THE Church of Scotland will today face one of its biggest crises in 150 years as a vote on gay clergy could drive the Kirk into schism with the loss of thousands of ministers, elders and members.

The spectre of the "Disruption" of 1843, when 474 ministers broke away from the established Church to found the Free Church of Scotland, will hover over the General Assembly this morning when it votes on the controversial issue of the ordination of homosexual ministers who are in same-sex relationships.

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