The legal questions committee now has two years before it has to report back, with a final vote on the motion expected in 2021.
(meta data) TITLE: Church of Scotland to draft new same-sex marriage laws | Society | The Guardian (meta data) AUTHOR: https://www.facebook.com/PAMediaGroupUK/ (meta data) PUBLISHER: https://www.facebook.com/theguardian (meta data) PUBLISHED DATETIME: 2018-05-19T12:39:03-0400 Skip to main content The Guardian - Back to home Support The Guardian Available for everyone, funded by readers Search jobs Sign in current edition: US edition UK politics Northern Ireland Equal marriage This article is more than 1 year old # Church of Scotland to draft new same-sex marriage laws This article is more than 1 year old Legal questions committee has two years to report back, with a final poll expected in 2021 Press Association Sat 19 May 2018 12.39 EDT Last modified on Sat 19 May 2018 12.50 EDT The amended motion, as passed, outlines that the legislation would allow ministers who wish to perform same-sex marriages to do so. Photograph: Paul Doyle/Alamy The Church of Scotland has voted to draft new laws that would allow ministers to conduct same-sex marriages. The Rev Bryan Kerr's motion, as amended, was passed 345 to 170 at the general assembly in Edinburgh on Saturday. The legal questions committee now has two years before it has to report back, with a final poll expected in 2021. ## Scottish bishop defends same-sex marriage: 'love means love' Read more Speaking before the vote, the Rev Tom Gordon said: "I have two daughters, both of whom are married. I have one gay daughter in a same-sex marriage. When my older daughter got married she had a choice – to ask me to conduct her service as a minister or for me to walk her down the aisle as her dad. But when my younger daughter got married, she had no such choice. "Give people a choice: allow their marriage to be conducted by a minister. With God's blessing." Others in the assembly questioned whether relevant safeguards would be in place to protect those who did not wish to perform the ceremonies. The Rev Mark Malcolm claimed he would be willing to give up his right to conduct all marriages and only do blessings, as a compromise for the "peace of the church". He said people who did not support same-sex marriage within the church had been described as bigots. He said: "Legislation isn't going to protect because perception is everything." The amended motion, as passed, outlines that the legislation would allow ministers who wished to perform same-sex marriages to do so. It also sets out that the draft law should provide safeguards for those who did not wish to. In June last year, the Scottish Episcopal church took the decision to allow same-sex couples to be married in church. The historic move made it the first branch of the Anglican faith in the UK to allow same-sex marriage. The general assembly meets for a week every year in May. It has the authority to make laws determining how the church operates and can also act as the Kirk's highest court. This year's assembly closes on 25 May. Equal marriage Reuse this content
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Same-sex marriage in the United Kingdom
Religious performance.
The vote received support from five of seven bishops, 69% of the clergy and 80% of the laity. The General Synod formally approved the change to the doctrinal clause in June 2017, removing language stating that marriages could only be between a man and a woman and introducing a new conscience clause which allows clergy to opt out of performing same-sex weddings. On 20 July 2017, it was announced that a same-sex wedding was to be held in St Mary's Cathedral, Glasgow, later in the summer. On 1 August 2017, a same-sex marriage, which included the Eucharist as a nuptial mass, was held at the Church of St John the Evangelist, Edinburgh. The Scottish Episcopal Church is estimated to have 100,000 members, and offers same-sex marriage to other Anglicans, including members of churches in England and the United States. 
 In July 2016, the United Reformed Church voted overwhelmingly to allow its churches to perform same-sex marriages. The Church, with 60,000 members and 1,400 congregations, became the largest Christian organisation in the UK to offer same-sex marriages at that time. In May 2018, the Church of Scotland voted to draft new laws that would allow ministers to conduct same-sex marriages. The motion was passed by the Church's general assembly by a vote of 345 to 170.