Gay vicar to marry Nigerian toyboy

LONDON - A gay preacher has decided to marry a Nigerian toyboy.

Bearded Colin Coward, 65, met 25-year-old model Bobby Egbele at a Christian conference in Africa.

Now, the pair is planning a civil partnership ceremony in Devizes, Wilts, where Rev Coward presides over St John the Baptist Church.

The marriage has caused a stir because the ceremony will be followed by a blessing-type service inside the church.

Coward has also refused to confirm he will stay celibate following the union - which is a Church of England requirement of gay clergy.

The vicar, who lives with Bobby in Marston, near Devizes, said he hoped to set a “visible example” to other gays within the church.

“My goal is for everyone to feel comfortable with the situation because at the moment the majority of gay Christians marry secretly,” the Sun quoted Coward as saying.

“It is a taboo subject but the church is now under huge pressure to change. Clearly the blessing is going to be a sensitive issue. I know many people will view it with horror,” Coward added.

Coward, a former architect, came out openly as a gay vicar in 1991. He later set up the gay and lesbian campaign group Changing Attitudes.

He and Bobby, a fashion designer and model who runs an online clothing shop, fell in love after meeting in Togo three years ago. (ANI)