Vision and Strategic Priorities
The Assembly Trustees report set out a vision of growth noting that God is active within the Church and that our focus in the coming five years should be to "foster, nurture and increase growth across every facet of Church."
Three particular areas were identified as being important for growth:
- Growth in Faith
- Growth in Service
- Growth in Impact
To help us with this vision, strategic priorities were adopted:
- Mission
- Simplification - making sure that our procedures and processes are fit for purpose and are not a burden
- Financial Sustainability
- Duty of Care - being bound to one another in a covenant of grace. This recognises that things have been difficult over recent years and the vision for growth must not be another initiative which simply compounds the challenges for congregations.
Kirk Sessions are being invited to highlight where they are being asked to do things more than once for different parts of the Church.
Finances
Within the finance section of the report it was good to read that the year end figures for 2025 are better than anticipated. This is due to a number of different factors, including the cost saving work undertaken in recent years. The report states: "Overall, the position allows for cautious optimism: we are moving in the right direction and have bought ourselves the time needed to make further changes, but continued vigilance and prudent stewardship are still required."
With regards to financial sustainability the GA approved financial principles which will underpin the new model for financing ministry. These principles are worth highlighting in full:
- The cost of ministry used in the charge requirement calculation will be based on full cost recovery, reflecting the total cost of ministry provision across the Church.
The full cost recovery figure for a full-time Minister of Word and Sacrament in 2026 would be £63k. A charge in a covenant relationship with their minister who can cover full costs should be doing so. - If a charge can fund the full cost of the ministry it requires, it should be able to call a minister.
When a charge covenants to supply a living (stipend) to a minister, and the minister in turn covenants to serve that charge, the Church’s contribution scheme for financing ministry should facilitate that ministry. - Presbyteries should be responsible for mission planning in their area. There should be no artificial cap on numbers; they should only be constrained by funding.
- Funding will be available from the Solidarity Fund to subsidise charges that cannot afford the level of ministry sought, though this will be limited to the level of funds available.
- If local income falls and a charge can no longer meet the cost of its allocated ministry; it should be supported for a period to allow remedial action. Thereafter, if income is not sufficient, that ministry will be reduced or removed.
Charges go through cycles of growth and decline. For a charge experiencing decline, there are various actions that can be taken to address the situation, including receipt of short-term support. However, for a charge where there has been no growth for a long period of time, and no sense of a vision and sustainable plan for the future, there may need to be difficult decisions taken. - Shared services will be funded through a fee to give certainty that income will cover essential national costs. This fee will be proportionate to local income and capped at an upper limit.
- Flexible forms of ministry will be available to congregations, and this will be reflected in the required contribution.
Not every charge will be able to generate 100% full costs for the ministry they might desire. That should not mean there is no ministry available in that charge. A charge may raise 80% of the costs needed and receive the remaining 20% through the Solidarity Fund where eligible. They may only generate 50% and recognise they do not need a fulltime ministry and consequently offer a 50% ministry or indeed any percentage as agreed between themselves and presbytery. It may be the case that a manse is available, and they would offer a House for Duty (once the model is developed) or some other form of ministry that is agreeable to the Church and within our legal polity. - Presbyteries will continue to have an element of core funding from national funds. Any funding above this will require to be collected locally through dues.
Financing Ministry will ensure a presbytery’s core costs such as clerk and administrator are supported whilst giving them freedom to raise additional resources from congregations for further work. - The national church will communicate effectively on how the money collected from congregations is distributed and used.
These principles set the direction for the new system which will come into effect in the future. Detailed proposals are to be brought to next year's GA for further consideration. The new system will be significantly different from how we currently fund ministry and, as such, it is important to begin engaging now with what these changes may mean for congregations in our Presbytery.
Kirk Sessions are being encouraged to engage with the national stewardship team. When was the last time you gave thought to the question of financial sustainability?
Vacancy Allowance
The Presbyteries of Perth and South West were successful in bringing an overture to the GA around last year's changes in relation to Vacancy Allowance. It has now been agreed that vacancy allowance will be paid regardless of whether or not Permission to Call has been granted, unless Presbytery determine that failure to progress readjustment in terms of the Presbytery Mission Place Act (Act VIII 2021) is the responsibility of the congregation.
Communications
Since last year's GA we have been without Life and Work. The Assembly Trustees have been instructed to develop a replacement, giving thought to what platforms might be used by members of the Church of Scotland. A new head of Communications has been appointed and there is ongoing work in relation to a Communications strategy.
Charity Trusteeship
Work is being done to Consider whether there are alternative ways of meeting our obligations from OSCR. And training is being prepared for those who are charity trustees.
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
The EDI group is working with the Theological Forum on a renewed Theology of Welcome, which centres around welcome being a "foundational aspect of the Church's witness, discipleship and mission" and it will be interesting to read what form will come from this.
The group is also exploring how the Church can become a more inclusive place for neurodivergent people, and it is working the General Trustees on the matter of accessibility for buildings.
Scots Hotel, Tiberias
The GA approved the proposal to lease the Scots Hotel to a preferred operator. This decision is an attempt to move towards financial sustainability for the hotel and keeping a Christian presence in Israel.
Rev Stella