Evangelicals in Scotland and Wales are facing difficult decisions after major denominations in each country liberalised their stance on same-sex marriage.
They have expressed dismay at the Church of Scotland’s decision to allow its clergy to conduct same-sex marriages, following a vote of the Members of the General Assembly. Commissioners voted 274–136 in favour, but ministers and deacons will not be forced to compelled to take the ceremonies if they do not want to.
In Wales, one serving vicar of the Church in Wales has told en that the decision of its Governing Body last September to allow same-sex civil partnerships to be blessed has left evangelicals with ‘a conundrum’ of whether they should leave or fight for the truth.
Covenant Fellowship Scotland (an evangelical think tank) said the Church of Scotland had made a ‘serious mistake’ and ‘acted in a way which is both unbiblical and sinful’.
William Wilson (see photo), a Church of Scotland vicar at Burnside Blairbeth Church in Glasgow, expressed his regret about the decision, but said he was not surprised.
He added: ‘As the Church of Scotland affirms Scripture as its supreme authority I do not believe it should be travelling down this road.’ He anticipated that ‘significant numbers’ of ministers will not choose to opt in to conduct gay marriages.
But he added: ‘God called me into the Church of Scotland and I believe He has called me to remain here. While I am deeply saddened by the action of the denomination on this issue, I remain committed to obeying God’s call to serve Him within the Church of Scotland.’
In Wales, the vicar (who asked to remain anonymous at this point) said evangelicals in the Churches of Wales and the Church of England are divided, and said: ‘Do we stay and fight for the truth? Or do we acknowledge that … in the drastic change of doctrine on marriage, in good conscience we must depart?’
Some have already left, he added, while others are waiting to find houses and alternative employment.
The evangelical vicar was commenting following news that the new Archbishop of Wales, Andrew John, said he anticipated same-sex weddings could be held in the Church of Wales within five years.
The vicar described these reported words as ‘full of delusion and dishonesty’. He said: ‘Same-sex marriage is not the real problem, it is simply a symptom of a disease – the loss of the Bible, God’s gift, as the authority on which we should base all our decisions.’
