Presbyterian Church breakaway 'not linked to gay issue'
By MEGAN REYNOLDS
Tribune Staff Reporter
mreynolds@tribunemedia.net:
REVEREND Scott Kirkland has rejected claims that the ordination of gay ministers in the Church of Scotland drove Presbyterian kirks in the Bahamas to break away.
The minister of Lucaya Presbyterian Church in Freeport announced at the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in Scotland this week that Presbyterian congregations in the Bahamas had voted in favour of leaving the "mother church" after 200 years to align with the Evangelical Presbyterian Church (EPC) in the United States.
A total of 39 church members voted in favour of joining the EPC and three against after Rev John Macleod resigned from St Andrew's Presbyterian Kirk in Nassau and admitted it was partially over the Church of Scotland's ordination of its first openly gay minister, Scott Rennie.
Ordinations
The American EPC is strongly against such ordinations and since the ordination of Rev Rennie last year, more than 50 Scottish churches have backed the evangelical position, showing they will not accept the ordination of gay ministers.
However, Rev Kirkland has shot down any link between Rev Rennie's appointment and the Bahamian choice to align with the EPC.
"To suggest my congregation is leaving the Church of Scotland because of the General Assembly's decision to uphold the call of an openly gay minister is simply not true," he said.
"It has been a long-held ambition of the Kirk's congregations in the Bahamas to form our own denomination, following the example of many other churches around the world which began their life under the wing of the Church of Scotland."
Although the ambition to form a Presbyterian Church of the Bahamas (PCB) has been under discussion for 15 years, the Bahamian following lacks the capacity to run its own denomination and therefore hopes to affiliate with the US Presbyterians as an interim step, Rev Kirkland said. "Furthermore it has a Presbytery in Florida, very close to the Bahamas, where the two congregations can have the experience of being part of a working Presbytery and benefit from the capacity and supervision it offers," he added.
May 20, 2010
tribune242
A political blog about Bahamian politics in The Bahamas, Bahamian Politicans - and the entire Bahamas political lot. Bahamian Blogger Dennis Dames keeps you updated on the political news and views throughout the islands of The Bahamas without fear or favor. Bahamian Politicians and the Bahamian Political Arena: Updates one Post at a time on Bahamas Politics and Bahamas Politicans; and their local, regional and international policies and perspectives.
Showing posts with label Rev John MacLeod. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rev John MacLeod. Show all posts
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
St. Andrews Presbyterian Kirks in The Bahamas are leaving the Church of Scotland over the church's first gay ordination
Local church to split from Scottish head over gay issue
By KRYSTEL ROLLE ~ Guardian Staff Reporter ~ krystel@nasguard.com:
The controversial homosexuality issue is reportedly splitting yet another church.
According to an international media report, the entire congregation of St. Andrews Presbyterian Kirk in downtown Nassau left the church after its minister, Rev. John MacLeod, resigned over the ordination in Scottland of Rev. Scott Rennie, the church's first gay ordination.
A statement from Rev. Scott Kirkland, who is the church's moderator, confirmed that the Presbyterian Kirks in The Bahamas are leaving the Church of Scotland.
However, it made no mention of whether the gay ordinance contributed to the decision. When contacted yesterday, representatives from the church told The Nassau Guardian that only Rev. Kirkland could address the issue but he was said to be attending the General Assembly in Edinburg, Scotland.
"After 200 years in Nassau and 42 years in Freeport, the Presbyterian Kirks will leave the Church of Scotland at the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland this week," said the statement.
"Rev. Kirkland was delighted to report that though the planning has been ebbing and flowing for over 15 years, with happy agreement of the Church of Scotland, the timing is now ripe to leave the mother church."
The statement further notes that the American Presbyterian Church will help prepare the congregations for ultimately becoming the Presbyterian Church of The Bahamas.
"St. Andrews Nassau has the extra joy of inducting a fine, new young minister, Rev. Bryn MacPhail, on June 6, the same day that the congregation will formally mark their entry into the Evangelical Presbyterian Church.," the statement added.
According to the online news source, Herald Scotland, the congregation reportedly voted in favor of leaving the Kirk, almost immediately after approval of the assembly to join the fundamentalist Evangelical Presbyterian Church of America, which takes the position that homosexuality is against the scriptures.
The congregation reportedly voted overwhelming in favor of abandoning the Kirk.
MacLeod allegedly gave notice of his resignation after the General Assembly last year. This came after the Kirk's first openly gay minister, Rev. Scott Rennie, was appointed to head Queen's Cross Parish Church in Aberdeen, Scotland. The move caused dissension among many quarters of the Kirk community.
MacLeod, who has accepted a post elsewhere, reportedly said he resigned because of the controversy over the posting of Rennie in Aberdeen, the ban on public discussion of human sexuality and the Church's move "away from Biblical orthodoxy".
He was quoted in the Herald Scotland as saying: "It wasn't just the Scott Rennie thing, it was the general tenor of the General Assembly that I don't think is the way a church should do business. I think it is a shame that the Church of Scotland has tried to stifle the debate.
"I have had misgivings over the Church of Scotland for a number of years. I believe there is a general drift away from Biblical orthodoxy."
Over the last several years several churches have split over homosexual issues around the world.
According to the Associated Press, in 2007 an Episcopal diocese in central California voted to split with the national denomination over disagreements about the roles of homosexuals in the church.
In 2008, the Anglican Archbishop of Sydney, Australia, declared a formal split in the worldwide Anglican Communion over the consecration of openly gay clergy.
May 18, 2010
thenassauguardian
By KRYSTEL ROLLE ~ Guardian Staff Reporter ~ krystel@nasguard.com:
The controversial homosexuality issue is reportedly splitting yet another church.
According to an international media report, the entire congregation of St. Andrews Presbyterian Kirk in downtown Nassau left the church after its minister, Rev. John MacLeod, resigned over the ordination in Scottland of Rev. Scott Rennie, the church's first gay ordination.
A statement from Rev. Scott Kirkland, who is the church's moderator, confirmed that the Presbyterian Kirks in The Bahamas are leaving the Church of Scotland.
However, it made no mention of whether the gay ordinance contributed to the decision. When contacted yesterday, representatives from the church told The Nassau Guardian that only Rev. Kirkland could address the issue but he was said to be attending the General Assembly in Edinburg, Scotland.
"After 200 years in Nassau and 42 years in Freeport, the Presbyterian Kirks will leave the Church of Scotland at the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland this week," said the statement.
"Rev. Kirkland was delighted to report that though the planning has been ebbing and flowing for over 15 years, with happy agreement of the Church of Scotland, the timing is now ripe to leave the mother church."
The statement further notes that the American Presbyterian Church will help prepare the congregations for ultimately becoming the Presbyterian Church of The Bahamas.
"St. Andrews Nassau has the extra joy of inducting a fine, new young minister, Rev. Bryn MacPhail, on June 6, the same day that the congregation will formally mark their entry into the Evangelical Presbyterian Church.," the statement added.
According to the online news source, Herald Scotland, the congregation reportedly voted in favor of leaving the Kirk, almost immediately after approval of the assembly to join the fundamentalist Evangelical Presbyterian Church of America, which takes the position that homosexuality is against the scriptures.
The congregation reportedly voted overwhelming in favor of abandoning the Kirk.
MacLeod allegedly gave notice of his resignation after the General Assembly last year. This came after the Kirk's first openly gay minister, Rev. Scott Rennie, was appointed to head Queen's Cross Parish Church in Aberdeen, Scotland. The move caused dissension among many quarters of the Kirk community.
MacLeod, who has accepted a post elsewhere, reportedly said he resigned because of the controversy over the posting of Rennie in Aberdeen, the ban on public discussion of human sexuality and the Church's move "away from Biblical orthodoxy".
He was quoted in the Herald Scotland as saying: "It wasn't just the Scott Rennie thing, it was the general tenor of the General Assembly that I don't think is the way a church should do business. I think it is a shame that the Church of Scotland has tried to stifle the debate.
"I have had misgivings over the Church of Scotland for a number of years. I believe there is a general drift away from Biblical orthodoxy."
Over the last several years several churches have split over homosexual issues around the world.
According to the Associated Press, in 2007 an Episcopal diocese in central California voted to split with the national denomination over disagreements about the roles of homosexuals in the church.
In 2008, the Anglican Archbishop of Sydney, Australia, declared a formal split in the worldwide Anglican Communion over the consecration of openly gay clergy.
May 18, 2010
thenassauguardian
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