Church of Scotland General Assembly to debate response to commission's same-sex relationships report

Leading members of the Kirk in Tayside and Fife were among those asked to find a way to stop the Church of Scotland being torn apart over the contentious issue of openly gay clergy.

Church leaders will discuss the report by the Special Commission on Same-Sex Relationships and the Ministry at next month's General Assembly.

Among the 11 charged with finding a solution were the Rev Donald MacEwan, minister of Largoward linked with St Monans, the Rev James Stewart, minister of Perth: Letham St Mark's, the Rev Professor Alan Torrance, professor of systematic theology at St Andrews University, and Dundee University student Kim Wood, moderator of the National Youth Assembly.

The special commission was created two years ago after the General Assembly voted by 326 votes to 267 to appoint openly gay minister Scott Rennie to Queen's Cross Parish Church in Aberdeen.

Although the former minister of Brechin Cathedral has proved popular with his congregation, his appointment caused outrage in parts of the Church.

In an attempt to head off some of the controversy, church leaders announced a two-year moratorium on any further appointments of openly gay ministers until the special commission completed its report.

The commission issued its report last week but there is still no clear way forward for the Church of Scotland.

The commission came up with two "trajectories" the Church can take.

The first is to implement a ban on homosexuals training to be ministers — despite such discrimination being illegal — while the second is to allow people in a same-sex relationship to train for the ministry but set up a theological commission to come up with a definitive answer in 2013.

The report recommends Christians should not be hostile to homosexuals and that the Church should regard homophobia as a sin, although this does not include the belief that homosexuality is "contrary to God's will."

It also states that people who are homosexual by orientations should not be barred from membership of the Church or taking up leadership roles in it.

Among the 11 charged with finding a solution were the Rev Donald MacEwan, minister of Largoward linked with St Monans, the Rev James Stewart, minister of Perth: Letham St Mark's, the Rev Professor Alan Torrance, professor of systematic theology at St Andrews University, and Dundee University student Kim Wood, moderator of the National Youth Assembly.

The special commission was created two years ago after the General Assembly voted by 326 votes to 267 to appoint openly gay minister Scott Rennie to Queen's Cross Parish Church in Aberdeen.

Although the former minister of Brechin Cathedral has proved popular with his congregation, his appointment caused outrage in parts of the Church.

In an attempt to head off some of the controversy, church leaders announced a two-year moratorium on any further appointments of openly gay ministers until the special commission completed its report.

The commission issued its report last week but there is still no clear way forward for the Church of Scotland.

The commission came up with two "trajectories" the Church can take.

The first is to implement a ban on homosexuals training to be ministers — despite such discrimination being illegal — while the second is to allow people in a same-sex relationship to train for the ministry but set up a theological commission to come up with a definitive answer in 2013.

The report recommends Christians should not be hostile to homosexuals and that the Church should regard homophobia as a sin, although this does not include the belief that homosexuality is "contrary to God's will."

It also states that people who are homosexual by orientations should not be barred from membership of the Church or taking up leadership roles in it.