“It appears that the Kirk is saying the Bible’s wrong, sin doesn’t matter.  The more the church tries to align itself with secular society the more it will weaken itself.  Who does the Kirk think will fill this church now we’re gone? The congregation they imagine will replace us is fictional.”

“These things shall vanish all; the City of God remaineth,” were the words that echoed as their last Sunday service ended.

There were hugs and tears as the congregation closed the doors of the church from which they have been evicted, despite contributing £2.6 million to its refurbishment.

It is the first full congregation to split from the Church of Scotland in protest at its moves towards allowing the ordination of gay and lesbian ministers,

The organ was replaced by a piano after it and the Bibles and hymn books were removed to 25 Bath Street, the new home of the congregation which will now be known as the Tron Church.

A controversial attempt by the Kirk to take possession of them during a prayer meeting last Wednesday highlighted the bitter wrangle over assets.

St George’s Tron minister Rev Dr William Philip is fearful he and his family will now be evicted from the manse after law officers served legal papers on his wife at home last Friday. Ownership of the manse is disputed, and Mr Philip yesterday said litigation may be the only way forward.

Parishioner Said Savidoghchi, an asylum seeker from Iran, said: “This behaviour by the Kirk reminds me of the persecution experienced by Christians at the hands of the government of my country, which I left in order to convert to Christianity.

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