Judge leads study into gay ministers

Published on Thursday 5 November 2009 08:52

A HIGH Court judge has been appointed to head the Church of Scotland's special commission on same-sex relationships and the ministry.

Lord Hodge, a former Kirk procurator, will lead a nine-strong group looking into the question of gay ministers following the row at this year's General Assembly over the appointment of the openly gay Rev Scott Rennie to a church in Aberdeen.

The Assembly approved Rev Rennie's move but agreed not to appoint any more gay ministers until after the commission reports back.

The commission has said it plans to produce a consultation paper by the end of February next year, followed by a consultation period until the end of May.

It wants all Kirk sessions and presbyteries to hold a special meeting to prepare a response, and is due to report to the General Assembly in 2011.

Other members of the commission include the Rev John Chalmers, former minister of Edinburgh's Palmerston Place Church; advocate Ruth Innes, a member at Palmerston Place Church; former Moderator the Very Rev Dr Sheilagh Kesting; and the Rev Peter Graham, former clerk to the Edinburgh presbytery.