Church of Scotland leaders to discuss special commission report on same-sex relationships
The Church of Scotland’s leaders will discuss the Special Commission’s report on same-sex relationships and the ministry at May’s General Assembly meeting.
The report explores the divisive issue of whether or not the Church can ordain openly gay ministers who are in same-sex relationships.
The Special Commission was created in 2009 after the appointment of gay minister Scott Rennie at Queen’s Cross Parish Church, Aberdeen. Despite Rennie being popular with his congregation, his appointment caused outrage among some members of the Church.
As a result of this, Scottish Church leaders declared a two-year moratorium on appointing of openly gay ministers until the Special Commission completed its report.
The Commission issued its report last week, but there is as yet no clear future for this issue in the Church of Scotland.
As reported in the Tayside & Fife Courier, the commission has come up with two trajectories it suggests the Church follows:
“The first is to implement a ban on homosexuals training to be ministers – despite such discrimination being illegal -while the second is to allow people in a same-sex relationship to train for the ministry but set up a theological commission to come up with a definitive answer in 2013.
“The report recommends Christians should not be hostile to homosexuals and that the Church should regard homophobia as a sin, although this does not include the belief that homosexuality is ‘contrary to God’s will’.
“It also states that people who are homosexual by orientations should not be barred from membership of the Church or taking up leadership roles in it.”