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Gay ministry hopeful pulls out of training

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Published Date: 17 September 2009
By Craig Brown
THE openly gay man at the centre of a row over a Kirk presbytery's decision to elect him to training for the ministry abandoned his application last night in an effort to prevent a split in the Church.
Dmitri Ross, who was put forward as a candidate for the ministry by the Presbytery of Hamilton, said he believed his withdrawal was in the best interests of the Church. If ordained, he would have been the first Church of Scotland minister in a civil partnership to be approved since a two-year moratorium on gay appointments was agreed at the General Assembly in May.

Last night, Mr Ross said: "I do not wish, and have never sought, to be a cause of division within the Church I love so dearly. Therefore, after much heartfelt deliberation, and after much prayerful consideration, I have decided to withdraw as a full-time Candidate in Training for Ministry of Word and Sacrament in the Church of Scotland."





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1

EPS,

Edinburgh 17/09/2009 01:14:16
I feel Mr Ross has made a wise and practical decision at this difficult time. I pray that within a very few years candidates who are gay will not face such difficulties.
2

Christopher Hobe Morrison,

Pine Bush, Ulster County, NY, USA 17/09/2009 02:33:10
It's a pity he has done this, because it is a reflection on the inclusiveness of his church. Nobody I think chooses to be gay, some simply find themselves to be gay. It isn't even a matter of who someone wants to have sex with, as many people can have sex with people of either sex. What matters here is who it is that you fall in love with, and I thought that when people formed stable family units with the people they felt they were in love with this was better for everyone directly or indirectly.

Apparently what is contained in scripture as related by tradition is accepted by some people as being divinely ordaned and as more important than what is in their hearts. But what these people are really moved by is fear, fear that gayness is somehow catching, and that someone not like them is a threat to them. I am heterosexual, but if such people are not willing to allow gays freedom in their church I would just as soon not be in their church either. This is heartbreaking but true. Actually it isn't that heartbreaking either.
3

Tracker,

17/09/2009 06:46:54
I am concerned that an organisation that is clearly opposed to inclusiveness should receive taxpayers' money. An organisation may do good works, but should it receive taxpayers' cash when it enshrines unacceptable discrimination?
4

nabodican,

Newton Stewart 17/09/2009 08:32:29
Excellent & correct decision.
5

GRP,

East Kilbride 17/09/2009 08:44:37
#3. What taxpayers' money? The Church generates its own income - &, furthermore provides services that are widely used by non-members at no or very little charge eg funerals, weddings, youth organisations.....
6

Didaskalos,

Hawick 17/09/2009 08:45:22
#3 What taxpayers' money do you believe the Church of Scotland receives?
7

Duncan in Edinburgh,

17/09/2009 09:24:15
#5, #6 The Church of Scotland receives tax exemptions worth millions of pounds a year. As a service provider in education and social services it receives funding of tens of millions of pounds a year.

I don't oppose the latter, despite being an atheist, because I think the Church provides good value services. I think the former is an anachronism which we need to resolve, not just for CoS but for all religious bodies. But it cannot be denied that the CoS is in receipt of a great deal of public money every year.
8

Didaskalos,

Hawick 18/09/2009 09:48:25
#7 The C of S receives the same tax concessions as any charitable body. If these concessions should be withdrawn from a church they should be withdrawn from any other charitable organisation - like say the British Humanist Association.

The C of S is a service provider of facilities in specialist education, counselling, and other care provision. In this respect it is in the same market place as all other service providers - indeed it receives less for its provision than local authority providers and in that respect it is subsidising care provision.

Your phrase "public money" is highly ambiguous. Any charity receives "public money". You imply that the C of S receives some sort of finance not provided to other charitable bodies but you do not state what this is.

 

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