When Union alum, Rev. Dr Scott Rennie ’99 was installed as Minister of Saint Giles’ Cathedral in Edinburgh this May—the historic heart of Scottish Presbyterianism—he stood at a pulpit once occupied by the likes of John Knox. For many ministers in the Church of Scotland, such a moment might be seen as a career pinnacle. But for Rennie, a working-class kid from a blue-collar background who never imagined such a path, the appointment carries a deeper resonance. It is not just a professional achievement; it’s a testament to faith, perseverance, and the enduring impact of affirming theological education.
“I wouldn’t say I aspired to it,” he reflects. “But it’s the mother church of Presbyterianism worldwide. The place where church and state meet. And though I never believed someone from my background could end up at Saint Giles, it feels right. I feel I’m there for a purpose.”
That purpose, for Rennie, has long involved pushing the Church toward fuller inclusion. As the first openly gay minister to be called to a congregation in the Church of Scotland, Rennie has navigated extraordinary resistance—legal challenges, denominational scrutiny, and even protests from groups like the Westboro Baptist Church. But he has also helped usher in a new era of acceptance, one where his appointment at Saint Giles is no longer unimaginable.
His journey began, in many ways, at Union Theological Seminary.
Rennie came to Union after completing ministerial training in Scotland, unsure if he was truly ready to serve. “There was something not quite right,” he says. “And when I got the opportunity to study at Union, it was like an epiphany.”
Union, with its ecumenical openness and intellectual rigor, provided a profoundly formative experience. “It was the first place I encountered gay Christians who were at ease with their sexuality,” he shares. “That stayed with me.”
He studied under professors like Beverly Harrison and Larry Rasmussen, whose teachings on ethics, justice, and the interconnectedness of oppressions expanded his theological imagination. Union’s ethos—that the gospel demands justice, empathy, and courage—would later become the foundation for Rennie’s bold public witness.
He also found lasting community. “Some of the closest friends in my life and ministry came from Union,” he says. “There was a kindred spirit there—people committed to doing the hard work of faith.”
After Union, Rennie returned to Scotland transformed—more grounded, more ready, and more honest with himself. He took a charge in Brechin Cathedral, where he served as a parish minister during a personally tumultuous time: the dissolution of his marriage, the death of his mother, and the eventual coming-out process that would reshape his ministry.
It was a crucible moment. “All those crises forced me to reckon with my life,” he explains. “At 32, I realized I could have another 32 years ahead of me—and I wasn’t going to live them in fear. I decided to come out, sensitively, but truthfully.”
Though he did not initially set out to be a trailblazer, his openness set off a wave of change. When he was later called to a new congregation in Aberdeen, some conservative ministers in the region tried to block the appointment due to his sexuality. The matter escalated to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland—an unprecedented legal and theological challenge.
“I became the poster boy for a wider movement,” he says, reflecting with humility. “I didn’t do anything except be prepared to be that person in that place at that time—to stand up for change because it was the right thing to do.”
In 2009, the Assembly voted in his favor. The floodgates opened. Soon after, LGBTQ+ clergy were no longer an exception but part of the norm in the Church of Scotland.
Throughout the years, Rennie’s theology has remained rooted in the belief that the Spirit moves just as powerfully outside the church walls as within. From welcoming interfaith partnerships with Hindu neighbors in Aberdeen, to offering pastoral care in inclusive spaces, his ministry reflects Union’s conviction that justice and love are inseparable from the gospel.
Still, challenges persisted. “There were people who were very aggressively opposed to my ministry,” he recalls. “But my congregation was always supportive. And, in time, people from across the city—and across faith traditions—recognized what we were trying to do.”
After twelve years at Queen’s Cross Church, he accepted a call to Crown Court Church in London. There, he continued to serve with the same commitment to radical inclusion, while observing how much had changed since his days as a seminary student. “It’s amazing how quickly the church has shifted,” he says. “There are now a number of ministers who are openly gay and partnered. That would have been unthinkable just a decade ago.”
And then, in 2025, came the call to Saint Giles.
“I never believed I’d go,” he admits. “Not because I wasn’t qualified, but because I still wondered if someone with my story—working class, openly gay—might be too controversial.”
But the Church of Scotland did call him. “It’s a huge statement,” he says. “Not just about me, but about the Church, and about Scotland.”
Now leading one of the most visible pulpits in the country, Rennie envisions Saint Giles as a platform for conversations about inclusion, empathy, and the gospel’s call to justice. He plans to invite LGBTQ+ voices from across public life to speak and engage the wider society in meaningful dialogue.
“I want Saint Giles to be a place where we move beyond culture wars,” he says, “where we remind people of the love of God and the common bonds of our shared humanity.”
As churches across the world mark Pride Month, Rennie believes the observance is as crucial as ever. “You can never take progress for granted,” he says. “We have to keep telling our stories, keep standing up against racism, homophobia, transphobia—all the ways we exclude each other.”
He credits Union professor Beverly Harrison with helping him “join the dots”—to see how oppressions are linked, and how inclusion must be a constant, ongoing effort. “Inclusion is not a destination,” he says. “It’s something we’re always working toward.”
His message to LGBTQ+ people in faith communities is clear: “Be brave. Be yourself. Find the people who will nurture you. And know this—Christ loves you. Always has. Always will.”
Looking back, Rennie is unequivocal about the impact Union had on his life.
“Union cemented in me a steely determination to do the right thing,” he says. “The people I met there—students, professors, friends—they inspired me. They gave me courage. And I hope, in some way, my story gives courage to someone else.”