Breakaway congregation

Homeless congregation ponders future 26/3/14

Senior Church of Scotland officials have attended a meeting about the future plans for a Lewis church following a vote for the majority to break away from the denomination.

In an official ballot, about half the number of communicant members and adherents of Stornoway High Church voted to split over the row about homosexual pastors in the national church.

Some 236 seek to leave the denomination while 103 people who voted wish to remain. Over 120 worshippers did not respond to the formal consultation.

Those who did not vote to leave are set to remain within the premises.

The Church of Scotland (CoS) plans to retain the building - one of three belonging to the denomination in Stornoway - dashing hopes the breakaway group could continue to worship in the High.

The CoS also indicated it intends to get a minister for them.

The breakaway supporters cannot quit in one group and would have to leave as individual worshippers.

Reverend John Chalmers - the Principal Clerk to the Church of Scotland - answered queries at a congregational meeting in the church on Wednesday evening.

Worshippers asked for the meeting between the congregation, presbytery and the Principal Clerk of the denomination.

The congregation opposes permitting gay ministers to freely preach. The row has been ticking away since when Rev Scott Rennie was appointed to an Aberdeen congregation in 2009.

The breakaways had hoped to continue as a congregation - though under the wing of another Presbyterian denomination such as the Free Church - but would require alternative accommodation in which to worship.