As evangelicals, we believe in the Authority and Supremacy of Scripture, and wholeheartedly affirm “The holy scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are the word of God, the only rule of faith and obedience” (Westminster Larger Catechism 3) without question. We understand the various positions within the Church and believe it is a difference of interpretation not biblical Authority that characterises our debate. We support and affirm our brothers and sisters who have had the same struggle with sexuality as we have and yet who feel called to singleness, as we feel called to affirm relationships.

We stand with the historic orthodox Christian teaching of ‘justification through faith alone’ – that a person is made right with God because of the Work of Jesus Christ and it is faith in Him that brings us into relationship with God – without any additional requirements, no matter who makes them. This is the heart of the Good News that Scotland – and the rest of the world, whether gay or straight – needs to hear from the Church. No one is excluded from relationship with God (or service for him) because they are in relationship with someone of the same gender.

We affirm the teaching of the Lord Jesus Christ and the Apostle Paul that all the Law is summed up in love for God and love for our neighbour (Mark 12; Romans 13). We can see nothing in Scripture or our calling as God’s People – both gay and straight - where a loving monogamous same sex relationship is inconsistent with this summary of the requirements to live a holy life. We pray that the General Assembly will follow the example of her Head, King Jesus, who reached out to the marginalised, the suffering, the oppressed and those on the fringes and who continues to do so today.

Finally, we are not just ‘out there’. There are thousands of faithful people sitting in pews, standing in pulpits, working in your Kirk Sessions who are gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered. We urge the Assembly to embrace the message of transformational grace and, inclusion, to stand for justice and mercy and signal the openness of God’s compassionate love to his children – straight and gay. You will be in common with a vast and growing number of evangelicals and others across the world who do not exclude homosexuals but understand that the Church has erred in its rejection of them. The question you are facing is, will you send a clear message of God’s love and welcome, or one of rejection and fear. We urge the General Assembly to take this opportunity to act biblically, in the spirit of the inclusivity, holiness and love of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and to be pastorally sensitively to the LGBT community within the Church of Scotland.”

CourageSCOTLAND www.couragescotland.org - Rev Ruairidh MacRae

Evangelicals Concerned www.ecinc.org – Dr Ralph Blair

Scottish Region of Evangelical Fellowship for Lesbian and Gay Christians – www.eflgc.org.uk

Changing Attitude Nigeria www.changingattitude.org.uk - Davis Mac-Iyalla

Baptist Network Affirming Lesbian & Gay Christians www.affirmingbaptists.org.uk - Martin Stears-Handscomb and Sarah Hill

Changing Attitude England www.changingattitude.org.uk Rev Colin Coward

Accepting Evangelicals www.acceptingevangelicals.org - Rev Benny Hazlehurst

Christian Lesbians UK www.chrisitanlesbians.co.uk - Cindy Mccarron

Courage UK – www.courage.org.uk Jeremy Marks

… The main meeting is taking place at 6.30pm on Saturday.
A group intends to show its support for Scott at the General Assembly entrance on The Mound in Edinburgh at around 5.45pm. Get there earlier if you want.

The very kind Matthew Duncan is organising. Please show your support if you are in the area. Streetmap view below.

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=EH1+2LP%E2%80%8E&sll=53.800651,-4.064941&sspn=12.426641,28.125&ie=UTF8&ll=55.950089,-3.19479&spn=0.011486,0.027466&z=15&layer=c&cbll=55.95015,-3.194948&panoid=PK5XLl2SxxKo7fJ3NuwKLw&cbp=12,181.79,,0,4.58

Many thanks for all the ongoing support, and looking forward to meeting with all of us in prayer on Saturday!

Glenna will take up her post with immediate effect and will be working with us for 12 days each month until January 2010.

Next Saturday the Church of Scotland’s General Assembly will be voting on whether to allow Rev Scott Rennie’s calling in ministry to Aberdeen, as well as the future of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered ministers within the denomination. The vote will affect whether LGBT can become ordained ministers at all, but will also have a huge effect on existing LGBT clergy.

So, come and join with us at 6pm, outside New College, at the top of the Mound. We will NOT be protesting. Rather, we will be praying together for the duration of the debate. It is not just those LGBT ministers and candidate in the Kirk who need our support. It is all those involved, no matter their position on the debate. The Church of Scotland needs our prayer!

I will be there from 6pm, so please do come and join us. Come in coaches trains and boats. Offer lifts to those who don’t have cars. Offer accomodation to those who have to travel far. Let’s come together at this crucial time… and pray!

Let’s have as many people thereas we can, with a total committment to peaceful, gracious and earnest prayer and support for ALL those involved

Rev Jake Tatton
07500113227

What a great chance to get rid of all that smash - bring along your coppers and loose change to church this Sunday and put them to good use - yay!