The first openly gay Church of Scotland minister has predicted clergy will be allowed to conduct same sex marriages within “the next few years”.
Rev Scott Rennie, who had to wait more than six months to move from Brechin Cathedral to Aberdeen’s Queen’s Cross Church because of controversy about his sexuality, expressed his delight at the result of a General Assembly vote on the issue.
The gathering, which opened in Edinburgh on Saturday, backed extending a law passed last May that permits ministers to be in same-sex civil partnerships.
The decision means the Kirk adopts a position which maintains a traditional view of marriage between a man and woman, but allows individual congregations to “opt out” if they wish to appoint a minister or a deacon in a same-sex marriage or a civil partnership.
Any wider consideration of the theological understanding of same-sex marriage will not take place until the Theological Forum presents its report to the Kirk next year.
But Mr Rennie, who said the result was particularly positive for young gay people involved with the church, is already planning to push the boundaries again.
He said: “Ministers can be ordained and can be in a same sex marriage or a civil partnership but ministers can’t marry same sex couples.
“The next big step is for the church to say, for ministers who are happy to, you can conduct marriages of people of the same gender.
“That’s the next thing and I’m sure that’s going to change in the next few years. I’m astonished at the big change there has been in the past 10 years.”
Commissioners decided by 339 votes to 215 to allow ministers to be in same-sex marriages. Rev David Robertson, Moderator of the Free Church of Scotland, said it was “saddened” by the decision.
