“As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”
[Jun.01.2022] The Christian Post recently reported that the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Scotland, which was once the Church of Scotland, passed a bill allowing clergymen to conduct same-sex marriages on the 23rd of May.
At the Scottish Church General Assembly held in Edinburgh on the 21st, the majority of presbyteries, with 274 votes in favour and 136 against, approved the report called “Solemnisation of Same-Sex Marriage Overture”, allowing the reformed Calvinist ministers and deacons to conduct a marriage ceremony for same-sex couples. A report from the General Assembly clarified that no person would be required to conduct a same-sex marriage ceremony unless they wished to do so.
Article 2 of the Existing Marriage Service Recognition Act (1977) states, “A marriage in a Scottish Church is held as a religious ceremony by an ordained minister in the presence of at least two witnesses before God. The two sides pledge together to make each other husband and wife for as long as they live, and the pastor declares them as husband and wife.”
However, with the new draft bill, the words ‘husband’ and ‘wife’ were removed. Rev. Iain Greenshields, Moderator of the General Assembly, pointed out that “there has been a lengthy, prayerful and in-depth discussion and debate about this topic for many years at all levels of the Church to find a solution that respects diversity and values the beliefs of all”.
Rev. Phil Gunn of the Rosskeen Diocese in Ross-shire said in a statement that this approach is “unbiblical”. He said, “not declaring a crisis to the people, not preaching the powerful gospel that changes people, and not talking about sin is not the gospel.”
He stressed that “this overture is not biblical and we see the scriptures, old and new, that point to God’s teaching on marriage and human sexuality”. “We are called to love everyone as Christ commanded us, we are to demonstrate God’s love to the world so they might recognise something different in us but that does not mean we have to conform to the ways of society or the world” and he stressed that “the Bible is the highest law on the faith and life of the church and believers.”
The minister of Rosskeen Parish Church exclaimed, “if we choose to turn our back on scripture how can we stand up and say we are ministers of God’s church if we then change what God says?”
In addition, the British-based Christian Institute said it was “very sad” to learn that most Presbyterian churches support same-sex marriage.
“The Bible is very clear,” Nigel Kenny, the representative of the Scotland Office of the Christian Institute, said in a statement about the traditional belief in marriage. “Jesus’ teachings on marriage in chapter 19 of the Gospel of Matthew are clear. However, the majority of Presbyterian churches seem to be more interested in getting answers from culture than from Christ.” (Source: Evangelical Prayer Newspaper) said(Source: Gospel Prayer Newspaper).
But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”(Joshua 24:15)
God, have mercy on the Church of Scotland General Assembly which passed a law allowing pastors to officiate same-sex weddings, saying that diversity should be respected. May the churches in Scotland repent from their sins of supporting the idea of the rebellious generation and deserting Your teaching on marriage. May the church ministers stand together in unity to honor Your teachings and stand firm in serving You in the truth. May You restore the holiness in the Church of Scotland.
Prayer 24·365
prayer@prayer24365.org
