Ministers to be called remotely

CONGREGATIONS in the Church of Scotland are now permitted to meet remotely in order to call a minister, under new protocols approved in July.

A Commission of Assembly, meeting by videoconference, agreed the temporary amendments to Church law, which will apply until at least October.

Since the coronavirus lockdown was imposed in March, Kirk Sessions and Vacancy Committees had been unable to meet; and, as public worship has stopped, there were no opportunities for sole nominees to preach. This meant newlyqualified ministers were unable to seek their first parish, and those who feel called to another church could not pursue that calling.

The new protocols allow for Kirk Sessions and committees to meet remotely, and for preaching as sole nominee to take place by live streamed or recorded worship. The ballot procedure has been amended to allow for votes to be sent by post or hand-delivered.

The Commission also approved protocols for Presbyteries and Kirk Sessions to meet by video or audioconferencing.

The convener of the Legal Questions Committee, the Rev Dr Grant Barclay, told the Commission: “The time to come will remain challenging regardless of changes to public health policy. In changed circumstances, however, some things remain: we need to be able to continue to function as a Church.

“The protocol is designed to be as flexible as possible, enabling general principles to be applied to differing settings from large city-centre charges to smaller, perhaps linked rural ones. These provisions are also temporary and shall subsist only until the next General Assembly. At that point (and it is intended that there shall be a General Assembly in October of this year) the terms of the protocol may be extended if it is found to have worked well, or it may be adapted in the light of experience – or departed from completely.

“We think it is necessary to offer these more flexible ways of working, given the pressing challenges which are faced, not least by vacant charges as well as by ministers completing their fourth or familiarisation placements and who now seek a charge.”

He added that the protocol on remote Kirk Session and Presbytery meetings was subject to the principles “that all those entitled to be present are made aware of and can attend, albeit remotely; that all are enabled to contribute to and to hear the arguments; and that all those entitled to participate in decision-making are provided with the means of doing so”.

Commission of Assembly online 2020

In response to a question, Dr Barclay added that he knew of no way a new minister could be inducted to a charge without ordination, which was not possible at the time of writing. However, he hoped that the situation might change as Scottish Government guidelines were updated.

This was the first time a Commission of Assembly, a gathering of about ten per cent of the most recent General Assembly, has met remotely. The Moderator, Principal Clerk, Dr Barclay and other officials were present in the Assembly Hall in Edinburgh, and Commissioners joined the proceedings using videoconferencing facilities.

Guidelines on the new protocols were sent out from the Principal Clerk’s office to Presbytery Clerks, and placed on the Church website. ¤

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

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