The Church of Scotland faces its biggest challenge in decades this year as a two-year ban on the ordination of gay ministers comes to an end.
In May 2009, the General Assembly voted to appoint openly-gay minister Scott Rennie, formerly the minister of Brechin Cathedral, to Queen’s Cross Parish Church, Aberdeen.
Although his appointment was approved by a vote of 326 to 267, church leaders announced a two-year moratorium on any further appointments of gay ministers and created a special commission to explore the issue.
Members of the Church of Scotland were effectively banned from discussing the issue but the commission will report back to the General Assembly this year and the controversial issue will come to the fore again.
According to one respected former minister, the tensions in the church are no closer to being resolved.
Although Mr Rennie has been a popular appointment in Aberdeen, several presbyteries are still opposed to the ordination of gay ministers entirely.
The Rev Dr John Cameron said the Church of Scotland will have spent the past two years readying itself for what will be its biggest test in years.
He said, “They’re really setting themselves up and that’s why they’re bringing David Arnott back as the moderator.
“The problem is the evangelical part of the church, although not a particularly big group, is very active and are responsible for a lot of the money coming into the church.
“Because they want to keep them there they may be put in a situation where they have to sacrifice Scott Rennie although that would be a public relations disaster.”‘Witch-hunts’Dr Cameron said Crail minister Michael Erskine, who was effectively fired by the church after he had an affair with a parishioner, may have been sacked in case Mr Rennie is also removed from his post.
Although he was originally suspended for two years, St Andrews presbytery voted to dissolve Mr Erksine’s pastoral ties, effectively sacking him completely, although they denied it was as a result of pressure from the church.
“Mike Erskine was caught up in that because if they have to sacrifice Rennie and Erskine had got back then they could potentially open themselves us to prosecution under discrimination laws,” said Dr Cameron, who campaigned for Mr Erskine’s suspension to be cut.
Dr Cameron added that a motion to ban ministers from any sexual relations outside marriage which has been put forward could lead to more cases like Mr Erskine’s.
He said, “If that happened there could be witch-hunts all over the place.
“I think there has been real pressure put on people to go with what the establishment wants.”
Dr Cameron said any motions for debate will be strictly controlled as the Kirk tries to strike a balance over the controversial issue of gay ministers.
“They don’t want to split the Kirk,” he said.
“It is a question about how hard the evangelicals are going to be.
“If they leave, they can’t take the buildings so that may be a factor but this is the biggest challenge to the church since the second world war.”