The Church of Scotland on May 22 voted to allow practising homosexual men and women to become ministers.
The Kirk’s ruling assembly voted in favour of a proposal to allow liberal congregations to opt out of the church’s traditionalist stance on homosexuality. It followed a report by the church’s theological commission which set out traditional and liberal arguments.
Criticise
The move has been criticised by the Rev. David Randall, who warned that it could cost the Church of Scotland members and money. He said that the issue of gay clergy ‘has been forced upon us by the revisionists who want us to turn our backs on what common sense tells us’. He added that, if the church tried to ‘sit on the fence, then we will lose members, ministers, congregations and money. Are we to stand by Scripture or are we to go with the flow of social trends?’