Kirk takes another step towards same-sex vows
Assembly votes to draft new rules on marriage
The Church of Scotland yesterday took a step closer to allowing ministers to conduct same-sex marriages.
At the annual General Assembly in Edinburgh a motion was passed ordering the Kirk’s legal committee to draft a Church law that would allow the move.
A final vote on the controversial proposal is not expected until the annual Kirk meeting of 2021. Before the vote, Rev Tom Gordon said: “I have two daughters, both of whom are married. I have one gay daughter marriage.
“When my older daughter got married she had a choice to ask me to conduct her service as a minister or for me to walk her down the aisle as her dad.
“But when my younger daughter got married she had no such choice.
“Give people a choice. Allow their
in
a
same-sex marriage to be conducted by a minister.”
Fears were raised in the assembly about whether there would be safeguards to protect those who did not wish to perform the ceremonies. The Rev Mark Malcolm said: “Legislation isn’t going to protect, because perception is everything.” Elsewhere, Rev Susan Brown was confirmed as the new moderator and said she wants to highlight the importance of walking to improve mental and physical health.
Mrs Brown – the minister who married Madonna and Guy Ritchie in 2000 – said she wanted to raise the profile of the ancient spiritual tradition of walking.
“The prospect of becoming moderator of the General Assembly is slightly scary but incredibly exciting. It will be a challenging year but I am really up for it,” she said. “As the ambassador for the Church, I am really looking forward to meeting people and hearing their stories as my theme is ‘walking with’. “I also want to highlight how important walking, which is an ancient spiritual tradition, is for our physical and mental health – an issue I plan to raise with political leaders.”
The agenda for the assembly includes a plan to reverse dwindling revenues and congregations.
The Kirk has seen congregational giving fall by nearly £2 million over the last two years and is considering selling off its Edinburgh HQ.
At the assembly on Tuesday a public procession will mark 50 years of the ordination of women within the Kirk.