Same-sex marriages hailed by minister

SCOTLAND’S first openly gay minister has welcomed the prospect of same-sex marriages being held in Scottish churches within months as “a great boost” for those trying to convince the Church of Scotland to do the same.

The Herald revealed yesterday that the Scottish Episcopal Church (SEC) is expected to become one of the first major denominations to conduct such ceremonies by the autumn.

Last year the SEC’s General Synod passed a first reading of the motion to remove from Canon 31, the doctrinal statement that marriage is to be understood as a union “of one man and one woman” .

A second reading is to be debated at this year’s General Synod in Edinburgh next week.

Some senior sources within the Church told how they expected this to be passed while others said the vote was on a “knife-edge”.

Scott Rennie, Scotland’s first openly gay minister who is a minister in Aberdeen, said: “It will be a great boost to those of us in the national Church of Scotland who wish to be able to do the same.

“It will mean that another mainstream denomination in Scotland, and a much-valued ecumenical partner, has made space for its clergy who wish to participate in equal marriage to do so.”

Catherine of LGBT rights charity Stonewall Scotland said: “This is an important moment for LGBT Christians in Scotland, many of whom would like to be able to be married in their place of worship, surrounded by their congregation.”