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General Assembly 2008: C of S looks to 'review and reform'

Improvements to Kirk's vacancy procedure recommended

The Kirk's Panel on Review & Reform will come to the General Assembly (15 - 21 May) with a number of suggestions and proposals which emanate from their consultations over the past two years on the Church of Scotland's vacancy procedures and Presbytery Visits to congregations.

This year saw the final stage of the consultations on the vacancy procedures - the process followed by congregations when they are looking for a new minister. The Panel sought feedback from congregation members, ministers and parish staff who had experienced a period of vacancy. Face-to-face meetings in thirteen venues across Scotland, together with written submissions, resulted in an 80% response from Scotland's Presbyteries. From this arose the recommendations to this year's General Assembly:

• A new vacancy manual which would gather all the relevant information in one place and which would be available for all to see and use.
  
• A leaflet for congregations which would inform them of what they can expect to happen during their time between ministries.
  
• The flowchart which the Panel has produced and which gives a good guide to the entire process and highlights where delays can be avoided.
  
• A pro-forma of a Parish Profile which would help Nominating Committees in the production of their own.
  
• Training as appropriate for those involved in different parts of the process.
  
• The presence of an Interim Moderator in an advisory capacity at interviews so that the Nominating Committee could feel confident that the interview had been carried out to the highest standard possible.

A consultation on the process of Presbytery Visits to congregations resulted in overwhelming agreement that the procedure of visits over a five-year period to assess the health of a congregation should be used to consolidate the practice of forward planning as an integral part of a congregation's life and ministry, and relevant to the culture in which the Church finds itself. The information provided by this process should also allow the regional and central administration bodies of the Kirk to plan in a more meaningful and effective way for resourcing at a local level.

The Panel also set up a Working Group to begin discussions on a review of the 'Articles Declaratory of the Constitution of the Church of Scotland on Matters Spiritual'. As the Kirk adapts to a changing culture, the implications of the Articles Declaratory affect how church and society interact. It is hoped that the Panel will provide an initial framework to inform wider debate within and beyond the membership of the Church of Scotland on the status of the Articles in today's Scotland.

Ends

Notes to Editors:

For further details, please contact the Rev David S. Cameron, Convener of the Panel on Review and Reform, on 01563 525416 (dvdcam5@msn.com)

A full copy of the report is available on our General Assembly pages online here.

GANR/14/04/08

Tuesday 13, May 2008

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