A KIRK congregation has become the first to split from the Church of Scotland over the issue of gay clergy.  (Former pastors of this church include Eric Alexander and Sinclair Ferguson)

The 500-strong congregation of the iconic St George’s Tron church in Glasgow’s Buchanan Street took the momentous decision following a meeting on Monday night.

In a statement, the church’s minister the Rev Dr William Philip said that the secession was as a result of the Kirk’s move towards allowing gay clergy at the General Assembly in 2011.

He said that in doing so, the Assembly had “marginalised the Bible”.

“We believe the Church of Scotland is choosing to walk away from the biblical gospel, and to walk apart from the faith of the worldwide Christian Church,” he said.

Dr Philip added that the Assembly’s refusal to rule that Kirk properties should only be used for Christian worship had cemented their belief that it had moved away from biblical teaching.

He said: “We are saddened that the Church of Scotland has departed so dramatically and decisively from its moorings in the historic, reformed and biblical faith.”

The minister had been among the most outspoken critics of the decision by last year’s General Assembly to consider the ordination of openly-gay clergy and to allow ministers and deacons in same-sex relationships ordained before 2009 to be inducted into pastoral charges.

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Read official statement from the church here [Editor’s note: the original URL (link) referenced is no longer valid, so the link has been removed.]