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Homosexuals can enrich us, says radical Christian group's leader

The leader of the Iona Community has spoken out at the General Assembly in favour of homosexuality and same-sex partnerships.

The Rev Kathy Galloway said that gay people had lived openly amongst the 270-strong population, both as individuals and couples, for some years and had "enriched" the population.

"About 10 per cent of our membership are gay, lesbian, bi-sexual or transgender," she said. "They are fully and openly part of our common life, part of our body. When one member of our body suffers, all other parts suffer too.

"When one member is honoured, all the others rejoice together. They are part of our common prayer and pray fully for their chosen partners and respect their choices.

"I could not begin to tell you how much these members have enriched our community."

She added that the community had also joined fully in the celebrations of gay members who had entered into civil partnerships.

Her comments came ahead of a controversial report on human sexuality due to be discussed at the Assembly today.

The report, which took ten years to compile, acknowledges a "historic intolerance" of gay people in the Kirk, but stops well short of advocating the inclusiveness that Ms Galloway supports.

It has already caused division in the church, with conservative evangelical members describing it as "anodyne" and criticising it for failing to take a sufficiently clear-cut stance, while liberal members have welcomed it as a step forward to creating a more open, inclusive church.

However, Ms Galloway told delegates that gay members of the Iona Community had faced "unremitting hostility" in some churches elsewhere in the UK on account of their orientation.

"As Christians the world judges us not by our discussions and doctrinal statements but how we stand by our great claim to love God and to love one another," she added.

The Assembly last year passed a deliverance to allow ministers to bless gay marriages without risk of censure from their congregation. However, the decision was then passed to the presbyteries for their approval and subsequently rejected.

As it stands, ministers can choose to bless a civil partnership without seeking the permission of their congregation

Full story downpage at The Scotsman.