Dear Friends

Every year, the month of May is important for the Church of Scotland, because it is the month in which the General Assembly meets in Edinburgh. The Church of Scotland has three layers of ‘government’, known as ‘Courts of the Church’. The General Assembly is the highest of these courts, governing the whole Church. Next come the Presbyteries, of which there are now 14 (including the Presbytery of England, the Presbytery of Jerusalem and the International Presbytery). Ours is the Presbytery of the North East and Northern Isles. Presbyteries must follow the decisions of the General Assembly, and make decisions for their areas within the national framework. Finally, each congregation has a Kirk Session. Kirk Session must follow the decisions of the General Assembly and their Presbytery, but also have freedom to make decisions for their local Church within those frameworks.

Although the structure of the Church of Scotland may seem top-down, it can also be seen in reverse: Kirk Sessions are made up of Ruling Elders and the Minister, a Teaching Elder, (some also have a Deacon) all of whom were called to serve by the congregation. Presbyteries are made up of Elders, Deacons and Ministers, selected by, and representing, each Kirk Session in the area. Each Presbytery then selects Elders, Deacons and Ministers to attend the General Assembly every May.

By now, you may well be asking why my usual letter is being taken up with a lesson on how the Church of Scotland is governed. My reason for doing so lies in the pain that many in the Church are currently feeling because of the closure of buildings, unions of congregations and reduction in the number of Ministers. When we feel pain, our human nature tends to make us seek someone to blame. Consequently I have come across a fair degree of negative reactions to ‘The Church’, because of the way it is changing and the pain that is being felt as a result.

While I may find some of the huge changes to our Church challenging, I am convinced that the changes have come about through the prayerful consideration of all who have attended the General Assemblies at which they were debated and decided upon, and the Presbyteries and Kirk Sessions which have strived to faithfully implement those decisions. I am further convinced that the way we govern our Church is rooted in Scripture (see Numbers 11:16-30 and Acts 6:1-6, 11:1-18 and 15:1-35) so is in accordance with the Word of God.

The General Assembly of 2024 will take place in Edinburgh from 18 to 23 May, please join me in praying for all who will be in attendance, in person or online, that they are guided by the Holy Spirit to come to the best decisions for our Church, as it adapts itself to meet the challenges of engaging with Christ’s mission in the 21st Century. Similarly, please pray regularly for the same guidance for the Presbytery of the North East and Northern Isles, which meets about 7 times each year, and our Kirk Session of Inverurie St. Andrew’s Church, which meets at least 10 times each year.

Many blessings,

Carl