Uniting Church considers marriage options

The Uniting Church may consider its role in performing marriage ceremonies if gay marriage is legalised.

A proposal to set up a task group to investigate "the implications of changing the church's current relationship with the commonwealth government with respect to the conduct of marriages" will be discussed at its assembly in Perth this week.

Uniting Church president Stuart McMillan says any decision on options like separating Church and state, meaning church marriage ceremonies would not be legally recognised, is a long way off.

"It creates a greater freedom for the Church to govern itself and not be restricted by what the state may want or not want in terms of a civil ceremony," he told The West Australian.