De volgorde is als volgt:

1. Ds. Andrew Coghil, die als tweede predikant de Church of Scotland verliet na het besluit om homoseksuele predikanten toe te laten.

2. Ds. John MacDonald

3. Ds. Peter Dickson

De eerste predikant die zijn vertrek aankondigde, ds. R. M. MacRae, gaf een mondelinge toelichting via de website Christians Together. Klik hier om deze verklaring te beluisteren.

Van ds. Ivor Macdonald, die op 2 oktober 2011 zijn vertrek aankondigde, is nog geen geschreven verklaring beschikbaar. Op de website van de gemeente die hij dient, is echter wel een dossier beschikbaar dat de keuzes op een rij zet die de gemeente overweegt na de besluiten van de kerk inzake de homokwestie.

Statement from Rev. Andrew Coghil, 30 May 2011

On the 23rd May 2011 the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland resolved to permit the Induction into parish churches of those actively and openly engaged in homosexual practices. With this decision they have chosen to define as sacred, and on a par with the sanctity of Christian marriage, acts which the Word of God nowhere approves but everywhere identifies as sinful.

This is not merely a question of personal morality or even of the interpretation of Scripture, but rather a question of the nature, character and identity of the God whom we worship. Is it the God of the Bible or is it not?

The General Assembly decision has effectively declared that the God of the Bible may be respected but is not necessarily to be obeyed. If He is not to be obeyed, what then is the context of our prayers to Him, and the singing of His supposed praises and the reading of His Word, if its demands may be so lightly and easily dispensed with? We have effectively replaced the God of the Bible with an alternative Jesus re-made in the world’s image, with another Gospel, and a different God.

Consequently in the light of the General Assembly’s decision it is with the utmost sorrow and heartfelt grief that I have today informed the Kirk Session, and yesterday informed the Clerk to the Presbytery of Lewis, of my intention to demit the pastoral charge of Lochs Crossbost, and to resign from the active ministry of the Church of Scotland with effect from 31st August 2011.

I realise that this is rather longer notice than is customary, but there are a number of commitments and engagements which I feel obliged to honour before leaving. I also hope the additional notice may give the Presbytery a little more time to find the necessary replacements for the Presbytery posts which I currently hold. Naturally I hope it will also afford a little more time for myself and the family to arrange our domestic affairs.

There will be those among you who will feel my decision to be entirely the wrong one. What of the flock? What of the people who will be left leaderless, and without a shepherd? I am not insensitive to such claims, nor am I out of sympathy with them. But what kind of shepherd, what kind of leader would I have been, had I preached to you of taking up the Cross to follow Christ, and then to refuse any sacrifice the Lord may require of me? The Cross is not simply to be preached, it is to be lived.

That said, there will be many Church of Scotland ministers who will share my point of view but will not, in all conscience feel that they must lay down their charge and demit, and their individual consciences must, MUST, be respected as honourable and right for them, and between them and the Lord. I think no less of those honourable evangelical brethren who feel their place is to stay, and I hope and pray they will think no less of me whose conscience now dictates that I must leave.

I do not expect, encourage or require that any of you should follow me out of the Church of Scotland, for I have nowhere to lead you, and I do not know the direction of my own future. I know only that whilst many good, godly and devout Christian men & women will continue within the fold of the Church of Scotland, I personally cannot continue to serve, and receive the stipend, of a Church which as an institution, has chosen its own gods, and departed from the God of the Bible, whatever words may be used to contrary. I have taken you as far as the Lord has allowed me to do.

Over the past 18 years opportunities to have left this people, this parish, and to have served elsewhere, have been many and varied, but I have never felt it to be the Lord’s call…until now. Nothing but the Lord could compel me to sever these pastoral bonds, or to depart from the Church of my Fathers. Much less could anything but the necessity of faithfulness to the Lord persuade me to embark upon a course of action which has been the cause, and doubtless will continue to be the cause, of so many tears, such heartbreak, and such utter devastation to every single member of my family. And to me.

The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.

Statement from Rev. John M. Macdonald – 11 September 2011

As you are all aware, I, along with many others, have been deeply unhappy about some of the decisions taken at the General Assembly last May. In particular, the clear disregard for the authority of the Word of God which was shown in many of the debates, and also in the trajectory chosen by the Church with regard to the Ordained Ministry.

I have made clear to you that I believe with all my heart, that the General Assembly has, sadly, made a disastrous decision which will be seriously detrimental to the wellbeing of the Church in the long term.

There have been many meetings over the summer, as people have sought to come to terms with these decisions, and to respond as their own consciences dictate.

Following the Kirk Session meeting last Thursday, where we discussed the way forward for the congregation, I now have to tell you that I have informed the Clerk of Lochcarron Skye Presbytery of my intention to demit my charge and leave the Church of Scotland.

It is with the deepest sadness that I share this with you today, and I wish to thank you all for your support and loyalty over the past nine and a half years.

I am sure that my decision will come as no great surprise, as I have already made clear to you my concerns over these issues.

Obviously I will be discussing the details of the demission with the Presbytery, who are being very supportive, and I will keep you informed of all developments. With regard to timescale, I envisage that I will be leaving around the turn of the year, although that is ultimately a decision for Presbytery to take.

I am aware that there are deeply held and sincere views on all sides of this debate, and I appeal to you all to be understanding and loving towards one another. This is a matter of conscience before God and in the light of Scripture, and we must all respect each other’s views and decisions. We must also allow each other freedom from any pressure as we make our own personal responses to these issues.

Although this is a very sad time for all of us, it is also an opportunity to show that as Christians we can disagree with each other in a gracious and loving way.

If anyone wishes to discuss the matter with me personally , I would be very glad to speak to them.

May God bless us and guide us all.

Statement from Rev. Peter Dickson, 2 October 2011

It is with a heavy heart and genuine sorrow that I announce my decision to demit the pastoral charge of High Church, Hilton on Wednesday 30 November and cease to be a minister of the Church of Scotland.

This is not a rash decision but comes after years of heart-searching discussions within our church family, with the Presbytery of Aberdeen and with others in the Church of Scotland. Our elders have given a huge amount of time and consideration to all the issues involved and have been supportive and clear in their leadership of the congregation.

I feel this is the only path left open for me which will enable me to continue to teach the scriptures with integrity.

From the earliest discussions with the vacancy committee of High Church, Hilton in 1995, it has been the clear priority of myself and the elders to place the teaching and preaching of the Bible not merely at the top of our agenda but in a place of unique authority over our lives as individuals and as a congregation.

The Church of Scotland wants, sadly, to move on from the Bible and it has walked away from the teaching of Christ. This tragic drift away from the gospel makes a ministry like mine increasingly untenable.

Other ministers and congregations who share our Christian beliefs remain in the difficult position of continuing to seek a way forwards within the Church of Scotland. We remain genuinely and prayerfully supportive of them.

I thank God for the faithful people at High Church, Hilton who I have been privileged to serve, but now is the time to leave which, I pray, will be the most helpful course of action for all involved.”

Statement from the Kirk Session of High Church, Hilton, Aberdeen.

(Onderstaande is een verklaring die de kerkenraad van ds. Dickson afgaf, gelijktijdig met het bekendmaken van diens beslissing om zijn ambt neer te leggen.)

The Kirk Session of High Church, Hilton is deeply saddened to learn of the decision of our Minister, Peter Dickson, to demit his charge.

Our church family has known rich blessing under Peter’s leadership. He has faithfully and patiently brought the clear teaching of the gospel of Christ to the people of Hilton and beyond.

The decision of the Church of Scotland to move away from the authority of scripture has left many in our church with a very real sense of betrayal.

Throughout the last three years of disagreement with the Church of Scotland it has been our principal aim to maintain a united congregation at High Church, Hilton around the integrity of the gospel we proclaim.

Regrettably the decisions of the Church of Scotland are increasingly to accommodate modern secular thought within the church. These decisions are not matched by dealing with the direct consequences that flow from them. Sadly, no suitable accommodation for those of us wishing to honour a traditional orthodox understanding of scripture has been found.

The decisions of the Church of Scotland will inevitably mean that many in our fellowship will be unable to remain at High Church, Hilton or indeed within the Church of Scotland.

The Presbytery of Aberdeen have indicated they will appoint an Interim Moderator who will take over responsibility for the ministry of High Church, Hilton from 1st December.

The coming weeks will be hard for those who know they must leave High Church, Hilton and for those who wish to stay. The Kirk Session deeply regrets the hurt felt by all.