The UK’s coalition government is considering introducing legislation to allow for same-sex marriage in churches and other places of worship as well as in registry offices.

In the meantime, it will allow civil partnerships ceremonies between same-sex couples to take place in churches if the particular church agrees.

The Government is to conduct a consultation process on whether to extend the definition of marriage to include same-sex couples. It said it would also look at creating allowing heterosexual couples to enter into civil partnerships.

Civil partnerships were introduced under Labour to give people in same-sex relationships equal legal rights to married couples. However, campaigners argued that civil partnerships were seen as inferior to marriage.

Five UK evangelical Christian organisations have already released a joint statement pledging to “firmly oppose” any change.

The statement, signed by Affinity, The Christian Institute, Christian Concern, Reform and the Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches said that the “thousands of churches that our organisations represent hold firmly to the clear teaching of the Bible that marriage is the lifelong, exclusive union of one man and one woman.

“This is the definition that has long been recognized in English law and, indeed, by almost all cultures for all of human history.”

It added: “We are also concerned about the effect of declaring that the institution in which children are raised does not require both a mother and a father.

The government has also confirmed that it is to change the law to allow same-sex civil partnership ceremonies to be held in churches, synagogues and other religious settings for the first time. However, Home Secretary Theresa May insisted that no religious group would be forced to host a civil partnership ceremony against its will.

Liberal Jewish groups, Quakers and other Christian organisations have lobbied ministers for the right to host civil partnerships with religious readings and hymns, but the Church of England warned it would not bless same sex couples.

The Bishop of Blackburn, the Rt Rev Bishop Nicholas Reade, says his churches will not be used for same-sex ceremonies.

And he has criticised proposals for a change in the law, believed to have been drawn up by Liberal Democrat equality minister Lynne Featherstone.

Bishop Nicholas said: “I find it quite hard to understand why the government should think it can interfere with the teachings of the church.

“Church and state are not the same thing, and I am very surprised that without any consultation with the church the government is making such a sweeping statement.”

Plans were revealed to allow same-sex couples to marry in church, which would involve lifting the ban currently in place.

The first religious services for civil partners could take place later this year.

New laws granting them the right to do so are expected to be detailed in April, with the first religious civil partnership ceremonies taking place by the end of this year.

However, a spokesman for the Church of England said bishops were “clear” that the Church “should not provide services of blessing for those who register civil partnerships”.

The plans “could also lead to inconsistencies with civil marriage, have unexplored impacts, and lead to confusion, with a number of difficult and unintended consequences for churches and faiths”.