Same-sex marriage becomes legal in England next month, posing a dilemma for the Church of England, which is the mother church of the world's 80 million Anglicans and maintains that marriage is between a man and a woman.
The House of Bishops - one of three parts of the church's General Synod - also said people in a same-sex marriage should not be ordained as bishops, priests and deacons, nor should those in the ministry enter gay marriage.
"The House is not willing for those who are in a same-sex marriage to be ordained to any of the three orders of ministry," the bishops said. "In addition, it considers that it would not be appropriate conduct for someone in holy orders to enter into a same-sex marriage."
The legislation already forbids the Church of England and its sister Church in Wales from conducting same-sex marriages, although other religious groups can opt in if they want.
The British parliament passed laws last year to allow gay marriages from 2014 in England and Wales. Scotland followed suit this month, becoming the 17th country to allow same-sex marriages.
They acknowledged the divisions in the church on homosexuality but said same-sex marriage was a "new reality" with implications for the Church of England that had to be discussed and addressed.