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To former vicar Colin Coward, it is nothing short of a marriage made in heaven. But the 65-year-old is expected to raise a few traditional eyebrows when he walks down the aisle with the man in his life – a 25-year-old Nigerian model called Bobby.

Mr Coward and his African partner are due to hold a civil partnership later this year, followed by a service at the vicar’s church, St John the Baptist church in Devizes, Wiltshire.

The couple met at a Christian conference three years ago, and are planning to make their relationship official in a few weeks’ time.

Reverend Colin Coward fell in love with Nigerian model Bobby Egbele after they met at a Christian conference in Togo in 2007. The pair plan to tie the knot in October

Bobby Ikekhuame Egbele, a fashion designer and model, grew up in Nigeria and runs an online clothes shop. Currently in the UK on a holiday visa, he and his ‘husband-to-be’ are waiting for the green light from the Borders Agency, which has requested details of their relationship and residency.

This is expected to be a formality but the ‘marriage’ cannot go ahead until permission is granted. Mr Egbele, who will then become a British citizen, said yesterday: ‘I’m excited about the wedding and that people are interested in it.

Mr Coward, who is no longer employed by the Church but still has permission to preach, added that he hopes their public commitment will set an example to other gay people within the Anglican community.

Rev Coward plans to refuse the request that he remain celibate

Mr Coward, who lives with Mr Egbele in the Wiltshire village of Marston, said: ‘My goal is for everyone within the Church to feel comfortable with the situation because at the moment the majority of gay Christians marry secretly.

‘It is a taboo subject but the Church is now under huge pressure to change its stance and that pressure will only increase in the future. '

‘Clearly the blessing is going to be quite a sensitive issue. I know that many people will see it and view it with horror. But we are both deeply committed Christians so it would be unthinkable for me not to do it in church and not to do it with the congregation and with all of our friends.‘

'I hope my wedding will inspire others and set a visible example to the church that we are not afraid.’

The pair describe themselves as 'deeply committed Christians' and say they are determined to have the church service

Mr Coward, a former architect and now a gay campaigner, met Mr Egbele in 2007 at a Christian conference in Togo, West Africa, and the pair got engaged earlier this year.

The men are due to ‘marry’ on October 9 at the Register Office in Devizes before having a service at St John the Baptist church.

However, the service will not be a blessing, which is forbidden by the Anglican hierarchy for homosexual couples. But Stephen Green, director of campaign group Christian Voice, yesterday described Mr Coward’s marriage ‘an abomination before God’.

Mr Green added: ‘Mr Coward is just an emotionally disturbed man trying to inflict his predilections on the rest of the Church I fail to recognise him as a Christian because he doesn’t keep the commandments of Lord Jesus.’ A spokesman for the Diocese of Salisbury confirmed it has permitted the service to go ahead but described it as ‘separate’ from the civil ceremony.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP)—Kareem Abdul-Jabbar says the NBA should raise its minimum agefor entry into the league to 21.

The NBA’s career scoring leader and center on the Los Angeles Lakers’ 1980s“Showtime” teams said Wednesday there’s a disturbing sense ofentitlementamong many of today’s young pros.

“They get precocious kids from high school who think they’re rock stars—‘Where’s my $30 million?’ ” said Abdul-Jabbar, who was in Omaha to speakat theB’nai B’rith sports banquet.. “The attitudes have changed, and the gamehassuffered because of that, and it has certainly hurt the college game.”

The 63-year-old Abdul-Jabbar and Magic Johnson led the Lakers to five NBAtitles in the 1980s. Before Abdul-Jabbar retired in 1989, he set the NBArecordfor career points (38,387), MVP selections (six) and All-Star selections(19).

He now is a special assistant to the Lakers and a best-selling author.

Abdul-Jabbar met students Wednesday at Boys Town, the nationally acclaimedhome for troubled youth. He told them about his time at UCLA, where heplayed onthree national championship teams for John Wooden and graduated in fouryearswith degrees in English and history.

“Coach John Wooden encouraged me to be more than just a jock,” Abdul-Jabbar said. “He said if I let my intellectual life suffer becauseI wasso into being an athlete that I would be less than I could be. I wouldtell allstudents to pursue your dreams but don’t let your education suffer.”

The NBA in 2005 changed its entry age to 19. Players who previously mighthave jumped from high school to the NBA now end up playing one year ofcollegeball before declaring for the draft.

Those players are still too young, Abdul-Jabbar said, and many deprivethemselves of the emotional and physical maturity necessary to meet on-andoff-the-court challenges.

“When I played, the players had to go to college and earn their way ontothe court, meaning that there were upperclassmen ahead of them,” hesaid.“Players who had to go through that and had to go to class, when theygot to beprofessional athletes, they were a lot better qualified.”

Abdul-Jabbar said if college weren’t the right place for a player, theplayer should, as an alternative, be required to play in a minor leagueordevelopmental league.

Kevin Garnett, KobeBryant and LeBronJames became stars right out of highschool. The day after James all but disappeared in Cleveland’s playoffloss toBoston, Abdul-Jabbar said even “King James” would have benefited fromcollege.

“He would have come into the professional ranks very polished, given hisinnate gifts,” Abdul-Jabbar said. “Having to go through a college systemwouldhave made him a total gem as soon as he stepped out of the collegeranks.”

Abdul-Jabbar commented on other topics:

— He said his role as co-pilot “Roger Murdock” in the 1980 comedy movie“Airplane” changed his life.

“I think everybody in the airline industry is required to watch it,” hesaid. “When I get on planes, every so often the stewardess or the pilotwillcome out and ask me, ‘Do you want to fly the plane?’ “

During a flight in Europe, a pilot escorted him from his seat to the cockpitfor takeoff.

“I get a good laugh from it,” he said. “It’s been over 25 years since Imade that movie and people still watch it all the time. I guess it’s aclassic.”

— He said he has known about Boys Town and its founder, the Rev. EdwardFlanagan, since he attended Catholic school in an Irish neighborhood inNew YorkCity. “The Irish were very proud of him and what he had achieved. It’sreallyneat for me to come out here and see it in reality and seeing they’redoing suchfine work. That is so necessary. People have to care about our youth.They areour most precious resources. If we don’t care, what’s going to happen.”

— He said his greatest athletic achievement was playing on the Lakers teamthat beat Boston for the NBA title in 1985.

“But seeing my kids graduate from college and knowing they have a firmbasis in life, that is a lot more important to me, personally,” he said.

— He said 6-11 center Nate Thurmond, who played for Golden State, Chicagoand Cleveland, was his toughest matchup.

“A lot of guys beat on me and said they played good defense. Nate actuallyused skill and knowledge of the game to play against me and make myeveningsmore difficult when I had to play him,” Abdul-Jabbar said. “He waseverythinga professional center should be.”

— He said the “Showtime” Lakers would fare well in the current NBA.

“We had guys on the bench who were Hall-of-Famers,” he said. “That doesn’t happen now because there is such a dispersal of talent. We woulddo verywell in this present climate.”