Our presbyteries

Thomas Baldwin learns about the work undertaken in the presbytery of Glasgow.

PRESBYTERY OF GLASGOW

FACTS

CONGREGATIONS*: 120

CHARGES*: 116

VACANCIES*: 45

*at time of going to press

MEMBERS of presbyteries that have gone through the recent round of mergers could perhaps have been forgiven for casting envious glances in the direction of Scotland’s largest city.

Historically the Church’s biggest presbytery by number of charges, Glasgow has gone virtually untouched by the presbytery consolidation process, other than the addition of a handful of churches from Cumbernauld which joined in June 2021. It already had a presbytery office and paid staff, and was used to working with large numbers of members.

“We have had some people come to ask us how we run a bigger presbytery, and we have given a little support to staff (from the new larger presbyteries) as they have come into post,” says the Rev Dr Grant Barclay, Clerk to the Presbytery of Glasgow. “Because we have established ways of doing things, we can at least share how we do things.”

However, having a head start in some respects does not mean the presbytery has been spared the difficulties of the mission planning process – and being larger does not make that easier.

Grant says: “Other presbyteries which have been brought together have, as I understand it, quite often carried out mission planning in their smaller constituencies (before merging). We had to do it the other way round – we subdivided our presbytery into five zones and supported local congregations, encouraging them to carry out the work of mission planning in those smaller areas, which are still roughly 20 current congregations each.

“A great deal of our time is spent supporting congregations as we work through these challenging issues.”

The process is complicated by Glasgow’s unique challenges, which include being home to most of Scotland’s most deprived areas.

“Twenty-eight of our charges are Priority Area charges, and we probably have the same again which are very close,” says Grant. “So at least a third of our charges are serving areas that are economically challenging. That for us is a big deal.

“So while we recognise that we need to reduce our presence, both in terms of ministers and buildings, we face some tension between that necessary reduction and not walking away from our Priority Area communities. This is particularly true where a church is one of the small number of premises in an area which has a community focus.

“Sometimes those churches are costly to maintain, and local resources might be harder to find. In other places there is an equal and opposite challenge where the church is reasonably well maintained but the number of ministers doesn’t justify keeping the number of churches.”

He adds that the presbytery is trying to be ‘both realistic and creative’ in facing these problems. Where a building is in good condition but surplus to church requirements, they are trying to work with the local community to find a way of keeping the building as a community asset.

Another consequence of uniting parishes is that sometimes a poorer area may be linked with a relatively affluent one. “There’s one area of significant need linking with a parish in the suburbs that might not be out of place in the Cotswolds,” says Grant. “If we are looking to keep two centres of worship but a single ministry, that minister will have to be particularly adept at relating to quite different needs and aspirations.”

However, he adds that that can lead to benefits, with better-off churches sharing material resources and benefitting from skills and experience of many backgrounds.

“It’s not all negative,” agrees Grant. “Where churches have taken the step to come together, the process is challenging – no doubt about it – but most of them have found that once they are together their joint life is richer than it was when they were separate. The united congregation has been energised and there are real signs of life and possibilities.”

Among the signs of life Grant picks out are the number of churches experimenting with new forms of church. “The Presbytery has a Pioneering and Planting Co-ordinator providing facilitation, nurture and support for those seeking new ways of being church. Regular training events and courses are provided including a full day Mission Possible conference, which was held in September with just under 100 people.

“A current trend in exploring new forms of church in the presbytery is around wellbeing, with a few churches undertaking research and planning stages just now. One pilot project is working with families on a Friday after school, another has established an arts-based group for young people. Much work is being done to support congregations applying to Seeds for Growth, and we look forward to seeing what the next 12 months will bring as these grants release new initiatives in the presbytery.”

Another new scheme involves training elders and others to conduct funeral services, helping to fill the gap left by the shortage of ministers and deacons. 11 people have completed a pilot course and are now being mentored as they begin leading services. “Elders being able to conduct funeral services and care for the bereaved is vital as they are generally people who have lived in the area for a long time, and those they are called to assist will often be known to them as neighbours,” says Grant.

The presbytery also hopes to expand eldership development into training and support in pastoral care.

The presbytery also resources ministry amongst children and families, with several conferences, some ecumenical, held during the year and over 35 congregations supported to develop their children, family and youth ministry. Other developments Grant points to are a growing ecumenical friendship with the Roman Catholic Church (significant, given Glasgow’s historical relationship with sectarianism) and a twinning with the Diocese of Hyderabad in Pakistan. “When we’re in the midst of very introspective mission planning work, it’s good to get a broader perspective,” he says.

The presbytery, and local congregations, give significant support to the Lodging House Mission, helping to address homelessness and rough sleeping in the city.

Grant has been in post for three years and admits it ‘hasn’t been as straightforward as I thought it might have been’ but says he is inspired by ‘the sense of collaboration and collegiality’.

“We are diverse in a range of ways, but we work together. Not always agreeing, but recognising nonetheless that we are all in it together and willing to work together to support congregations to be people of the way of Jesus.”

*Last month, the number of vacancies in the Presbytery of Perth was given as 74. That should have read 47.