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

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