Cutting Back…
The correspondence below was sent out to all Ministers and Presbyteries. I can see no harm in church members also being aware of the financial constraints facing the Church of Scotland and the impact that has on staff across the whole of the Church.
Dear Colleagues in Ministry,
As we continue to navigate a time of significant change and challenge within the Church of Scotland, we want to share an important update regarding decisions made by the Assembly Trustees. This statement outlines the steps being taken in response to our financial situation and the need to reshape our structures to support the Church’s mission in the years ahead.
In recent years our Church has identified that there is a need for radical change as we face numerous challenges including falling minister numbers, a decline in membership and a reduction in income both nationally and locally. General Assemblies of recent years have laid out a programme of reform to equip the Church for its ongoing mission. However, our current financial reality requires us to make difficult and painful decisions. This is a result of changing patterns of income and significantly higher operating costs globally, driven by inflation, meaning we must take steps to reduce our unrestricted spending, including restructuring parts of our organisation.
We have identified that we can no longer sustain the size of the national office against the reducing size of the Church it now serves. As a result, we are implementing a number of measures, starting with a Voluntary Exit Scheme (VES) to allow eligible staff the option to leave, in the hope of minimizing the need for compulsory redundancies. However, it is unlikely that voluntary exits alone will achieve the level of savings required, and so we anticipate that further measures will swiftly follow. We recognise that these decisions are not just about structures and budgets, but about people.
We acknowledge the complexity of our structures within the Church of Scotland as we endeavour to strike the balance between tradition and adaptation, between local needs and wider responsibilities, and the impact these decisions will have on our staff, congregations, and the mission of sharing Christ’s love in our communities and beyond.
It is important to recognise that work will have to stop and services reduce as a result of this process and on the back of establishing the aspects of our work that are imperative aligned against our priorities. Staff of the national office departments will need our support and understanding as they navigate what that looks like and develop new ways to provide support services in the future including stopping some aspects altogether.
It is with heavy hearts we take this decision as we navigate the realities of change. We hold in prayer those whose roles are affected, whose futures feel uncertain, and whose service has been faithful, trusting in God’s guidance and grace as we move forward together.
Rev David Cameron
Convener of the Assembly Trustees
Convener of the Assembly Trustees | The Church of Scotland
121 George Street, Edinburgh EH2 4YN
Scottish Charity Number SC011353