Gay minister gets rousing welcome from kirk members
Rev Scott Rennie inducted
Published:
OPENLY gay kirk minister Rev Scott Rennie has taken his place in the pulpit at Aberdeen’s Queen’s Cross Church.
Hundreds of Queen’s Cross Church members attended a service to welcome new minister Rev Scott Rennie as he was inducted into his role.
During the months leading up to the service Mr Rennie, the former minister at Brechin Cathedral, became the subject of an evangelical hate campaign which swept as far as the United States.
The decision on his appointment went all the way to the General Assembly, where objectors picketed outside.
But as he appeared at his first service there were no demonstrators to be seen.
His partner of two years, David Smith, sat in the row behind him during the induction.
After the service members of the congregation would not comment on the induction but said it was a “happy evening”.
The Rev Dr Alan Falconer, moderator of the Aberdeen Presbytery, said there was a lengthy and “rousing” round of applause after Mr Rennie’s official induction.
And when the congregation was asked to support him, members returned a firm: “We do.”
Mr Falconer told Mr Rennie he could now focus on matters central to his ministry and “put aside other matters”.
Before the service Mr Rennie said he was delighted to be at the West End church.
The 37-year-old divorced father-of-one said: “I am looking forward to many happy years serving God in this church, the parish and in this part of the city.
“I look forward to getting on with the task at hand and returning to some kind of normal life.”
His partner of two years, David Smith, sat in the row behind him during the induction.
After the service members of the congregation would not comment on the induction but said it was a “happy evening”.
Mr Rennie was elected by 86% of the Queen’s Cross congregation – a decision later endorsed by members of the Aberdeen Presbytery, who voted 60-24 in support of his appointment on January 6.
But 12 objectors chose to appeal the presbytery’s decision because of his homosexuality, and more than 400 ministers and almost 5,000 Church of Scotland members signed an online petition opposing the move.
The General Assembly later voted 326 to 267 to approve his appointment, although about 150 commissioners and delegates abstained from the vote on May 23.
