Kirk fears secessions over gays

27 May, 2011
by Ed Thornton

THE Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, the Rt Revd David Arnott, pleaded with conservatives to “remain in the Church” after it voted on Monday to move towards accepting those in same-sex relationships as deacons and ministers.

The Assembly (photo, above) spent several hours debating a report on sexuality by the Special Commission that it appointed two years ago after it approved the appointment of an openly gay minister, the Revd Scott Rennie, to Queen’s Cross in Aberdeen (News, 29 May 2009).

The Assembly had at the same meeting voted for a two-year moratorium on further appoint­ments of people in same-sex rela­tionships.  the rest

"He said it was “too early to tell” whether conservatives would leave, but hoped “people don’t have a knee- jerk reaction. A lot of us will be con­sidering our positions and talking with our people. There is a lot of discussion and discernment to take place.”  "