SAINT ANDREW DECLARATION SIGNED

A Joint Declaration between the Church of Scotland and the Scottish Episcopal Church was signed at a special service in Edinburgh on St Andrew’s Day, November 30.

The Saint Andrew Declaration outlines a series of acknowledgments and commitments between the churches intended to deepen their relationship, and look at new ways of working together to serve the people of Scotland.

The agreement was welcomed and approved at both the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland and the General Synod of the Scottish Episcopal Church earlier this year.

At the St Andrew’s Day service, it was signed by Lord Wallace, the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, and the Most Rev Mark Strange, the Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church.

Lord Wallace said: “I am delighted to be able to sign the Declaration on St Andrew’s Day in person alongside our friends in the Scottish Episcopal Church as we celebrate the close working relationship between our two churches. “We look forward in faithfulness to continuing to strengthen the ties, which already have deep foundations, and exploring our common calling further.”

The Most Rev Mark Strange said: “In many places in rural Scotland there is now only one church building. It might be

Episcopalian or it might be Presbyterian, yet there will be people of both churches in the community.

“If this Declaration gives people the confidence to share, and to allow the church to be open and present to each other, then what a wonderful place we have reached.

“I look forward to seeing where we

can now go from here, together.” The service, which followed a conference exploring the churches’ future relationship, was led by the Rev Sandy Horsburgh of the Church of Scotland’s Ecumenical Relations Committee, and the Rev Prof Canon Charlotte Methuen of the Episcopal Church’s Interchurch Relations Committee.