The Board of Ministry has decided to appoint a task force to research the possibility of allowing same-sex commitment ceremonies in Memorial Church, according to a statement yesterday by Board spokesperson Rev. Thomas J.S. Mikelson.

The Board decision came after a meeting yesterday morning in which the topic of same-sex commitment ceremonies topped the agenda.

Mikelson, who is minister of the First Parish-Unitarian Universalist Church, said the task force will explore various policy alternatives and return a recommendation to the Board at its meeting in May.

The task force is composed of Rev. Thomas B. Chittick, minister of University Lutheran Church; Rev. Richard N. Chrisman, associate minister of Old South Church in Boston, and one other individual, who has not yet accepted the position.

After reviewing the task force's recommendation, the Board will submit its decision to Minister in the Memorial Church Peter J. Gomes and Associate Minister Janet Hatfield Legro, who are both directly responsible for administering policy in Memorial Church.

The issue of commitment ceremonies came into the spotlight last November when it was discovered that two men had been refused a ceremony in Memorial Church by Gomes.

Gomes, who is also Plummer professor of Christian morals, was traveling yesterday and could not be reached for comment. However, in previous interviews with The Crimson, Gomes has said that Memorial Church and the Board have had no policy on same-sex committment ceremonies.

Since last fall, campus opinions on the issue have varied widely.

In connection with a Nov. 15 article in The Crimson, the Harvard Gay and Lesbian Caucus--an association of alumni and faculty--released an e-mail statement expressing support for same-sex commitment ceremonies in Memorial Church.

And Thursday night, a crowd of about 100 clergy, students and faculty crowded the steps of the church for a candlelight vigil to support the admission of same-sex ceremonies.

Mikelson, who spoke at the vigil, said the event demonstrated students' interest in allowing such ceremonies but that the vigil drew only a small crowd of devoted students.

"It wasn't something that pulled the whole campus out," he said. "But the individuals who were there understand what a momentous occasion this is."

Sam Spital '00, who introduced a resolution in the Undergraduate Council last month endorsing same-sex ceremonies in Memorial Church, said the vigil sent a powerful message to the administration.

"[The administration] realizes that no one will forget about this," said Spital. "The vigil helped reaffirm that message, and I trust that the Board is truly interested in looking into this."

Although Spital's resolution urging the Board to allow same-sex commitment ceremonies passed by a vote of 34 to 6, not all members favor the idea.

"I think the U.C. should stay out of the matters of the house of God," council treasurer John J. Appelbaum said in January.