The Stornoway High Church is the first in the country to vote over breaking away from the Church of Scotland following over a controversy of appointing gay ministers.
The outcome of the secret ballot will be revealed late tonight.
The row over permitting practicing homosexual pastors to preach from the pulpit has been brewing for the past two years since Rev Scott Rennie was appointed to an Aberdeen congregation in 2009.
Two years ago, the congregation vowed to “take steps to disengage from the Church of Scotland” but agreed to wait to give this year’s General Assembly the opportunity to come to a “satisfactory conclusion” on practicing homosexual ministers.
That did not happened, and the denomination’s decision in May to sanction gay preachers and officials already inducted to office has angered many in the High Church.
It is acting against the wishes of the Church of Scotland, and the island presbytery, to wait for a theological commission which is examining if pulpits should be open to all other ministers who come out of the closet or are ordained in the future.
The kirk session strongly backs the principle of separating from the denomination.
Worshippers do not discriminate against gay people as individuals but believe sanctioning
openly clergy in a same-
Much of tonight’s meeting is likely to focus on the practicalities and legalities of a split as much as the theological debate.
A clear majority would be expected before the church proceeds with an official separation.
Worshippers were told the congregational meeting has been called to “consider the
future direction of the High Church in the light of 2011 General Assembly decisions
concerning the Special Commission Report on same-
A note to parishioners said: “The Kirk Session urges all members and adherents to attend the meeting in order to register their views through a secret ballot.”
The congregation will arrive for 7.30pm for a discussion on outstanding issues before proceeding to the vote. The kirk session is gathering an hour beforehand to sort out the logistics of the main meeting.
As church members enter the side hall where Gaelic services are held, ballot papers will be issued by elders who will check the voting eligibility of each person before they pass.
The kirk session will explain the legalities, particularly the crucial question if the congregation can claim the church building and neighbouring manse.
Presbyterian churches are democratic bodies and the ballot will be held in secret and follow the procedure for calling a minister. Parishioners will observe elders tipping out the ballot papers and undertaking the count.
The proceedings will be supervised by Rev Andrew Coghill, who is the temporary minister at the church, and by Rev Paul Ahmed who takes over the interim role in two months.
The future spiritual home for a breakaway church is uncertain. Parishioners are unlikely
to back an independent single-
However, there are no alternative hymn-
One possible route may be to join the Free Church as its first Western Isles hymn and musical instrument congregation.
However, if the vote favours a schism, Stornoway High is expected to bide its time
and see if a new Scotland-
Stornoway High protested against Mr Rennie’s ordination two years. It joined the Fellowship of Confessing Churches which opposes the “forced introduction of heterodox teaching and practice” into the church.
It also gave notice it would “take steps to disengage” with the Church of Scotland unless the denomination returned to biblical teachings.
The church, at the junction of Matheson Road and Goathill Road, presently has no resident minister since Rev Willie Black retired recently.
Until the end of August, the congregation is being overseen by Rev Andrew Coghill who separately announced he is quitting his own pulpit at Leurbost church and sever links with the denomination over the gay ministers row.
In May, Rev Andrew Coghill warned the General Assembly that ordaining gay ministers would destroy the church.
He said it would be like detonating a “hand grenade. We're being asked to pull the pin out, and it will blow the church apart.”
Meanwhile, a statement from the Presbytery of Lewis urged all “congregations within its bounds to remain united within the Church of Scotland” until the outcome of the theological commission is known in 2013.
The statement accepted there was “legitimate differing opinion amongst Presbytery members“ over permitting previously ordained gay clergy.
It added: “Should the General Assembly of 2013 decide to re-
Stornoway church votes over break away gay row 28/6/11
Church members and adherents queue for the ballot meeting