The Church of Scotland has made history as members of the General Assembly in Edinburgh have voted to allow same-sex marriages.
The Guardian reports that the Scottish lawmaking body had 274 votes for and 136 against the proposal, ultimately making same-sex couples eligible to get married in churches in services conducted by ministers.
The church’s legislation would be amended to say the marriage of ‘parties’ rather than 'husband and wife'.
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Ministers and deacons will now be able to apply to become celebrants of same-sex marriages; however, they are not forced to take part.
Many ministers have already stuck their hands up to be the celebrants of upcoming same-sex wedding ceremonies.
RevJames Bissett tweeted: “I have just emailed the @churchscotland Principal Clerk's office to ask that I be registered as a celebrant of same sex marriages.”
Moderator of the General Assembly Rt Rev Dr Iain Greenshields welcomed the news as it shows the church is beginning to embrace ‘diversity'.
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He said: "The Church of Scotland is a broad church and there are diverse views on the subject of same-sex marriage among its members.
"There has been a lengthy, prayerful and in-depth discussion and debate about this topic for many years at all levels of the Church to find a solution that respects diversity and values the beliefs of all.
"The Church is committed to ensuring that debates on this subject are held in a spirit of humility and grace, the tone and tenor of discussions are civil and people are respectful of those who hold opposing views."
Rev Scott Rennie, a fierce advocate for the church to rally behind the LGBTQI+ community, shared his own experience as an openly gay clergy member before the general assembly, according to BBC News.
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He said: “My marriage to my husband, Dave, nurtures my life and my ministry, and frankly I do not think I could be a minister of this church without his love and support.
“It is always there in the background. Same-sex marriage is like opposite-sex marriage and it has its joys and sorrows, its glories and its tensions. It’s pretty normal, really.”
Same-sex marriage is currently not allowed in the Church of England and the Roman Catholic Church; however, it is welcomed in the Scottish Episcopal Church, the United Reformed Church and the Quakers.
Charisa Bossinakis