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Home  >  Features  >  General Assembly 2016 - Saturday

General Assembly 2016

The outgoing Moderator, the Very Rev Dr Angus Morrison, hands over to his successor, the Rt Rev Dr Russell Barr. Picture by Derek Fett.
The outgoing Moderator, the Very Rev Dr Angus Morrison, hands over to his successor, the Rt Rev Dr Russell Barr. Picture by Derek Fett.

Saturday May 21

general assembly opens door to ministers in same-sex marriage

 

The Church of Scotland has taken the final step to allowing churches to appoint ministers in same-sex marriages.

On its opening morning, the Church’s 2016 General Assembly voted to approve the overture which extends the provision agreed last year for gay ministers in civil partnerships.

That stated that the Church still holds to the traditional Christian understanding of marriage, but that Kirk Sessions, when calling a minister, may decide that they are open to someone in a formalised same-sex relationship.

The motion, first agreed last year and approved by a majority of presbyteries, was passed by 339 votes to 215 despite appeals from a few commissioners for the assembly to turn back from this path.

The Rev Prof Andrew McGowan said that the overture was ‘contrary to the plain teaching of scripture (and also) contrary to our confession of faith’, while Arthur Custance argued that voting in favour would ‘to vote against Jesus Christ’.

However, the Rev Paraic Reamonn argued that it was ‘a further step in our agreement to disagree’ and that ‘it does not call into question our understanding of Christian marriage’.

The decision brings to an end the series of debates and votes triggered by the call of the Rev Scott Rennie to Aberdeen Queen’s Cross Church in 2008. However, discussions about issues of sexuality will continue, with the Theological Forum proposing to bring a report on the Christian understanding of marriage to next year’s Assembly.

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Pictures by Derek Fett

Also today, the Council of Assembly presented the 2015 accounts and budget for next year, announcing that every council of the church had operated within budget. Convener Grant Barclay announced that 92% of the church’s income was spent on ‘direct charitable activities’ – mostly paying ministers and providing social care. However, he warned that for the first time congregational offerings had not gone up between 2014 and 2015, and that this was ‘unlikely to be exceptional’. “We can only spend what we can receive,” he added.

The Council of Assembly also announced plans, in conjunction with other councils, to hold a series of roadshows ‘in discussion about the future of the Church, its ministry and its discipleship’; and a review of the Strategic Framework, ‘identifying any major themes or projects which the Church may wish or need to address in the next ten years’.

A Perth minister, the Rev Klaus Buwert, warned that at the current rate of decline Church membership could be zero by 2040, and said that the single priority should be to reach the next generation. “I could outlive the Church of Scotland. That’s a scary thought.”

The Assembly approved a new motion introduced by the Rev Robert Allan of Falkirk, instructing the Council to review senior staff salaries with a view to setting a cap. He said: “I don’t believe it’s right that we pay in the region of £75,000 to those who work take on senior positions… nor do I believe we have to pay such high salaries to attract the right people.”

During the report of the Legal Questions Committee, convener, the Rev George Cowie emphasised that, contrary to press reports of recent days, the Church was not considering providing online baptism.

Some disquiet was expressed about a proposed new register of ministry, which would categorise ministers by which functions they are authorised to perform, based on the areas of work they are up-to-date with. Military and prison chaplains said that they felt they were considered ‘second class citizens’ under the measure, as they would not be authorised ‘to perform the functions of ministry generally’ but only ‘to perform the functions of ministry in connection with an employed ministry post’ unless they keep up-to-date with relevant developments in ministry. However, a counter-motion asking the committee to define the competencies required for each category, and how ministers could move between them, was defeated following a lengthy discussion. Presbyteries will now be asked to approve the measure.

Earlier, the Assembly accepted the Assembly Arrangements Committee’s proposal to study the implications of moving the meeting to June in future. Alison McDonald, convener of the Ecumenical Relations Committee, asked that the committee be mindful of other churches’ assemblies; and the Very Rev Prof Iain Torrance asked that it bear in mind the changing dates of university graduations.

During the opening ceremonials, the outgoing Moderator, the (then) Rt Rev Dr Angus Morrison, repeated his calls for the church to stay united despite its differences. Reflecting on Paul’s letter to the Romans, he said that the church had been imperfect from the beginning, but said: "If by faith we are united to Christ, we are bound inseparably to one another."

He added, however, that unity did not mean uniformity: "Our unity is entirely compatible with and requires a huge amount of diversity and many different perspectives.”

The new Moderator, the (now) Rt Rev Dr Russell Barr, said that Dr Morrison had been ‘a great ambassador for the church’ (echoing Ron Ferguson’s column in January’s Life and Work’). He joked that his old school, Kilmarnock Academy (of which he is now the fifth former pupil to become Moderator), was ‘rivalling Eton for members of the UK cabinet’.

The Lord High Commissioner, Baron Hope of Craighead, reflected on the importance of words and communication, and told the Assembly: “I feel sure that, as has been your time-honoured custom, your deliberations will be tackled throughout with thoughtfulness and courtesy.”

Warm tributes were paid to Janette Wilson, who retired as Church of Scotland Solicitor after 35 years of service. The Moderator said: “Your colleagues have marvelled at your attention to detail and been in awe of your institutional memory.” Mary Macleod was sworn in as Mrs Wilson’s successor; and Anne Macintosh as the new General Treasurer.

There was also a tribute to Pauline Weibye, who is retiring as Secretary to the Council of Assembly.