On 8 June, the Scottish Episcopal Church voted at its General Synod to permit same-sex weddings in its churches.
The Scottish Episcopal Church (the SEC) is the Anglican Province in Scotland. A relatively small province, it ‘gave birth’ to the Episcopal Church of the United States (ECUSA), by consecrating America’s first bishop.
Recently, ECUSA has pursued a revisionist agenda in the area of human sexuality, leading to the formation of a new orthodox Anglican Province, the Anglican Church of North America, recognised by Gafcon and thus by the majority of Anglicans worldwide. Their Archbishop is Foley Beach.
Change in canon law
In Scotland, the SEC has been pursuing a similar agenda. After years of process, on 8 June at the annual meeting of the SEC’s governing body, the General Synod, it voted to amend its canon law on marriage. They have removed the reference to marriage being a lifelong union between one man and one woman, and given provision so that clergy can apply to celebrate same-sex weddings in their churches. The vote required a two-thirds majority of bishops, clergy and laity (voting separately). The house of clergy voted by 42 to 20 in favour of the change, meaning that it would only have required one more clergy member to oppose it for it to fall at the final hurdle.
Clergy and churches that are against the revision have been assured they will not be required to conduct same-sex weddings. However, revisionists hope to celebrate their first ‘gay marriage’ services in Anglican churches in Scotland within the year. As well as the serious implications this has for churches and Christians seeking to proclaim and uphold God’s Word in Scotland, it is not hard to envisage gay couples from England applying to have ‘runaway’ church weddings at SEC churches, amid a media circus, putting additional pressure on the CofE to change its doctrine of marriage.
Sanctions?
Previously, in response to a similar move by ECUSA the Anglican Primates (Archbishops) met in January 2016 in Canterbury. By majority, they re-affirmed the position that marriage is for one man and one woman, and they agreed on sanctions against ECUSA for a period of three years. The decision of the SEC will cause significant grief for faithful Anglicans worldwide, and further fragmentation of the Communion.
Following the vote, Gafcon representatives held a joint press conference in Edinburgh with the Scottish Anglican Network (an evangelical group of Christians within the SEC). On behalf of the Gafcon Primates, Archbishop Foley Beach lamented the crisis in the Anglican Communion caused by ‘the virus of revisionist theology and practice’. He announced the decision of the Gafcon Primates to consecrate Canon Andy Lines, Mission Director for Crosslinks, to be a missionary bishop for Europe, offering episcopal oversight for Anglicans who feel unable to operate within existing diocesan structures. He expressed his hope ‘that the missionary bishop will lead an effort to plant dynamic churches all over Scotland which are Jesus-centred, practicing the teaching of the Bible, and holding on to the long-standing tradition of the Anglican Faith.’
