Church of Scotland General Assembly agrees to cut minister numbers by a quarter and cap posts in each area scotsman.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from scotsman.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
The Rev Rosemary Frew, convener of the Faith Nurture Forum, said the Church of Scotland currently had 700 ministers in post, 137 ministries development staff and 299 vacant congregations. We are draining the resources of the church – people, morale and finance – just to keep this broken system going.
And she said there was a retirement cliff looming. Over 35 per cent of our ministers either have reached or will each 65 in less than five years. Without a radical treatment plan the Church of Scotland will not survive. Our report offers the whole church a chance to thrive and lay down the burdens which have been exhausting us.