This week the General Assembly were finally going to decide on the commission that was set up to look at the issue of sexuality and being in a pastoral position over a congregation. As I blogged earlier this month there were two options on the table. The first of which was to implement a ban on homosexuals training to be ministers — despite such discrimination being illegal — while the second was to allow people in a same-sex relationship to train for the ministry but set up a theological commission to come up with a definitive answer in 2013.
Earlier today the General Assembly in Edinburgh decided to set up the theological commission to look into this issue and give a definitive answer by 2013. They also voted to accept gay and lesbian clergy provided they had declared their sexuality and were ordained before 2009.
At least the barn door is still open, as I blogged 2 years ago I don't expect the Church to totally come to terms with things overnight.So to continue to look into it is certainly a step in the right direction. They cannot ignore the fact that there are some of us out there who are Christian and LGB, some of that group also have the leadership and pastoral skills that are essential to be a Kirk minister. Some of those people feel called to serve as a minister, not only to a LGB community but to the community as a whole. No minister will ever experience every experience that his congregation goes through, because not all ministers are called to have the live of Job, but they learn from the word and from their own experience what is required in each circumstance.
No doubt I'll be returning to this subject again in two years time.
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