBT advocacy team, said, “We believe that more and more Christians are examining the issue and realizing that it is truly a civil rights issue and that members of our denomination are just as deserving of support of their church communities and their commitments to each other. It’s an idea whose time has come.”