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Clergy at a church are protesting Ohio's ban on gay marriage by refusing to sign state marriage licenses for heterosexual couples.

The Rev. John Tamilio III, head pastor at Pilgrim Congregational United Church of Christ, said the move is a civil-rights protest. Ministers won't sign the licenses until gay unions are legal in Ohio.

Ohio voters approved a gay marriage ban in 2004.

Heterosexual couples exchanging wedding vows at Pilgrim Congregational will need an additional civil ceremony by a justice of the peace or a judge to make their union legal.

The United Church of Christ, a 1.2 million member denomination headquartered in Cleveland, adopted a resolution supporting gay marriage at a national synod in Atlanta three years ago.

Greg Brekke, a spokesman for the national church, said each of the denomination's 5,600 congregations is free to choose whether to sign marriage licenses.

The church says at least five other UCC congregations have undertaken similar marriage protests.