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Dundee Presbytery Plan outlines pressures on church numbers

Last service at Fairmuir Parish Church, Dundee.  Gordon McBean (back to camera) representing the Presbytery of Dundee, closes the door for the last time watched by L/R, Very Rev. Finlay A.J. Macdonald, former Modertator of the General Assembly of the Church Of Scotland, Rev. Donald Fraser, Locum Minister and Rev. David McLeod, former Minister.
Last service at Fairmuir Parish Church, Dundee. Gordon McBean (back to camera) representing the Presbytery of Dundee, closes the door for the last time watched by L/R, Very Rev. Finlay A.J. Macdonald, former Modertator of the General Assembly of the Church Of Scotland, Rev. Donald Fraser, Locum Minister and Rev. David McLeod, former Minister.

The number of kirks in Dundee could be further reduced if a draft plan presented at the latest meeting of the Presbytery of Dundee gets the go-ahead.

The fate of churches throughout the city was discussed on Wednesday at a debate into the Presbytery Plan submitted by convener Alan Philip.

The number of ministries in the city posts held by ordained ministers and presbytery parish workers is to come down from 35 to a full-time equivalent number of 27.8.

After the debate, the Reverend James Wilson of Whitfield Parish Church and clerk to Dundee Presbytery said it had not been an ”easy” meeting and stressed nothing had been set in stone.

He said: ”The Church of Scotland is currently trying to share out a fewer number of ministeries among a decreasing number of members without doing too much damage to what is approaching a core number of buildings.

”This was not an easy meeting and there are many discussions still to be had before the plan is put forward again in September for final, formal approval but some progress is being made towards the required reductions.

”Change of this nature is never welcome and there will be many who, over the following four months, will search for alternatives to what is proposed, but before the close of 2012 Dundee Presbytery must have plans, of some sort, in place to meet this required reduction and as such an agreement in September is as late as we can possibly leave it.”

The convener emphasised this is still very much a draft plan and he and his committee are intent on visiting all of the affected Kirk Sessions to work on the detail on the plan.

The meeting heard from Dundee Mains and Downfield Parish churches who plan to unite later in the year, thereby reducing the ministry by one.

Rev Wilson said: ”Another area to be affected will be Invergowrie, who will be invited to develop further relationships with the rural charges in Longforgan, Abernyte, Inchture and Kinnaird and prepare for an eventual partnership.

”Reductions in ministry are also required in the city centre where it is planned that a further two ministries will not be replaced following retirement.”

The Stobswell and Wallacetown area could see their two churches at Trinity Parish Church and Stobswell Parish Church reduced to one as the ministers are encouraged to work together and eventually only have one minister.

Rev Wilson said: ”The Broughty Ferry churches are also requested to continue a process of closer cooperation so that they might eventually be ministered to by only three ministers at Barnhill, The New Kirk and one other.”

The number of churches in Scotland has almost halved since 1929 and presbyteries are constantly undergoing adjustment.

To cope with the decline in membership, the church introduced a policy of automatically assessing the viability of each charge or parish each time a minister left his or her post as it was easier to merge a church without a minister than to remove a minister still in post.

Mr Wilson stressed that under the new plan that policy would remain intact and no minister would be removed while still in post.