Presbytery Clerk News

Getting your homework marked!

By Stella McBurnie | 16 September 2026
On Saturday, at our Presbytery meeting, we heard from our Congregational Support Officer, Natasha Hepburn, about the Annual Inspection of Congregational Records.  A tremendous amount of work was undertaken by office-bearers across the Presbytery to submit digital records.  A huge…

The September Squeeze

By Stella McBurnie | 9 September 2026
I love the month of September, particularly because of what it brings in terms of crisp mornings, glorious autumn colours, fruitfulness (in the gardens and fields) and a sense of energy after the summer break.  I think there is often…

Succession Planning

By Stella McBurnie | 2 September 2026
Passwords… For those us who use Church of Scotland IT equipment, we have regular training on what you might describe as Cyber Security.  Last week it was about using passphrases.  A passphrase is a sequence of words, typically longer than…

Places of worship

By Stella McBurnie | 26 August 2026
Over the summer I was fortunate to spend some time in Barcelona with family on holiday.  It was a return trip for me, and one of the things that I most looked forward to going to see was the Sagrada…

What does a Presbytery Clerk do?

By Stella McBurnie | 29 July 2026
It is a good question and one that I often get asked, particularly by those who are less familiar with the jargon of the Church of Scotland. Like those in parish ministry, it is fair to say that every day…

Bits n’ bobs

By Stella McBurnie | 2 July 2026
As a child I found it strange when my mother insisted on us tidying up the house before we would go out for the day.  It seemed to me to a perfect way of making life easier for burglars, who…

The Pause

By Stella McBurnie | 24 June 2026
You may not be a football fan, but in all probably you will be aware that there is a World Cup going on at the moment.  And if you are a Scotland fan, you may be preparing for a late…

End of Season 3

By Stella McBurnie | 17 June 2026
We are at that time of year where lots of things are coming to a close for the summer.  End of term assemblies, shows, concerts and presentations will be happening in the schools in our communities.  Some children are looking…

GA – FAPLT

By Stella McBurnie | 10 June 2026
The single biggest report to the GA this year was from FAPLT.  The Faith Action Programme Leadership Team is split into a number of sub-groups: Mission Support People and Training Public Life and Social Justice Resource and Presence Presbytery Partnership…

GA – Assembly Trustees Report

By Stella McBurnie | 3 June 2026
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…