WORSHIPPERS in Glasgow held their final service as a Church of Scotland before they break away in a protest over gay ministers.

The 500-strong congregation of St George's Tron gathered for their final Sunday service before being evicted from the church, despite giving £2.6million to its refurbishment.

There were hugs and tears as the congregation – the first full one to leave over the decision to allow the ordination of gay and lesbian ministers – shut the church's doors.

There were no Bibles or hymn books, and the organ had been replaced by a piano. These items had already been removed from the Nelson Mandela Place church to 25 Bath Street, the new home of the congregation to be known as the Tron Church.

A bid by the Kirk to seek possession of them during a prayer meeting last Wednesday highlighted the bitter wrangle over assets.

Minister Rev Dr William Philip fears he and his family will be evicted from the manse after law officers served legal papers on his wife last Friday.

Parishioner Said Savidoghchi, an asylum seeker from Iran, said the Kirk's behaviour reminded him "of the persecution experienced by Christians at the hands of the government of my country. I am alarmed at this turn of events."

Mr Philip said: "They want to make an example of us, to scare other congregations out of doing as we have. But there are dozens who'd leave the Kirk tomorrow over this issue."

Asked whether a gay person would be welcome in his secessionist church, he said: "We're all in recovery from our addiction to sin. It doesn't help an addict to be told, 'Don't worry, your sin doesn't really matter, just carry on.'

"Everyone here is struggling with something. We all help each other."

Parishioner Rupert Hunt-Taylor, 28, said: "It appears the Kirk is saying the Bible's wrong, sin doesn't matter. The more the church tries to align itself with secular society the more it will weaken itself.

"Who does the Kirk think will fill this church now? The congregation they imagine will replace us is fictional."

A Kirk spokesman said it now aimed to bring forward plans to rebuild the congregation at the Tron building.