First Openly Gay Episcopal Bishop, Formerly of Ridgewood Church, Announces Divorce

The first-ever openly gay Episcopal bishop, formerly of a Ridgewood Church, has announced that he will be divorcing his husband, nj.com reported Monday.

According to the report, Bishop Gene Robinson, who served as a curate for two years at the Christ Church in Ridgewood, announced his split from Mark Andrew in an email to the Diocese of New Hampshire, where he worked before retiring in 2012.

The two were together for 25 years, the Associated Press report said. They were joined by a civil union in New Hampshire in 2008, which became a legal marriage two years later when the state recognized gay marriage, the report said.

Robinson became both a symbol for gay rights and a source of division among Anglicans, the report said. He advocated for gay marriage, delivered the benediction at the opening 2009 inaugural event for President Barack Obama, and was the subject of several books and a documentary, the report said.

"My belief in marriage is undiminished by the reality of divorcing someone I have loved for a very long time, and will continue to love even as we separate," nj.com reported Robinson wrote in a letter to The Daily Beast.

"Love can endure, even if a marriage cannot."