Church of Scotland - Current Issues

Current Issues

The Church of Scotland faces many current difficulties. Between 1966 and 2006 numbers of communicants dropped from over 1,230,000 to 504,000. The Church faces a £5.7 million deficit, and the costly upkeep of many older ecclesiastical buildings. In response the church has decided to 'prune to grow', reducing ministry provision plans from 1234 to 1000 funded posts (1075 established FTE posts, of which 75 will be vacant at any one time) supported by a variety of voluntary and part-time ministries. At the same time the number of candidates accepted for full-time ministry has reduced from 24 (2005) to 8 (2009), threatening viability of the Kirk's theological training colleges.

Since the Reformation, one of the church’s tenets has been ecclesia reformata semper reformanda secundum verbum Dei – a "church which is reformed must always be reformed according to the Word of God". The General Assembly produced its "Church without Walls" report in 2001 which embodies an ethos of change, and a focus on the grass-roots life of the Church rather than its institutions.

The membership of the Church of Scotland is also ageing, and it has struggled to maintain its relevance to the younger generations. The Church has made attempts to address their problems, at both a congregational and national level. The Church's National Youth Assembly has grown in prominence and attendance in recent years.

Since 1968, all ministries and offices in the church have been open to women and men on an equal basis. In 2004 a woman was chosen to be Moderator of the General Assembly. Alison Elliot was also the first non-minister to be chosen since George Buchanan, four centuries before. In May 2007 the Rev Sheilagh M. Kesting became the first female minister to be Moderator. There are currently 218 serving female ministers, with 677 male ministers.

There is a division in the Church of Scotland on how the issues surrounding homosexuality should be addressed. While the church has traditionally adopted a "hate the sin but love the sinner" approach, in recent years some within the church have pushed for actual homosexual behaviour to be accepted as not sinful. This division of approach is illustrated by widespread opposition to an attempt to install as minister an openly homosexual man who intends to live with his partner once appointed to his post. In a landmark decision, the General Assembly voted on 23 May 2009 by 326 to 267 to ratify the appointment of the Reverend Scott Rennie, the Kirk's first openly "practising" homosexual minister. The decision was reached on the basis the Presbytery had followed the correct procedure. Rennie had won the overwhelming support of his prospective church members at Queen's Cross, Aberdeen, but his appointment was in some doubt until extensive debate and this vote by the Commissioners to the Assembly. The General Assembly later agreed upon a moratorium on the appointment of further "practising" homosexuals until after a special commission has reported on the matter. (See: Ordination of homosexuals) As a result of these developments, a new grouping of congregations within the Church was begun "to declare their clear commitment to historic Christian orthodoxy", known as the Fellowship of Confessing Churches. In May 2011, the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland voted to appoint a theological commission, with a view to fully investigating the matter. The theological commission will report to the General Assembly of 2013. Meanwhile, openly homosexual ministers ordained before 2009 will be allowed to keep their posts without fear of sanction. This currently is the source of strain between the traditionally "liberal" and "evangelical" members of the Kirk.

The Church opposes proposals for gay marriage, stating that "The government's proposal fundamentally changes marriage as it is understood in our country and our culture - that it is a relationship between one man and one woman".