The Rt Rev Dr Martin Fair says the Church will have to hold on to the spirit of the last few months as it faces the challenge of reform.

THE normal Moderatorial routine involves any number of engagements and lots of travelling, so it’s not unreasonable for Moderators to share accounts of these events and travels via social media and the pages of Life and Work.

In my own case, that wouldn’t amount to much. There are only so many ways you can spin ‘Today I went nowhere and met no-one’!

With the sole exception of a trip to Edinburgh for the Commission of Assembly in early July, my world since my installation has involved sitting in front of my laptop, or on the phone, in the study of our manse in Arbroath. With movement restricted throughout lockdown, and with every event cancelled, there’s been no option other than to sit tight.

But though that might sound like a cause for despondency, the truth is that there has been no shortage of opportunities to engage with the wider Church and beyond. Though some doors have slammed shut, others have opened and for that I give thanks to God.

Given that Moderators are subject to the same limitations of space and time as every ordinary mortal, my predecessors have been limited to one, or possibly two, pulpits each Sunday. Through July and August I, on the other hand, have appeared in several hundred digital pulpits!

It seemed to me that one way in which I could support ministers and congregations would be to provide two ready-made Sunday services that could be used more or less anywhere, anytime. I was delighted that many welcomed this offer and downloaded these services to give themselves something of a well-earned break.

Another way in which I’ve sought to engage is through a series of interviews called It’s a Fair Question. In these Zoom conversations, I’ve chatted with a variety of folk about a whole range of subjects, some particular to the life of the Church and some more general. I’ve talked with ministry colleagues, Julie and Dan, about their experiences of contracting Covid-19 and with Andy and Fraser about their successes in beating heroin addiction. Beyond that, there have been discussions about racism, about losing a baby and about music and faith. These thirty-minute online programmes have attracted average audiences of over 10,000 viewers, far in excess of the numbers of folks who would have gathered in a church or hall for an evening meeting.

My point is this: even in the midst of a crisis or seeming disaster, there are almost always positive ways to respond and new ways of doing things.

If that’s true for me then it seems clear that, largely speaking, the Church as a whole has embraced the challenge of navigating a way towards these open doors. Having spoken on the phone to around 200 ministers, I’ve been delighted to hear of how ministers and congregations have stepped up and indeed welcomed the opportunities that have presented themselves to communicate and engage in new ways. In one way or another, we’ve been imaginative, creative and flexible. All good.

With the sole exception of a trip to Edinburgh for the Commission of Assembly in early July, my world since my installation has involved sitting in front of my laptop, or on the phone, in the study of our manse in Arbroath.

But the truth is that we’re going to have to continue to exhibit these qualities in the months ahead. Our initial response to the pandemic has been encouraging but the big issues of reshaping and reforming the Church -and being genuinely radical about it – are still before us. Financial concerns, an over-supply of buildings, reorganising Presbyteries and, primarily, how to equip ourselves for mission instead of maintenance – grappling with these issues will require of us creativity and flexibility in bucketloads.

Not to mention an absolute reliance on God.

‘Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.’ (Proverbs 3:5) ¤

The Rt Rev Dr Martin Fair is minister at Arbroath: St Andrew’s and Moderator of the General Assembly in 2020/2021.