Organisation
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STRUCTURE
The following information describes our governing style
and how presbyterianism shapes our structure.
Government
Church of Scotland government is organised on the basis
of courts, mainly along lines set between 1560 and 1690.
Each of these courts has developed committees, which may
include other members of the Church, and those at national
level now employ full-time staff. Click
here to go to our councils and committee pages to
find out more about their work and remit.
At local level: the
parish - the court is a kirk
session. Kirk sessions oversee the local congregation
and its parish, and consist of elders presided over
by a minister. Click
here to find your local parish and minister across
our 46 presbyteries in Scotland, England, Europe and
Jerusalem.
At district level:
the court is a presbytery.
Presbyteries consist of all the ministers in the district
and an equal number of elders, along with members of
the diaconate (a form of ordained ministry, usually
working in a complementary role in a ministry team in
both parish and industry sector contexts).
At national level:
the court is the highest court of the Kirk - the General
Assembly. The General Assembly consists of around
400 ministers, 400 elders, and members of the diaconate,
all representing the presbyteries.
Click here to read our full introduction to the
annual General Assembly.
The General Assembly, 2005
Presbyterianism
The Church of Scotland's governing system is presbyterian.
That means that no one person or group within the Church
has more influence or say than any other.
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The Church does not have one person
who acts as the head of faith, as that role is the
Lord God's. Its supreme rule of faith and life is
through the teachings of the Bible. |
You can read more about how the presbyterian nature of
the Church of Scotland developed by reading our history
pages. [more]
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