Same-sex couples in High Wycombe and Marlow who want to get married in church will have to wait a while longer, with one pastor branding the decision to allow same-sex marriages in church an “absolute tragedy”.

Members of the United Reformed Church (URC) made an historic decision to vote overwhelmingly in favour of allowing same-sex weddings in its churches at its General Assembly at the weekend, with the assembly voting in favour by 240 votes to 21.

However, individual churches will not be forced to comply.

The BFP spoke to reverend Terry Hicks, minister at the Trinity United Reformed Church, High Wycombe, who said the discussion about whether to register the church to perform same-sex ceremonies is “not on the cards” currently and that it will be “cautious” in its approach.

He said: “It has been a long process already within the different denominations and a discussion is not on the cards yet.

“Our church hasn’t been pressing for that change but we will certainly consider it. We hope to have a discussion about it at some point in the future.”

Martin Beck, secretary at Christ Church Marlow, also a URC, also said they “won’t know” whether the church will perform same-sex marriages until they “discuss the development”.

He said: “The United Reformed Church takes decisions by consensus of its membership.

“We will be discussing this new development with our congregation in the near future and our members will then cast their vote.

“Until that time we won't know.”

With around 60,000 members, the URC is now the biggest Christian organisation in the UK to offer same-sex weddings in its churches.

Pastor Peter Simpson, minister at Penn Free Methodist Church, said the change went against URC’s “own fundamental doctrines” and that there was “no area for debate” when it came to “God’s word”.

The pastor, who last year led a congregation at LGBT parade Pride in London to “preach the gospel to thousands of needy souls”, said: “It is an absolute tragedy and it shows that churches are willing to put political correctness of the world above the word of God.

“The scripture is very clear in both new and old testaments that homosexuality is a sin. There is no area for debate. You can’t modify God’s word.

“How many churches are going to succumb to the spirit of the age, rather than stick to the scripture?

“The pressure of the fashion of the day should not make churches abandon the teachings they have held for 2000 years.”

Buckinghamshire County Council has been championing gay rights for the community in Bucks and beyond with top councillors pledging their support for a gay pride event which took place in Oxford last month.

A spokesman at LGBT charity Stonewall has been contacted for comment.