Continuing his emphasis on the need to change church structures, the Very Rev Albert Bogle reflects on leadership and nurture.

THE Church of Scotland as we know it today has never developed much beyond the mindset of a 19th century institution.

Our centralised Boards and Committees, now known as Councils, emerged in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. During this period the church centralised its mission policy for home and overseas and also began to develop a more centralist approach to ministry.

The restructuring of the central activities of the church’s functions during the mid ‘naughties’ was in the eyes of many, nothing more than a rearranging of the functions into diff erent boxes. And while the present Councils are seeking to work more closely with each other, understanding their role in relation to Presbyteries and local congregations is something that needs to be continually restated.

We are still heavily governed through centralised structures. Although intellectually and theologically we will deny this, we have allowed ourselves to be imprisoned by a committee structure that often does not allow for good decision making. We rely too heavily on our committee structure to make things happen.

We have built a church around the symbolism of a law court. Many of our ministers still dress like lawyers or judges on a Sunday and many of our church buildings resemble the court and the furnishings in them all reflect a court of law.

The problem is that the language of the court speaks of law and punishment and of course, hopefully restitution and perhaps redemption. However when we worship and relate to each other in this symbolic environment we continue, often unwittingly, to consign worship to the straitjacket of a court of law. There is little room for grace or freedom of personal expression. If we have a gospel message that has at its heart the Cycle of Grace where does that thinking fit into our court structure?

During the past few years it seems to me that there is a mood in the church to be more relational than legal. This leads us to think about structures and functions that are based on trust and relationships rather than legal authority. True worship is surely an act of the heart in response to love and forgiveness not an act of duty or even an act of obedience, although obedience can often be a response to love.

In so many ways the thinking of the original Church Without Walls report continues to invite the church to make a huge shift, to move from the courtroom to the bedroom. The bedroom is truly the place of worship and adoration this is the place where we are called to in worship – the place of intimacy.

Many of the growing churches have based themselves around a community that makes worship its priority, fitting in with the social patterns of the day. These congregations take Ephesians 4 seriously: they are committed to equipping all the saints for ministry. They include social justice and welfare as part of the Christian act of worship and ministry.

The Church of Scotland has had its successes in the past in the area of Discipleship. The Summer Mission programme of the 60s and 70s is but one example which developed many people within the church to take on roles of leadership through the experience of mission, often with worship at its heart. We have seen some nurture in the past but it would be true to say that we have not been consistent in making nurture part of our congregational growth.

We need to encourage a model that allows for nurture to develop. This is why the cell group or connect group has an essential role in the structure of the church. Nurture is seen as a key ingredient from the first encounter with a cell group or a small house group. This might lead in turn to a person becoming a graduate of the College of Training in Worship and Discipleship which is attached to the centre or cathedral church (see November Life and Work).

I think there is something about leading and teaching that go together. Perhaps it is only right that those who teach the future leaders of the church, in our universities be themselves practised in their leadership in church aff airs as they teach and train others. The model adopted by many of the growing churches is the person leading worship at one of the services on a Sunday will also be teaching the subject at the Church College the next week to students. If the Church of Scotland adopted a similar model the Presbytery would have its centre (as described in November) open daily as a place of prayer and reflection and spiritual activity. Some ministers would no longer be called to a congregation but be attached to minister from a Presbytery and be available for the district or region.

Using our resources wisely from a central local point may very well be a creative and useful development for the Presbytery. Inspirational leadership is borne out of reflection and prayer.

The Very Rev Albert Bogle is a Pioneer Minister of Sanctuary First Church Online at www.sanctuary/first.org.uk