Scottish Minister to Quit Over Gay Clergy

The Reverend Andrew Coghill will quit the Church of Scotland over its move to consider the ordination of openly gay clergy.

The Scotsman reports on the decision by Coghill, whose church is in the Outer Hebrides. He is the second minister to announce plans to leave over the gay clergy issue; the Reverend Roddy MacRae announced last week that he would depart.

After the Reverend Scott Rennie, who is gay and partnered, was appointed to an Aberdeen congregation in 2009, the church put a moratorium on appointments of openly gay clergy. It recently lifted that moratorium, allowing out gay clergy provided they were ordained before 2009. A two-year commission is to examine whether the church should allow further ordinations of openly gay ministers.

The Scotsman reports that a Church of Scotland spokesman said in response to the most recent departure, "It is disappointing that any minister would feel the need to leave the church when no final decisions have been taken, and the church has agreed to hold more dialogue on this issue."