Cryptic coding for gay ministers in church ads

Jobs marked 'D' open to candidates in same-sex relationships

- ALASTAIR MCNEILL

A cryptic code in job adverts to indicate gay ministers are welcome to apply for vacant posts has been revealed by a Kinross-shire Church of Scotland member.

The capital letter D in red is used for vacancies open to candidates in same-sex relationships.

It stands for departure from traditional male-female marriage.

Last month, the PA reported that a bitter row had broken out within a Kinross church following a knife edge 20-19 Kirk Session vote to bar gay candidates.

It followed the uniting of Kinross, Orwell and Fossoway churches as Kinross-shire Parish Church, which was set to advertise a vacancy for a second full-time minister post.

A Kinross Kirk insider had pointed out there was a great deal of unrest within the congregation as a result of the narrow vote against gay candidates and members were considering whether they wished to remain in the church. Gay church members were said to be very distressed.