The Church of Scotland’s General Assembly begins tomorrow with the installation of the Moderator Rev Dr Angus Morrison, who was forced to withdraw last year after being diagnosed with prostate cancer.
Now fully recovered, one of the Moderator’s first tasks will be to chair an historic vote on the ordination of ministers in same sex civil partnerships.
The debate is a culmination of several years of deliberation on this issue, which included a vote by all 45 presbyteries of the church, which endorsed the move by 31 votes in favour to 14 against.
The General Assembly will now have the final say on this proposed change to church law.
Should the overture be voted through, the Assembly will later be asked to include
ministers in same-
Historic vote over gay ministers starts Church of Scotland’s General Assembly tomorrow
15 May 2015
Other topics being considered are tax reform, food banks, mental health, fracking, mediation teams in South Sudan and nuclear weapons.
500 years since the birth of reformation leader John Knox will be marked with a fringe event exploring new discoveries about this complex man from the author of a new book on his life.