Church of Scotland faces threat of split in row over gay ministers

30 December 2010
By IAN SWANSON

DESPERATE efforts are under way to prevent the Church of Scotland splitting over the issue of gay ministers.

New official figures suggest a clear majority of Kirk representatives in Edinburgh would back a more liberal attitude.

A special commission is due to report to the General Assembly in May on whether practising gays and lesbians should be accepted into the ministry.

A consultation among ministers and elders in the Kirk's Edinburgh presbytery found a majority of two to one in favour of allowing gays who were in civil partnerships to become ministers, though there was an almost 50-50 divide on whether those who were in a non- formalised same-sex relationship should be ordained. the rest