Hello everyone,
What do you think it was like to be part of the New Testament church where new people were being added to their number daily? Think about all these new people trying to find where they fit in. If there were more widows it meant needed more money to support them. More young people meant more teachers needed. Bigger accommodation required. Think of the arguments and squabbles when you had new people who didn’t know how the apostles did things. Sociologists reckon after just a few repetitions we all form traditions which of course means pressure to keep and move away from tradition when things change.
Whether growing or declining there is change. Thankfully that which remains and endures is our faith in Jesus. He is the rock on which our faith is built and nothing will ever change that.
“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” Hebrews 13:8
Since my last update a couple of items have been taken under powers.
Rev Andrew Haddow has been appointed Interim Moderator in Greenlaw and Gordon from 1st October with impending retiral of Very Rev Susan Brown and likewise Rev Suzie Fletcher has been appointed Interim Moderator in Ledgerwood from 1st October for the same reasons. No Presbytery Committees met last week so no agenda’s to share.
On Tuesday 12th September Rev Dr Kwame Ahaligah was inducted to Selkirk and Ashkirk linked with Ettrick and Yarrow. Then there was a service marking the creation of Hawick South from the congregations of Hawick St Mary’s and Old, Hawick Teviot and Roberton and Hawick Trinity on Sunday 22nd, where Rev Alistair Cook renewed his vows as minister of the united charge. Yesterday Mr Tim Greene was set apart as Reader attached to Dunbar Parish Church. He undertook his vows for the first time as he entered into a new phase of ministry. This Sunday there is the union of Hobkirk l/w Southdean, and Ruberslaw into Ruberslaw Country Parishes. The service of union will be at Ruberslaw (Denholm) at 10.15am.
Pictures are of Rev Dr Kwame Ahaligah alongside Reader Tim Greene and Rev Gordon Stevenson, Minister at Dunbar.
No committees met so new agendas to send round.
If you were at the last Presbytery you may remember we had a discussion time in response to the paper on potential ministers retirement. I’ve done a small amount of analysis which is attached. The responses roughly fall into just a few categories, not feasible, training/capacity solutions, technical solutions, and ecumenical solutions. There is also the question of what no one mentioned and we missed?
Having spoken with Prof Murray Campbell, Presbytery Council Convenor, about how best to get people to engage with this we have decided to set up 4 short term working groups of 3-4 people that covers one of these categories.
- Working Group 1, those considering the training/capacity responses
- Working Group 2, those considering the technical responses
- Working Group 3, those considering ecumenical responses
- Working Group 4, blue sky – out of the box thinking, what did we miss?
Each group would be tasked to consider the responses, do any follow up research required and to report back with solution of things we can do now and things we can do in the future along with any identifiable blocks we need to remove. We would be looking for detailed and specific answers for a future Presbytery to consider. Please understand these are solutions focused workgroups, not complaining or moaning or blaming anyone else. We want a list of things we can do or blocks we can try to remove out of them. We need to get to grips with this and do something about it. Months and months of discussion with no concrete actions will be pointless.
If you want to be part of one of these groups, please email me with which group you want to be on and why you should be on it? Presbytery Council will consider all applicants and try to get the right people on the right group. You do not need to be a member of Presbytery to be on a group but we do ask you are part of your local church. Please ask suitable people in your church to consider this. Although we are dealing with IM’s here, ministerial shortage is also going to hit across a range of areas, worship, funerals, leadership, access to sacraments and so on.
Prayer Diary
October 6th Legerwood
We remember in prayer this week the leadership and all involved in the life of this community.
Please pray guidance and protection in the process of change as Legerwood looks to be linked with Earlston, Gordon & Greenlaw.
For Your Information. This was received from 121 and will be of interest to any congregation searching for their new minister. Interim Moderators in particular please read this!
To: Presbytery Clerks
Dear Presbytery Clerks,
I write following some feedback we’ve recently received regarding the understanding of the status of those Church of Scotland Ministers who are currently on the temporary Assistant Minister scheme. It is believed that in some cases, Nominating Committees perceive those on Assistant Minister contracts are not fully trained or eligible to apply for Parish Minister charges. As such, and as a consequence, it is believed that some applications from those on the Assistant Minister scheme are possibly not being considered for charges due to a lack of understanding of what the Assistant Minister status and scheme is. It would therefore be appreciated if a polite reminder could be cascaded to all nominating committees to share with them the following:
- Those Church of Scotland Ministers who are currently on the temporary Assistant Minister scheme are fully trained Ministers of Word and Sacrament and are therefore eligible to apply for any Parish Minister charge.
- The temporary Assistant Minister scheme was put in place to bridge the period of time that the national church sisted all vacant charges, pending the completion of the Presbytery Mission Plan.
- It is anticipated that the scheme will end in September 2025, ending the need of these temporary ministry positions.
- We encourage Nominating Committees to consider all applications for vacant Parish Minister positions, from those already in a Charge and those looking for their first Charge.
Nominating Committees should seek the advice and counsel of their Interim Moderator or Presbytery Clerk if they are unsure of the eligibility status of any application.
We would be grateful if you could cascade this to Interim Moderators in your Presbytery.
Kind regards,
Faith Action
Please remember the Faith Action Programme Leadership Team Day this Saturday. Details are in the attached word file along with a few other adverts that came in for sharing.
This email is intended for as wide an audience as possible. Share it with your elders and congregations. If you have any feedback, we would love to hear it. Suggestions always welcome! If you want added to the mailing list, just ask.
God Bless you all as you live out your calling to be God’s people throughout the Lothian and Borders.
Norman Smith
Presbytery Clerk
Lothian and Borders