A Church of Scotland minister has become the first cleric to quit the church over its recent sanctioning of a homosexual colleague to a congregation in Aberdeenshire The Rev Thomas MacKinnon shocked parishioners at his Kilmuir and Logie Easter Church in Delny, Invergordon by announcing that he was standing down becuuse of his strong feelings over the induction of openly homosexual the Rev Scott Rennie as minister of Queen's Cross Church in Aberdeen.

Mr MacKinnon said: "I believe that Church of Scotland ministers will not now be subject to discipline from the Church because, if that which is called a sin in the Bible is allowed, then anything goes.
"I would prefer not to be part of it. It's a step away from the authority of the Bible. If the Bible does not have authority, we do not really have the authority to preach."

Mr MacKinnon said his church elders had been very supportive of his stand.

The Church of Scotland, at its General Assembly in May, voted 326 to 267 in favour of Mr Rennie's appointment.

Mr Rennie, a divorced father-of-two, is open about his relatiionship with a male partner and they plan to live together in the church manse.