Three more Church of Scotland ministers quit over gay clergy

PinkNews logo on pink background with rainbow corners.

Another three Church of Scotland ministers have announced they will quit over gay clergy members.

Highland ministers the Rev Ivor Martin will leave Kilmuir and Stenscholl on Skye, the Rev John Murdo MacDonald will leave Lochalsh and the Rev Rory McRae will leave Kintail and Glenelg.

They will leave during the next three months, BBC News reports.

This week, a church minister in Aberdeen resigned.

Rev Peter Dickson, of High Church in Hilton, said he felt “genuine sorrow” at taking the decision but added that the decision to accept openly gay clergy meant his position was becoming “untenable”.

Tensions over gay clergy kicked off in 2009, when an openly gay man was appointed minister of Queens Cross Church in Aberdeen.

After Scott Rennie’s appointment, a two-year moratorium on gay clergy was imposed. This was lifted in May, although the general assembly has not yet decided whether to allow sexually-active gay clergy or demand celibacy from gay ministers.

Comments (0)

MyPinkNews members are invited to comment on articles to discuss the content we publish, or debate issues more generally. Please familiarise yourself with our community guidelines to ensure that our community remains a safe and inclusive space for all.

Loading Comments