Arlington, USA - A Presbyterian Church pastor in Arlington is protesting Virginia's ban on same-sex marriage by ending traditional marriages at his church, too.
Pastor David Ensign of Clarendon Presbyterian Church says he'll perform "commitment celebrations" for heterosexual couples but they won't carry the weight of law. Ensign is giving up his authority to perform marriages on the state's behalf.
The pastor tells The Washington Post his conscious had been nagging him because he says Virginia's marriage laws are unjust and unequal.
The move comes as the General Assembly is set to take up for the second time a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriages.
The Clarendon church is a member of Presbyterian Church USA. A spokesman for the National Capital Presbytery says Ensign likely won't face any punishment.