SUMMARY: The Rev. V. Gene Robinson and Mark Andrew plan Saturday to enter into a New Hampshire civil union despite near-certain protests and death threats.

Despite near-certain death threats and outcry from right-wing groups, Episcopal Bishop Gene Robinson plans to enter into a New Hampshire civil union Saturday with his longtime partner, Mark Andrew.

The ceremony takes place right before the church’s biggest ecclesiastical conference — which Robinson was barred from attending — because, he says, it is what God asks of him.

“When your life is at stake, you learn that there are things in life that are much worse than death,” Robinson said on the “Today Show” on Thursday.

“That’s the great reward of being a Christian. Not living your life — that’s worse than death. And if something were to happen to me, I would know that I am doing what I discern God is calling me to do.”

In 2003, Robinson was elected by New Hampshire congregations as the Episcopal Church’s first openly gay bishop. He will marry Andrew, his partner for 20 years, to give legal protections to Andrew and two daughters from a previous marriage.

“I am simply not going to put my life in jeopardy without putting into place the protections for my beloved partner and my children and my grandchildren that are offered to me in a civil union,” Robinson said, according to MSNBC. “I think any husband or wife would want to do that.”

Since Robinson was consecrated, nearly 100 of the 8,000 Episcopal churches in the United States have stories related to Gay bishop to wed in New Hampshire.