Faith and transition: the four big questions

Gay clergy

THE most high-profile issue of the week was the debate over whether the Kirk should consider the ordination of openly homosexual clergy.

The issue pitched traditionalist, evangelical members who insist that to allow such a move is to depart from Biblical truth, against more progressive, liberal members who believe that it is the natural trajectory of the church towards a more inclusive stance.

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The day-long debate, which crystalised the divide within the church, ended in a surprise result, which saw the Assembly agree to the setting-up of a two-year theological commission to examine the implications of allowing the ordination of openly gay ministers, but also allowing those who were already openly gay before 2009, when the original controversy was sparked over the appointment of Scott Rennie, pictured, in Aberdeen.

Super-presbyteries

RADICAL plans to restructure the presbytery system - creating so-called regional "super presbyteries" with their own assemblies and councils which would have devolved financial and administrative responsibilities - were rejected when a divide emerged over the physical practicalities of the plans.

Despite the panel of review and reform, which had proposed the change, insisting that the current system was unsustainable and a general consensus that there is a problem within it, rural congregations in the Highlands and Borders were against it on the grounds that it did not take into the account geographical spread of the "super presbyteries", branding them "too big and too remote".

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• Faith and transition: the four big questions

• Simon Barrow: What kind of church for what kind of nation?

• Craig Brown: A vibrant, busy ministry whose message is heard

Others rejected it as a simply creating another layer of administration without addressing the existing problems.

20:20 Vision

THE decision taken during last year's General Assembly to put in place plans to axe scores of jobs, both in terms of ministers and presbytery workers, in order to balance the Kirk's 5.2 million deficit, was revisited during this year's Assembly. Despite having passed the 20:20 Vision proposals by the ministries council without serious opposition, the Assembly spent much of Thursday this year debating an attempt by the Presbytery of Greenock and Paisley to derail the cuts by asking for a special commission to be set up to look at alternatives to the cutbacks.

During the debate, the Assembly heard plans branded "short-sighted" and assertions that the current system was both sustainable and crucial to doing the church's work. It was claimed that congregations had not understood fully the implications of the cuts and needed to time to get to grips with them and then say if, after all, they really wanted the changes.

Part-time ministry

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THIS year's Assembly concluded with a debate over plans to create ordained local ministry (OLM) to provide support to overstretched parish ministers.

The plans are intended to add more than 300 ministers to teams over the next few years, by attracting congregational members feeling a call to ministry but not wanting to work full-time as a minister. However, before the plans were even debated on the Assembly floor, the Ministries Council convener, the Rev Graham Finch, had been forced to defend the plans against claims that the move would "dumb down" parish ministry.

A counter-motion brought from the floor to reject the plans and instead look to church elders take on the tasks that OLMs would do triggered a morning-long debate.

The council's plans were passed by 200 to 190 by electronic count after a simple head count was deemed inconclusive.

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