The Episcopal Church, a largely progressive denomination of Christianity, has long been on the path toward a more open interpretation of the Bible in regards to homosexuality, culminating a decade ago in the controversy surrounding Gene Robinson, its first openly gay man in a same-sex relationship elected as bishop.

Pastor Kit Carlson of East Lansing’s All Saints Episcopal Church on Abbott Road said her parish was very supportive of the marriage decision and she attended the reception for couples married at the Ingham County Courthouse the day of the Supreme Court ruling.

Carlson said she is also a big supporter of the decision, and a number of friends and parishioners of hers have been together for years and are waiting diligently to finally get married.

In a theological sense, she argues the Bible lays down an idea of what it means to be faithful and loving, and the culture of that time wouldn't understand the idea of that extending to homosexuals.

"I know there are verses in the Bible that object to homosexual behavior, homosexual actions," she said. "The Bible as a book does not have a framework for loving ... relationships between two people of the same sex or gender." 

At the same time, the church approved a new set of rites to be used in such ceremonies, to be implemented after Nov. 29.

Today @ GC78: The General Convention of the Episcopal Church passed A054, authorizing rites for same-sex marriage. http://t.co/nDSVD5FU6d

— Episcopal Church (@iamepiscopalian) July 2, 2015

The current bishop of Michigan, Wendell Gibbs, a same-sex marriage supporter, has not yet issued guidelines for such marriages, so it is unclear if same-sex marriages will be performed any earlier than November, and bishops have to make the new services available regardless of their personal position, even if it means bringing in clergy from other dioceses. Individual priests are allowed to decline any marriage. 

For example, Carlson has declined to marry even heterosexual couples if it's clear to her they only want to use the church as a venue and not because they have any religious connection to it.

After progressive causes become embraced by more liberal churches, many more traditional minded Episcopalians have historically flocked to churches of a conservative theological leaning, most significantly the Catholic Church, which holds marriage to be between one man and one woman. 

This trend, however, has lessened significantly.

"We have 40-60 people convert each year and it usually has very little to do with hot-button political issues, or conservative/liberal leanings," said Katie Diller, director of campus ministry for St. John Catholic Student Center and St. Thomas Aquinas Parish, in an email.

Carlson said, while many have left the Episcopal Church over these issues in the past, especially over Robinson, the flow has more or less stopped. She said the church as a whole has shifted, and most who would leave over issues like this likely already have.