(AgapePress) - A well-known church in America's capital has voted to start performing homosexual weddings.

DC's National City Christian Church (NCCC) has been around for 159 years, and has been the place of worship of such notables as former Presidents James Garfield and Lyndon Johnson. It belongs to the Indianapolis-based Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) denomination.

About two years ago, National City began discussions about "the inclusion of gay persons in the life of the church." Six months ago, National City decided to openly welcome homosexual congregants. Now, at a meeting this past weekend, the church's 20 elders voted unanimously to allow homosexual wedding ceremonies in its sanctuary.

The Washington Post quotes senior pastor Alvin Jackson as calling it a "really special moment" that involved no heated discussion. According to The Post, the issue was prompted when two homosexual men who were planning to adopt a child approached Jackson, wanting him to officiate at their "covenant ceremony."

A spokesman for the Human Rights Campaign, a homosexual advocacy group, called it a "tremendously bold move." And several DC-area pastors praised the decision, including Robert Holum of Luther Place Memorial church. He said it will be good for the community which has "many same-sex couples."

Other Christian groups disagreed. Phil Sheldon heads Traditional Values Coalition. He says it is just a sign of the "decay and demise of this church." It is a church, Sheldon says, that has "left behind Christianity and the Bible."

Among the fellowship groups at National City is the Gay and Lesbian Fellowship, which is affiliated with the Gay, Lesbian, and Affirming Disciples (GLAD) -- a movement within the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) that, according to NCCC, "advocates for inclusivity, diversity, and justice in all manifestations" within the denomination.

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