New Partnerships

CHURCHES hold a very special place in the hearts of those who attend. From that little corner where the sun hits the stained glass just right during the sermon, or it’s the place where you were married or where you laid your mother to rest.

Churches are bound up with personal memories, and that’s why it can cause such grief when the decision is made to close a church as congregations are united. Linking congregations can seem like a less severe option, where churches are retained and the minister travels between the congregations, often holding more than one sermon each Sunday.

The Rev John Orr has experienced both. He’s minister for The Glens and Kirriemuir United Parish Church, linked with Oathlaw, Tannadice.

He’s based in rural Angus, where small villages and market towns are a few miles from each other.

“For a bit of background. Kirriemuir: St Andrew’s (linked with Oathlaw Tannadice) and The Glens and Kirriemuir Old were both part of the West Angus Area Ministry (WAAM) parish grouping (and part of the Hub-Style Ministry Pilot Project) and so already had a degree of collaboration in place. When the minister of GKOPC retired in 2017, GKOPC opted to go into Guardianship, with me (minister of KStA) as Interim Moderator. This was done, primarily, to ensure we had a continuing post for our area team minister, the Rev Linda Stevens, who works across the entirety of WAAM, as our Presbytery ministry allocation was to reduce to four posts.

“As part of the union, Oathlaw Tannadice agreed to link with the new united congregation.”

With an aging and sometimes dwindling congregation, sometimes uniting is a better option than dying slowly.

“Our union was prompted by the growing reality that (both) congregations were struggling to find the resources to do existing and new work. Coming together was an opportunity to pool resources (both people and financial) and find new ways to invigorate the church’s presence in the town. For the smaller congregation (KStA), it made sense to do this sooner rather than later so that the dwindling financial resources simply didn’t go towards supporting (and extending) the obvious decline,” John says.

“Procedurally, it can be a frustrating time, especially in our context where there was also the impact on the Parish Grouping, necessitating a change to the basis of grouping with all the associated votes in all the congregations. The actual union was really the end point of a long period of prayer and reflection. Having agreed to move forward, the lengthy procedures then became that source of frustration.”

Kirriemuir Parish Church

St Andrew’s Church

The heart of any union or linkage though, is the congregations.

“Getting to the point of agreeing a union involves a lot of work as well. Agreement over buildings, etc, whilst part of the formal basis of union, needs to be done.

“I made it clear that the union was not the change that was needed, but the foundation of the changes we needed to address as the national church, and presbytery, looked at the challenges it faced. The radical action plan was something that we all needed to grasp.

“In practical terms, creating working groups who would look at buildings, fixtures and fittings, rotas, administration, and so on, was important. We wanted to make sure we had a plan, at least, for how to address the hurdles we could foresee. Part of that work was also for the congregation in the place that was to become the new place of worship for the united congregation to look at their surroundings and practices and work out where to ‘make space’ for the changes.

Our union was prompted by the growing reality that (both) congregations were struggling to find the resources to do existing and new work. Coming together was an opportunity to pool resources (both people and financial) and find new ways to invigorate the church’s presence in the town.

“Sensitivity to legacy items, and ensuring there is an appropriate place for them, is important. Preparation for the change, from the pulpit and through prayer, is another way of recognising the change; that some things may be ‘left behind’, but that God calls and accompanies us, into new pastures.”

And John suggests using all your resources to help a union go as gently as possible.

John smiles: “Let the Guild lead by example! Before the union had even been agreed, but looking increasingly likely, the Guild committees of both places were already meeting together, working out how things would work in the future, and what was the best of both groups to take forward.

“I cannot overstate how encouraging that was for me personally, and for the wider congregation!”

The Rev David Mitchell, Presbytery Convener for Appraisal and minister for Kilfinan linked with Kilmodan and Colintraive linked with Kyles, says uniting congregations can be difficult.

“If anything is going to derail a union it is buildings – it is the single most challenging factor. We can say ‘the Church is the congregation of people’ till we are blue in the face, but it’s the building that is associated with the church and the memories.

“Things that can help are giving examples where painful change has happened and is working (we have one charge that was five buildings into one and they wouldn’t go back) Changing the name of the new congregation can help, changing it to something different from anything in the union.

“Bottom line is there are some difficult decisions to make and it falls to presbytery to make those decisions,” he said.

“The pain in a union is the negotiation to set it up in the first place. Once you get past that and the congregational meetings to vote it through people are usually resigned to making it work. The Basis of Union also makes clear there is no going back.

“You can ‘sever’ a linkage (break and change it) but not a Union.”

Linkages, where more than one church links to share a minister can seem a kinder option than unions. Congregations generally retain their buildings and can be administered separately, but they’re not without their difficulties.

David says, “In my experience as a minister of three linked congregations with four churches the challenge is in being the minister to three very different congregations. I am minister to one congregation with mainly retired city and professional people, about 50/50 local and ‘incomers’ as it’s a popular holiday and retirement place. Another congregation that is mainly farming/ forestry and ferries with some wealthy retired people, and a third congregation that is mainly country estates and fish farming. It makes for a varied and enjoyable ministry.

“The two main challenges for a linked charge are getting the money right: making sure the treasurers understand what costs get shared and setting up a process to do that. It’s usually a quarterly arrangement and agreeing the times for worship so that it’s possible for the minister to be in more than one place on a Sunday. Common sense usually prevails.”

Minister sharing can become a real issue in linked parishes.

The Rev Russell McLarty, transition minister at Meadowbank Church in Edinburgh , has experience of the difficulties sometimes faced by the minister of linked charges.

“In many situations there are real concerns about whether the minister can be shared equally or fairly with the different partners in the linkage. If the minister is staying in one community, the fear is that they might not have the same presence in the other community. It is really important to be open and honest in any conversations and in negotiations a rural congregation accepted that it would be better for the shared minister and family to live in the town with all its facilities, accepting that you don’t meet many people walking through their village.”

Russell too, recommends using some of the other resources the Church can offer to help in these situations.

“With the need to be ‘fair’ and to make sure congregations involved have fully explored all the issues, it can be important to involve someone from outside the situation. I have been involved as a volunteer for Place for Hope in offering support to congregations as they consider linkage or union. There is huge benefit of having help with, what can be, difficult conversations. As in a future marriage where a couple are getting to know one another, we would ask each what they need to know about the other and what the other needs to know about them. It is important to recognise that different congregations, like different families, can have very different

ways of doing and thinking about things. In congregational terms, one might have a very easy going old parish church culture while the other might have a sharp business-style of operating. With deeper understanding, we might then consider what both could achieve together which they would struggle to manage separately. This can be very telling and might show promise and compatibility or it might ring the warning that the two would need a lot more support if they were to go into a linkage or union.”

Isobel Hunter, Secretary to the General Kirk Session of the Parishes of Upper Tweeddale has hopes that Church law will be changed to recognise the appropriateness of a General Kirk Session for linked charges.

“The harmonious four-way linking which makes up the Parishes of Upper Tweeddale has been in place since January 1977. Two developments have been vital in allowing a geographically spread out charge with four quite different congregations work well for forty-three years.

“The first has been our General Kirk Session which first met in March 1977 and has met regularly several times a year ever since. Individual Kirk Session meetings are rare, relieving the minister of multiple meetings, and more importantly, bringing the four sessions and through them the four congregations to know each other and work well together. This is particularly important when there have been problems within our charge; over such a long period of time this is almost inevitable at some point, particularly with divisive legislation for linkings such as the vote about departing before calling a minister. Because people know each other, meet together, have meals and retreats together we have found that we have been able to work through our differences and come together again afterwards without losing our trust in each other.

“It is to be hoped that the structure and legislation of the Church can be brought to a point where it is willing to recognise the appropriateness of a General Kirk Session for a linked charge. Currently we have to find workarounds to comply with Church law and only recently were instructed to demote the role of Session Clerk to Secretary, have minutes signed by all four Session Clerks and head up minutes to show the four parishes meeting individually…despite 40 years of bound minutes for the General Kirk Session of the Parishes of Upper Tweeddale prepared and signed by the Session Clerk. As more linkings occur I feel this is an area where legislation needs to be brought up to date.

“The second vital element has been the existence since 1986 of a trained Worship Workshop enabling worship in all four churches every Sunday. The Rev Ian Rennie started this training and it has been continued by succeeding ministers. The loss of weekly worship in a town or village, whether in a church building or a hall or a home, marks the beginning of decline and is the antithesis of our third article declaratory confirming that the Church has ‘a commitment to maintain worshipping, witnessing and serving congregations throughout Scotland’.

Members from all four churches, with our then minsiter Rev Bob Milne, on a 23 mile walk around the five churches in the parishes of Upper Tweeddale.

“We currently have six Worship Workshop members who make sure that there is worship in all of our four churches each Sunday without bankrupting our charge with the cost of pulpit supply, especially as we have been in vacancy for two and and a half years, sisted by our presbytery while they work on the Presbytery Plan. There was considerable opposition to laity taking services when we started out but at least the importance of this service to the church is now being recognised. Presbyteries and the national Church are putting some effort into training for this calling. The opposition was certainly not from our congregations who have been without exception supportive.

“Today our parishes are looking at change. The Melrose and Peebles Presbytery Plan envisages a break in our current linkings and a new partnership with West Linton, linked with Newlands and Kirkurd linked with Carlops. If we can continue and develop the level of co-operation we have enjoyed over the last 40 years we remain confident in our future.”

One question that sometimes arises during a union, is what about the communion ware?

Uniting churches would necessarily mean that not everything from the churches due to combine will be needed anymore, so what happens to it?

A Church of Scotland elder and his wife, a minister, were given the task of trying to build a database of every piece of church pewter and silverware in the Church’s care.

Kirk Dobie, an elder, has long had an interest in matters antiquarian and in sacramental vessels, and had done a considerable amount of research in that field.

His wife, the Rev Rachel Dobie, is retired. Together they have travelled the country carefully noting, photographing and listing the communion ware in churches everywhere.

“Until almost 20 years ago, any congregation wishing to dispose of communion plate (for any reason) had to apply to the General Assembly for permission to do so. This was inevitably cumbersome and not always observed. It was, and still is, not unknown for pieces to appear in auction catalogues without permission having been given. So, it was realised by those involved – at that time principally the Committee on Artistic Matters – that no one really knew what was in the Church’s possession (the disposal of communion ware is now dealt with by CARTA – the Church Art and Architecture Committee, which succeeded the Committee on Artistic Matters.) And yet, as one staff member would eventually say, this 300 years’ worth of sacramental vessels “represented the greatest single corpus of Scottish silver and pewter ware in existence.”

A Church of Scotland elder and his wife, a minister, were given the task of trying to build a database of every piece of church pewter and silverware in the Church’s care… Together they have travelled the country carefully noting, photographing and listing the communion ware in churches everywhere.

Church pewter being inspected for the database.

Various attempts were made to record individual presbyteries but with very limited success and the decision was made to try to find someone who would visit each parish in Scotland, presbytery by presbytery and record all the items. Kirk was approached because of his interest, and he accepted becoming initially at least, a part-time member of staff. It was conceded that it ‘might take a few years to complete’ – something of an understatement. It was approved by the General Assembly and the appropriate deliverance passed, making it necessary for courts and individuals to give their co-operation. Initially he worked one day a week, plus the subsequent desk work. Occasionally I accompanied him on my day off, but when I retired, I took on the administration and planning,” says Rachel.

“It began with four pilot studies, a city presbytery (Dundee) an urban one (Ardrossan) and a rural one (Lochcarron and Skye) and our own presbytery of Melrose and Peebles. The presbytery concerned was notified by 121, and a letter sent by us to each parish, making contact with ministers and relevant office-bearers. On the agreed day we would arrive – usually to find everything laid out ready for us. We would examine every individual piece, describe it, measure it, photograph it if it was interesting or important, putting all details on a proforma which would later be sent to the church offices where it is transferred to a database created for the purpose. If one was starting afresh today it would undoubtedly go straight onto a database from a laptop or tablet. We saw items in churches, in halls, in banks, in lawyers’ offices, in attics and cellars, local museum show-cases, and also in numerous fairly unlikely ‘safe places.’ The project had backing, advice, and support from the National Museum of Scotland, and the Incorporation of Goldsmiths of the City of Edinburgh. Some presbyteries could be done in day trips from home. Some required overnight stays. Sadly, we have not yet been asked to do charges in Europe or the Caribbean!

We would examine every individual piece, describe it, measure it, photograph it if it was interesting or important, putting all details on a proforma which would later be sent to the church offices where it is transferred to a database created for the purpose.

“Planning can be complex. I begin with a map; a list of the charges in a presbytery and contact names, I try to assess what the congregation will be likely to have based on who the heritors would have been, how many unions and linkings have taken place over the centuries, and other available information on the history of the charge etc. If there are only two cups, a plate and a baptism bowl, one can be back out on the pavement in fifteen minutes and ready to drive on to the next parish. If the charge is the result of over a dozen amalgamations and has over two hundred individual pieces, it will take longer. I then map out each trip, taking all this into account. One group of parishes required two day-trips to complete.

The information on the database is confidential within the church offices, but it has always been agreed that access to information for academic purposes can be granted if requested for bona fide purposes. Values and storage details are never recorded.”

But prized possessions are not always tucked away, never to be seen again.

Happily, many continue in regular use “Where amalgamations take place, we feel it is really important that pieces associated with the congregation’s ‘story’ continue to be used. There is such a huge sense of the communion of saints in so many of these items. Where congregations have come together and buildings been closed there is often an understandable sense of – almost bereavement. Three Fife churches due to be united, had some beautiful communion cups which we recorded in the same bank vault. When I asked what they would do after the union and the closures, they said happily that they had got that cracked, and intended to use all three sets in rotation at the quarterly communions.”

This article appears in the February 2020 Issue of Life and Work

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