HISTORY will be made this week when the Archbishop of Canterbury addresses the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland.
Justin Welby will be the first head of the Church of England to speak at the annual meeting of the Kirk when he takes part in a debate on the Columba Declaration, the plan for an ecumenical partnership between the two national churches.
The Kirk’s outgoing Moderator, the Right Rev Dr Angus Morrison, spoke at the General Synod in London in February, where the Church of England voted to ratify the declaration.
Wednesday’s debate in Edinburgh marks the final hurdle for the agreement, which would allow members and clergy to worship and minister in each other’s churches.
Although it passed fairly easily in February, the Scottish Episcopal Church was “deeply hurt” by the declaration, which it said ignored the close ties it already has with the Church of England
In a bid to soothe the Episcopalians, members of the Synod also passed an amendment from the Bishop of Truro that recognised the “valued relationship with the Scottish Episcopal Church”.
Morrison said he was confident the General Assembly would back the agreement. “In itself the Declaration is largely of a symbolic nature but it does pave the way for our further growth in fellowship and for extending partnership in mission as sister and national churches who share many common roots, challenges and opportunities," he said.
“We wish this to happen in the closest possible fellowship with other sister churches in the United Kingdom as we seek together to address the challenges of mission in our country today.”
Before that vote one of the first tasks of the 850 commissioners at the assembly will be to vote on amending church law to recognise ministers and deacons in same-sex marriages as defined by the Marriage and Civil Partnership (Scotland) Act 2014.
However, the Kirk has made clear that even if this is passed, then it should not be seen as an implication “the Church will permit its ministers to solemnise same-sex marriages”, and that they will maintain their “traditional view of marriage [being] between a man and woman”.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon is expected to attend today’s opening of the week-long assembly, where topics will include the EU referendum, corporal punishment of children, climate change and the refugee crisis.
The ministers and elders who attend will also be looking at the ways in which the internet can grow the Church. This was reported earlier in the week as the Kirk allowing baptism online, but the Church says this is an extreme interpretation of the plans.
Russell Barr will take over as the next Moderator and has said he will use his year in office to highlight the plight of homelessness in Scotland.
Speaking after he was elected, the 62-year-old, who is minister at Cramond Kirk in Edinburgh, said he was “excited, honoured and overwhelmed”.
“It is not a role that I ever imagined being asked to do,” he added. “It is humbling to be elected by your peers to serve the Church in this way. I will seek to use the role to raise moral and ethical issues and publicise the important part the Church plays in public life.”
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