Accepting Evangelicals
Gay Minister called to Queens Cross Parish, Aberdeen - May 2009
You may have seen press coverage concerning the calling a gay minister, Rev. Scott Rennie, to Queens Cross,
Aberdeen (Church of Scotland).
This
has been opposed, sadly, by an evangelical pressure within the church called
"Forward Together".
An open
letter has been sent to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland by a
number of Christian group, many of which are evangelical including Accepting
Evangelicals, affirming the ministry of gay and lesbian people in the Church.
The
full letter is as follows:-
To the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland
As you meet this week, you are faced with a difficult subject – that of
homosexuality in the Church. We want to assure you of our prayers. We are
evangelicals who believe that Scripture does not condemn homosexual
relationships. We are made up of heterosexual and homosexual Christians. These
are of course deeply personal questions. As a result of the traditional view on
homosexuality, it has been our experience that many gay and lesbian Christians
have been forced down a path of self hatred, which all too often leads to loss
of faith, breakdown or even suicide. After much wrestling, prayer and heartache
both individually and corporately we have come to understand that God affirms
loving faithful same sex relationships.
As evangelicals, we believe in the Authority and Supremacy of Scripture, and
wholeheartedly affirm “The holy scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are the
word of God, the only rule of faith and obedience” (Westminster Larger
Catechism 3) without question. We understand the various positions within
the Church and believe it is a difference of interpretation not biblical
Authority that characterises our debate. We support and affirm our brothers and
sisters who have had the same struggle with sexuality as we have and yet who
feel called to singleness, as we feel called to affirm relationships.
We stand with the historic orthodox Christian teaching of 'justification
through faith alone' – that a person is made right with God because of the Work
of Jesus Christ and it is faith in Him that brings us into relationship with God
– without any additional requirements, no matter who makes them. This is the
heart of the Good News that Scotland – and the rest of the world, whether gay or
straight – needs to hear from the Church. No one is excluded from relationship
with God (or service for him) because they are in relationship with someone of
the same gender.
We affirm the teaching of the Lord Jesus Christ and the Apostle Paul that all
the Law is summed up in love for God and love for our neighbour (Mark 12; Romans
13). We can see nothing in Scripture or our calling as God's People – both gay
and straight - where a loving monogamous same sex relationship is inconsistent
with this summary of the requirements to live a holy life. We pray that the
General Assembly will follow the example of her Head, King Jesus, who reached
out to the marginalised, the suffering, the oppressed and those on the fringes
and who continues to do so today.
Finally, and honestly, we are not just 'out there'. There are thousands of
faithful people sitting in pews, standing in pulpits, working in your Kirk
Sessions who are gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered. We urge the Assembly
to embrace the message of transformational grace and, inclusion, to stand for
justice and mercy and signal the openness of God's compassionate love to his
children – straight and gay. You will be in common with a vast and growing
number of evangelicals and others across the world who do not exclude
homosexuals but understand that the Church has erred in its rejection of them.
The question you are facing is, will you send a clear message of God's love and
welcome, or one of rejection and fear. We urge the General Assembly to take this
opportunity to act biblically, in the spirit of the inclusivity, holiness
and love of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and to be pastorally sensitively to the
LGBT community within the Church of Scotland.
Signed by:
Courage SCOTLAND www.couragescotland.org - Rev
Ruairidh MacRae
Evangelicals Concerned www.ecinc.org – Dr Ralph Blair
Scottish Region of Evangelical Fellowship for Lesbian and Gay Christians –
www.eflgc.org.uk
Changing Attitude Nigeria www.changingattitude.org.uk - Davis Mac-Iyalla
Baptist Network Affirming Lesbian & Gay Christians www.affirmingbaptists.org.uk
- Martin Stears-Handscomb and Sarah Hill
Changing Attitude England www.changingattitude.org.uk Rev
Colin Coward
Accepting Evangelicals www.acceptingevangelicals.org -
Rev Benny Hazlehurst and Mike Dark
Christian Lesbians UK www.chrisitanlesbians.co.uk -
Cindy Mccarron
Courage UK www.courage.org.uk Jeremy Marks
Inclusive Church www.inclusivechurch.net Giles Goddard
Good News!
The General Assembly has voted to uphold Rev. Rennie's Appointment. He was formally inducted in July.
Assembly votes to uphold Rev. Rennie's Appointment
Rev. Rennie will take up post in July
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