The
Church of Scotland , known informally by its
Scots languageScots or Lowland Scots is the variety of Germanic language traditionally spoken in lowland Scotland and parts of Ulster. It is not to be confused with Scottish Gaelic, the Celtic language varieties traditionally spoken in the Highlands and Hebrides....
name,
The Kirk, is a
PresbyterianPresbyterianism is the religion of a number of different Christian churches adhering to the Calvinist theological tradition within Protestantism, and organized according to a characteristic Presbyterian polity...
church, decisively shaped by the
Scottish ReformationThe Scottish Reformation was Scotland's formal break with the Papacy in 1560, and the events surrounding this. It was part of the wider European Protestant Reformation; and in Scotland's case culminated ecclesiastically in the re-establishment of the church along Reformed lines, and politically in...
.
The Church of Scotland traces its roots back to the
beginnings of Christianity in ScotlandChristianity in Medieval Scotland pertains to the Christian religion in Scotland in the Middle Ages. Prior to the Reformation, in the early modern period, Scotland was a Roman Catholic country.-Early Christianity:...
, but its identity is principally shaped by the Reformation of 1560. Its current membership is about 10% of the
Scottish populationScotland has a population of 5,168,000 . Covering an area of 78,782km² , Scotland has a population density of . Around 70% of the country's population live in the Central Lowlands — a broad, fertile valley stretching in a northeast-southwest orientation between the cities of Edinburgh and Glasgow,...
- though according to the
2001 national censusA nationwide census, commonly known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday, 29 April 2001. This was the 20th UK Census....
, 42% of the Scottish population claim some form of allegiance to it (see
Religion in ScotlandChristianity is the largest religion in Scotland. At the 2001 census 65% of the Scottish were Christians. The Church of Scotland, often known as The Kirk, is recognised in law as the national church of Scotland. It is not an established church and is independent of state control. However, it is the...
).
Position in Scottish society
The 2001 CensusA nationwide census, commonly known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday, 29 April 2001. This was the 20th UK Census....
>
| Religion |
Percentage of Population |
| Church of Scotland |
42.4% |
| No Religion |
27.5% |
| Roman Catholic |
15.9% |
| Other Christian |
6.8% |
| No Answer |
5% |
| Islam |
0.8% |
| Buddhism |
0.1% |
| Sikhism |
0.1% |
| Judaism |
0.1% |
| Hinduism |
0.1% |
| Other Religions |
0.5% |
The Church of Scotland has around 984 active
ministerIn Christian churches, a minister is someone who is authorized by a church or religious organization to perform clergy functions such as teaching of beliefs; performing services such as weddings, baptisms or funerals; or otherwise providing spiritual guidance to the community.-Minister:The minister...
s, 1,179 congregations, and its official membership at approximately 489,000 comprises about 10% of the population of Scotland. However, in the 2001 national census, 42% of Scots identified themselves as ‘Church of Scotland’ by religion. The
Church of Scotland GuildThe Church of Scotland Guild or simply The Guild , is a movement within the Church of Scotland....
, historically the Kirk's women's movement, is still the largest voluntary organisation in Scotland.
Although it is the national church, the
KirkKirk can mean "church" in general or the Church of Scotland in particular. Many place names and personal names are also derived from it.-Church of Scotland:...
is not a "
state churchA state religion is a religious body or creed officially endorsed by the state. Practically, a state without a state religion is called a secular state. The term state church is associated with Christianity, and is sometimes used to denote a specific national branch of Christianity...
", and in this, and other, regards is dissimilar to the
Church of EnglandThe Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England, the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion and the oldest among the communion's thirty-eight independent national and regional churches...
(the established church in
EnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the North Sea to the east, with the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
). Under its constitution, which is recognised by acts of
ParliamentThe Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom and British overseas territories. It alone has parliamentary sovereignty, conferring upon it ultimate power over all other political bodies in the UK and its territories...
, the Kirk enjoys complete independence from the
stateA sovereign state is a political association with effective internal and external sovereignty over a geographic area and population which is not dependent on, or subject to any other power or state...
in spiritual matters.
The
British monarchThe Monarchy of the United Kingdom is the constitutional monarchy of the United Kingdom and its overseas territories. The present monarch, Elizabeth II, has reigned since 6 February 1952. She and her immediate family undertake various official, ceremonial and representational duties...
(when in Scotland) is simply a member of the Church (she is not, as in England, its
Supreme GovernorThe Supreme Governor of the Church of England is a title held by the British monarchs which signifies their titular leadership over the Church of England. Even though the monarch's authority over the Church of England is not strong, the position is still very relevant to the church and is mostly...
).
http://www.royal.gov.uk/output/Page4709.asp The monarch’s accession oath includes a promise to "defend the security" of the Church of Scotland. She is formally represented at the annual
General AssemblyThe General Assembly of the Church of Scotland is the sovereign and highest court of the Church of Scotland, and is thus the Church's governing body.-Church courts:...
by a
Lord High CommissionerLord High Commissioner is the style of High Commissioners, i.e. direct representatives of the monarch, in three cases in the Kingdom of Scotland and the United Kingdom, two of which are no longer extant...
(unless she chooses to attend in person). The role is purely formal.
The Church of Scotland is committed to its ‘distinctive call and duty to bring the ordinances of religion to the people in every parish of Scotland through a territorial ministry’ (Article 3 of its
Articles DeclaratoryThe Articles Declaratory of the Constitution of the Church of Scotland – often known as the Declaratory Articles - were drawn up early in the 20th century to facilitate the union of the Church of Scotland and the United Free Church of Scotland...
). In practice this means that the Kirk maintains a presence in every community in Scotland – and exists to serve not only its members but all Scots (the majority of funerals in Scotland are taken by its ministers). It also means that the Kirk pools its resources to ensure a continued presence in every part of Scotland.
The Church played a leading role in the provision of universal
education in ScotlandScotland has a long history of universal provision of public education, and the Scottish education system is distinctly different from other parts of the United Kingdom....
(the first such provision in the modern world), largely due to its desire that all people should be able to read the
BibleThe Bible contains the central religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. Modern Judaism generally recognizes a single set of canonical books known as the Tanakh, or Hebrew Bible, as it is written almost entirely in the Hebrew language, with some small portions in Aramaic...
. However, today it does not operate schools - these having been entrusted into the care of the state in the later half of the 19th century.
Governance and administration
The Church of Scotland is Presbyterian in polity and Reformed in theology. The most recent articulation of its legal position, the
Articles DeclaratoryThe Articles Declaratory of the Constitution of the Church of Scotland – often known as the Declaratory Articles - were drawn up early in the 20th century to facilitate the union of the Church of Scotland and the United Free Church of Scotland...
(1921), spells out the key concepts.
Courts and assemblies
As a Presbyterian church, the Kirk has no bishops, but is rather governed by elders and ministers (collectively called presbyters) sitting in a series of courts. Each congregation is led by a Kirk Session. The Kirk Sessions in turn are answerable to regional presbyteries (of which the Kirk currently has
over 40). The supreme body is the annual
General AssemblyThe General Assembly of the Church of Scotland is the sovereign and highest court of the Church of Scotland, and is thus the Church's governing body.-Church courts:...
, which meets each May in
EdinburghEdinburgh is the capital city of Scotland. It is the second largest Scottish city, after Glasgow, and the seventh-most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council is one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas....
.
Moderator
The chairperson of each court is known as the '
moderatorThe Church of Scotland maintains a presbyterian polity and is thus governed by a hierarchy of committees known as church courts . Each of these courts has a moderator and a clerk.-Moderators:...
'—at the local level of the Kirk Session, the moderator is always a minister, normally the parish minister who is
ex officio member and Moderator of the Session; Presbyteries and the General Assembly elect a moderator each year. The
Moderator of the General AssemblyThe Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland is an honorary role, held for 12 months.Meetings of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, held in May each year, are chaired by the Moderator...
serves for the year as the public representative of the Church—but beyond that enjoys no special powers or privileges and is in no sense the leader or official spokesperson of the Kirk. At all levels, moderators may be either elders or ministers.
Councils
At a national level, the work of the Church of Scotland is chiefly carried out by "Councils", each supported by full-time staff mostly based at the
Church of Scotland OfficesThe Church of Scotland offices are located in the centre of Edinburgh, Scotland, at 121 George Street. These imposing buildings are popularly known in Church circles as "one-two-one". They were designed in a Scandinavian-influenced style by the architect Sydney Mitchell and built in 1909-1911 for...
in Edinburgh. The Councils are:
- Church and Society Council
The Church and Society Council is an agency of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, which is tasked with facilitating the Church's engagement with, and comment upon, national, political and social issues.The Council's remit, is to do this by:...
- Ministries Council
- Mission and Discipleship Council
- Social Care Council (based at Charis House, Edinburgh)
- Support and Services Council
- World Mission Council
The Church of Scotland’s Social Care Council (also known as "CrossReach") is the largest provider of
social careSocial Work is both a profession and social science. It involves the application of social theory and research methods to study and improve the lives of people, groups, and societies...
in Scotland today, running projects for various disadvantaged and vulnerable groups: including care for the elderly; help with
alcoholismAlcoholism is a term with multiple and sometimes conflicting definitions. In common and historic usage, alcoholism is any condition that results in the continued consumption of alcoholic beverages, despite health problems and negative social consequences...
, drug, and
mental healthMental health is a term used to describe either a level of cognitive or emotional well-being or an absence of a mental disorder. From perspectives of the discipline of positive psychology or holism mental health may include an individual's ability to enjoy life and procure a balance between life...
problems; and assistance for the homeless.
The national Church has never shied from involvement in Scottish politics. In 1919, the General Assembly created a Church and Nation Committee, which in 2005 became the
Church and Society CouncilThe Church and Society Council is an agency of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, which is tasked with facilitating the Church's engagement with, and comment upon, national, political and social issues.The Council's remit, is to do this by:...
. The Church of Scotland was (and is) a firm opponent of
nuclear weaponA nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions, either fission or a combination of fission and fusion...
ry. Supporting
devolutionDevolution is the statutory granting of powers from the central government of a Sovereign state to government at a subnational level, such as a regional, local, or state level...
, it was one of the parties involved in the
Scottish Constitutional ConventionThe Scottish Constitutional Convention was an association of Scottish political parties, churches and other civic groups, that developed a framework for a Scottish devolution. It is credited as having paved the way for the establishment of the Scottish Parliament in 1999.The Convention was...
, which resulted in the setting up of the
Scottish ParliamentThe Scottish Parliament is the devolved national, unicameral legislature of Scotland, located in the Holyrood area of the capital, Edinburgh. The Parliament, informally referred to as "Holyrood" , is a democratically elected body comprising 129 members known as Members of the Scottish Parliament...
in 1997. Indeed, from 1999-2004 the Parliament met in the Kirk's
Assembly HallThe Assembly Hall is located between the Lawnmarket and The Mound in Edinburgh, Scotland. It is the meeting place of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland.-History:...
in
EdinburghEdinburgh is the capital city of Scotland. It is the second largest Scottish city, after Glasgow, and the seventh-most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council is one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas....
, whilst its own building was being constructed. The Church of Scotland actively supports the work of the
Scottish Churches Parliamentary OfficeThe Scottish Churches Parliamentary Office was created in 1999, at the same time as the devolved Scottish Parliament was established. The office is an ecumenical one, including all the member churches of Action of Churches Together in Scotland plus some others.The office represents the interests...
in Edinburgh.
Other Church agencies include:
- Assembly Arrangements Committee
- Committee on Chaplains to HM Forces
- Church of Scotland Guild
- Committee on Church Art and Architecture (part of the Mission and Discipleship Council)
- Ecumenical Relations Committee
- General Treasurer's Department
- General Trustees (responsible for church buildings)
- Legal Questions Committee
- Panel on Review and Reform
- Principal Clerk's Department
- Safeguarding Office (child protection)
- Stewardship and Finance Committee
Church offices
The
Church of Scotland OfficesThe Church of Scotland offices are located in the centre of Edinburgh, Scotland, at 121 George Street. These imposing buildings are popularly known in Church circles as "one-two-one". They were designed in a Scandinavian-influenced style by the architect Sydney Mitchell and built in 1909-1911 for...
are located at 121
George Street, EdinburghSituated to the north of Princes Street, George Street is a major street in the centre of Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. Laid out from 1767 as part of James Craig's plan for the New Town, George Street was named in honour of King George III.-Geography:...
. These imposing buildings - popularly known in Church circles as "one-two-one" - were designed in a Scandinavian-influenced style by the architect Sydney Mitchell and built in 1909-1911 for the United Free Church of Scotland. Following the union of the churches in 1929 a matching extension was built in the 1930s.
The offices of the Moderator, Principal Clerk, General Treasurer, Law Department and all the Church councils are located at 121 George Street, with the exception of the Social Care Council (CrossReach). There is no "chief executive", but each Council has its own Council Secretary. The Principal Clerk to the General Assembly (since 1996) is
Finlay A. J. MacdonaldFinlay A. J. Macdonald is the Principal Clerk to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. In addition to his rapid rise up the ranks of the Church of Scotland, Macdonald is known for fostering co-operation between the various boards and committees which administer the Church and for steering...
.
History
While the Church of Scotland traces its roots back to the earliest Christians in Scotland, its identity was principally shaped by the
Scottish ReformationThe Scottish Reformation was Scotland's formal break with the Papacy in 1560, and the events surrounding this. It was part of the wider European Protestant Reformation; and in Scotland's case culminated ecclesiastically in the re-establishment of the church along Reformed lines, and politically in...
of 1560. At that point, the church in Scotland broke with Rome, in a process of Protestant reform led, among others, by
John KnoxJohn Knox was a Scottish clergyman and leader of the Protestant Reformation who is considered the founder of the Presbyterian denomination. He was educated at the University of St Andrews and worked as a notary-priest. Influenced by early church reformers such as George Wishart, he joined the...
. It reformed its doctrines and government, drawing on the principles of
John CalvinJohn Calvin was an influential French theologian and pastor during the Protestant Reformation. He was a principal figure in the development of the system of Christian theology later called Calvinism. Originally trained as a humanist lawyer, he broke from the Roman Catholic Church around 1530...
which Knox had been exposed to while living in
GenevaGeneva, is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie...
, Switzerland. In 1560, the Scottish Parliament abolished papal jurisdiction and approved Calvin's Confession of Faith, but did not accept many of the principles laid out in Knox's
First Book of Discipline, which argued, amongst other things, that all of the assets of the old church should pass to the new. The 1560 Reformation Settlement was not ratified by the crown for some years, and the question of
church governmentEcclesiastical polity is the operational and governance structure of a church or Christian denomination. It also denotes the ministerial structure of the church and the authority relationships between churches...
also remained unresolved. In 1572 the acts of 1560 were finally approved by the young James VI, but the Concordat of Leith also allowed the crown to appoint bishops with the church's approval. John Knox himself had no clear views on the office of bishop, preferring to see them renamed as 'superintendents'; but in response to the new Concordat a Presbyterian party emerged headed by
Andrew MelvilleAndrew Melville was a Scottish scholar, theologian and religious reformer. His fame encouraged scholars from the European Continent to study at Glasgow and St Andrews.-Early life and early education:...
, the author of the
Second Book of Discipline.
Melville and his supporters enjoyed some temporary successes—most notably in the Golden Act of 1592, which gave parliamentary approval to presbyterian courts. However, King
JamesJames VI & I was King of Scots as James VI from 1567 to 1625, and King of England and Ireland as James I from 1603 to 1625....
believed that Presbyterianism was incompatible with monarchy, declaring "No bishop, no king". and by skillful manipulation of both church and state, steadily reintroduced parliamentary and then diocesan Episcopacy. By the time he died in 1625, the Church of Scotland had a full panel of bishops and archbishops. General Assemblies, moreover, met only at times and places approved by the crown.
Charles ICharles I, , the second son of James VI of Scotland and I of England, was King of England, Scotland and Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution. Charles famously engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England...
inherited a settlement in Scotland based on a balanced compromise between Calvinist doctrine and Episcopal practice. Lacking the political judgement of his father, he began to upset this by moving into more dangerous areas. Disapproving of the 'plainness' of the Scottish service he sought to introduce the kind of High Church practice in use in England. The centre piece of this new strategy was the Prayer Book of 1637. Although this was devised by a panel of Scottish bishops, and not that already in use in England, as is so often assumed, Charles' insistence that it be drawn up in secret and adopted sight unseen led to widespread discontent. When the Prayer Book was finally introduced at St Giles Cathedral in Edinburgh in the summer of 1637 it caused an outbreak of rioting, which spread across Scotland. In early 1638 the National Covenant was signed by large numbers of Scots, protesting at the introduction of the Prayer Book and other liturgical innovations that had not first been tested and approved by free Parliaments and General Assemblies of the Church. In November 1638, the General Assembly in Glasgow, the first to meet for twenty years, not only declared the Prayer Book unlawful, but went on to abolish the office of bishop itself. The Church of Scotland was then established on a Presbyterian basis. Charles' attempt at resistance to these developments led to the outbreak of the
Bishops' WarsThe Bishops' Wars , a series of armed encounters and defiances between England and Scotland in 1639 and 1640, were part of the Wars of the Three Kingdoms...
. In the ensuing civil wars, the Scots Covenanters at one point made common cause with the English parliamentarians - resulting in the
Westminster Confession of FaithThe Westminster Confession of Faith is a Reformed confession of faith, in the Calvinist theological tradition. Although drawn up by the 1646 Westminster Assembly, largely of the Church of England, it became and remains the 'subordinate standard' of doctrine in the Church of Scotland, and has been...
being agreed by both. Ironically, this document remains the subordinate standard of the Church of Scotland, but was replaced in England after the
RestorationThe English Restoration, often shortened to the Restoration, began in 1660 when the English, Scottish and Irish monarchies were all restored under Charles II after the Commonwealth of England that followed the English Civil War...
.
Episcopacy was reintroduced to Scotland after the Restoration, the cause of considerable discontent, especially in the south-west of the country, where the Presbyterian tradition was strongest. The modern situation largely dates from 1690, when after the
Glorious RevolutionThe Glorious Revolution, also called the Revolution of 1688, was the overthrow of King James II of England in 1688 by a union of Parliamentarians with an invading army led by the Dutch stadtholder William III of Orange-Nassau who, as a result, ascended the English throne as William III of England...
the majority of Scottish bishops were
non-jurorsThe nonjuring schism was a split in the Church of England in the aftermath of the Glorious Revolution of 1688, over whether William of Orange and his wife Mary could legally be recognised as King and Queen of England.-History:...
, and in response Presbyterian government was guaranteed by law. However, controversy still surrounded the relationship between the Church of Scotland's independence and the
civil lawCivil law is a legal system inspired by Roman law, the primary feature of which is that laws are written into a collection, codified, and not determined, as in common law, by judges. The principle of civil law is to provide all citizens with an accessible and written collection of the laws which...
of Scotland. The interference of civil courts with Church decisions, particularly over the right to appoint ministers, led to a number of groups seceding. This began with the secession of 1733 and culminating in the
Disruption of 1843The Disruption of 1843 was a schism within the established Church of Scotland, in which 450 ministers of the Church broke away, over the issue of the Church's relationship with the State, to form the Free Church of Scotland...
, when a large portion of the Church broke away to form the
Free Church of ScotlandThe Free Church of Scotland is a Scottish denomination which was formed in 1843 by a large withdrawal from the established Church of Scotland in a division known as the Disruption...
. The seceding groups tended to divide and reunite among themselves — leading to a proliferation of Presbyterian denominations in Scotland.
However, in the 1920s, the
British ParliamentThe Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom and British overseas territories. It alone has parliamentary sovereignty, conferring upon it ultimate power over all other political bodies in the UK and its territories...
passed the
Church of Scotland Act 1921The Church of Scotland Act 1921 is an Act of the British Parliament, passed in 1921. The purpose of the Act was to settle centuries of dispute between the British Parliament and the Church of Scotland over the Church's independence in spiritual matters...
, finally recognising the full independence of the Church in matters spiritual, and as a result of this, and passage of the Church of Scotland (Property and Endowments) Act, 1925, the Kirk was able to unite with the United Free Church of Scotland in 1929. The United Free Church of Scotland was itself the product of the union of the former
United Presbyterian Church of ScotlandThe United Presbyterian Church of Scotland was a Scottish Presbyterian denomination. It was formed in 1847 by the union of the United Secession Church and the Relief Church, and in 1900 merged with the Free Church of Scotland to form the United Free Church of Scotland, which in turn united with...
and the majority of the Free Church of Scotland in 1900.
Some independent Scottish Presbyterian denominations still remain. These include the
Free Church of ScotlandFree Church of Scotland is that part of the original Free Church of Scotland that remained outside of the union with the United Presbyterian Church of Scotland in 1900...
(formed of those congregations which refused to unite with the
United Presbyterian ChurchUnited Presbyterian Church was the name of multiple Christian denominations in the world, among which are the following:*The United Presbyterian Church of Scotland , a union of the United Secession Church and the Relief Church which joined the Free Church of Scotland to form the United Free Church...
in 1900), the
United Free Church of ScotlandThe United Free Church of Scotland is a Scottish Presbyterian denomination formed in 1900 by the union of the United Presbyterian Church of Scotland and the Free Church of Scotland, which in turn united with the Church of Scotland in 1929.-Origins:The Free Church of Scotland seceded from the...
(formed of congregations which refused to unite with the Church of Scotland in 1929), the
Free Presbyterian Church of ScotlandThe Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland was formed in 1893 and claims to be the spiritual descendant of the Scottish Reformation...
(which broke from the Free Church of Scotland in 1893), the
Associated Presbyterian ChurchesThe Associated Presbyterian Churches is a small Scottish Christian denomination , formed in 1989 from part of the community of the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland....
(which emerged as a result of a split in the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland in the 1980s) and the
Free Church of Scotland (Continuing)The Free Church of Scotland is a Scottish Presbyterian denomination which was formed in January 2000...
(which emerged from a split in the Free Church of Scotland in 2000).
The motto of the Church of Scotland is
nec tamen consumebatur (Latin) - 'Yet it was not consumed', an allusion to Exodus 3:2 and the
Burning BushThe burning bush is an object described by the Book of Exodus as being located on Mount Horeb; according to the narrative, the bush was on fire, but was not consumed by the flames, hence the name...
.
Theology and practice
The basis of faith for the Church of Scotland is the Word of God, which it views as being ‘contained in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament’. Its principal subordinate standard is
The Westminster Confession of FaithThe Westminster Confession of Faith is a Reformed confession of faith, in the Calvinist theological tradition. Although drawn up by the 1646 Westminster Assembly, largely of the Church of England, it became and remains the 'subordinate standard' of doctrine in the Church of Scotland, and has been...
(1647), although here liberty of opinion is granted on those matters ‘which do not enter into the substance of the faith’ (Art. 2 and 5).
The Church of Scotland has no compulsory
prayer bookA 'prayer book' is a book outlining the 'liturgy' of religious services.In this sense, it may carry the following specific names in various religions:*Breviary or Missal, in Roman Catholicism*Agenda , in Lutheranism...
although it does have a
hymn bookDecisions concerning the conduct of public worship in the Church of Scotland are entirely at the discretion of the parish minister. As a result, a wide variety of musical resources are used...
(the 4th edition was published in 2005) and its
Book of Common Order-Genevan Book of Order:The Genevan Book of Order, sometimes called The Order of Geneva or Knox's Liturgy, is a directory for public worship in the Reformed Church of Scotland. In 1557 the Scottish Protestant lords in council enjoined the use of the English Common Prayer, i.e. the Second Book of...
contains recommendations for public worship which are usually followed fairly closely in the case of sacraments and ordinances. Preaching is the central focus of most services. Traditionally, Scots worship centred on the singing of
metrical psalmA metrical psalter is a kind of Bible translation: a book containing a metrical translation of all or part of the Book of Psalms in vernacular poetry, meant to be sung as hymns in a church. Some metrical psalters include melodies or even harmonizations...
s and paraphrases, but for generations these have been supplemented with
Christian musicChristian music is music that has been written to express either personal or a communal belief regarding Christian life and faith. Common themes of Christian music include praise, worship, penitence, and lament, and its forms vary widely across the world....
of all types. The typical Church of Scotland service lasts about an hour, and has been characterised jokingly as a hymn-prayer sandwich, in which everything leads up to a climax in a 15-minute sermon near the end. There is normally no sung or responsive liturgy. However, worship is the responsibility of the minister in each parish, and the style of worship can vary and be quite experimental. In recent years, a variety of modern song books have been widely used in order to appeal more to contemporary trends in music, and elements from
Iona CommunityThe Iona Community, founded in 1938 by the Rev George MacLeod, is an ecumenical Christian community of men and women from different walks of life and different traditions in the Christian church that is committed to seeking new ways of living the gospel of Jesus in today's world.Its headquarters...
liturgies are incorporated in some congregations. Although traditionally worship is conducted by the parish minister, lay participation in services is becoming more frequent.
In common with other Protestant denominations, the Church recognises two sacraments:
BaptismIn Christianity, baptism is the ritual act, with the use of water, by which one is admitted to membership of the Christian Church and, in the view of some, as a member of the particular Church in which the baptism is administered.The usual form of baptism among the earliest Christians was for the...
and Holy Communion (the
Lord's SupperThe Eucharist, also called Holy Communion, Sacrament of the Table, the Blessed Sacrament, or The Lord's Supper and other names, is a Christian sacrament or ordinance, generally considered to be a commemoration of the Last Supper, the final meal that Jesus Christ shared with his disciples before his...
). The Church baptises both believing adults and the children of Christian families. Communion in the Church of Scotland today is open to Christians of whatever denomination, without precondition. Communion services are usually taken fairly seriously in the Church; traditionally, a congregation held only three or four per year, although practice now greatly varies between congregations. In some congregations communion is celebrated once a month.
Theologically, the Church of Scotland is Reformed (ultimately in the Calvinist tradition) and is a member of the
World Alliance of Reformed ChurchesThe World Alliance of Reformed Churches is a fellowship of more than 200 churches with roots in the 16th-century Reformation, and particularly in the theology of John Calvin...
. However, its longstanding decision to respect "liberty of opinion on matters not affecting the substance of the faith", means it is relatively tolerant of a variety of theological positions, including those who would term themselves conservative and liberal in their doctrine, ethics and interpretation of Scripture. (The 19th century Scottish distinction was between 'evangelicals' and '
moderatesModerates, in church terms is, normally, though not exclusively, used to refer to an important party of clerics in the Church of Scotland during the 18th century. They are often contrasted with Evangelicals, though this is very much a simplification...
'.) This is not quite the English concept of a ‘broad church’, but in practice it comes close to it.
The Church of Scotland is a member of ACTS (
Action of Churches Together in ScotlandAction of Churches Together in Scotland is a national ecumenical organisation of churches in Scotland, founded in 1990. It is the successor to the former Scottish Council of Churches...
) and, through its Committee on Ecumenical Relations, works closely with other denominations in Scotland. The present inter-denominational cooperation marks a distinct change from attitudes in certain quarters of the Church in the early twentieth century and before, when opposition to Irish Roman Catholic immigration was vocal (see
Catholicism in ScotlandRoman Catholicism in Scotland , overseen by the Scottish Bishops' Conference, is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, the Christian Church in full communion with the Pope, currently Pope Benedict XVI. After being firmly established in Scotland for a millennium, Catholicism was outlawed following...
). The Church of Scotland is a member of the
World Council of ChurchesThe World Council of Churches is an international Christian ecumenical organization. Based in Geneva, Switzerland , it is a fellowship of about 340 churches of which 157 are members...
and the
Conference of European ChurchesThe Conference of European Churches was founded in 1959 to promote reconciliation, dialogue and friendship between the churches of Europe at a time of growing Cold War political tensions and divisions. It is an ecumenical fellowship of Christian churches in Europe; its membership consists of most...
.
Current reform
In common with many larger denominations, the Church of Scotland faces many current difficulties. Since the 1950s its membership has continued to decline, now being less than half what it was then. In 2008 the membership dropped below ½ million. The Church faces financial strains and the costly upkeep of many older ecclesiastical buildings. Recruitment of ministers was, until recently, a further concern. However, the number of candidates has increased in recent years. Today, around 1400 ministers serve about 480,000 members, and a considerably higher number of adherents.
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’. Recently, the General Assembly produced its ‘Church without Walls’ report (2001) which embodies an ethos of change, and a focus on the grassroots life of the Church rather than its institutions.
As in most western denominations, the membership of the Church of Scotland is also aging, 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 annual National Youth Assembly and the presence of youth delegates at the General Assembly have served as a visible reminder of the Church’s commitment. The Church's National Youth Assembly has grown in prominence and attendance in recent years.
Since as early as 1968, all ministries and offices in the church have been open to women and men on an equal basis. However, it was not until 2004 that a woman was chosen to be Moderator of the General Assembly. Dr
Alison ElliotAlison Elliot OBE is the Associate Director of the Centre for Theology and Public Issues at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland. In 2004 she became the first woman ever to be elected Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland...
was also the first non-minister to be chosen since
George BuchananGeorge Buchanan , was a Scottish historian and humanist scholar. He was part of the Monarchomach movement.-Biography:...
, four centuries before. In May 2007 the Rev
Sheilagh M. KestingSheilagh Kesting is a Scottish minister and the first female minister to be elected Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland...
became the first female minister to be Moderator.
Current issues
As with many other churches (especially in Western Europe and North America), 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 charge.
In a landmark decision, the General Assembly voted on 23rd May 2009 by 326 to 267 to ratify the appointment of the Reverend Scott Rennie, the Kirk's first openly practising homosexual minster. The decision was reached on the basis the Presbytery had followed the correct procedure. Mr 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 a morotorium 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 ChurchesThe Fellowship of Confessing Churches is a fellowship of congregations of the Church of Scotland that was formed in 2009 in response to the decision of the General Assembly to uphold the ordination of Scott Rennie, a minister who was in a homosexual relationship, in order to declare their rejection...
.
Publications
The following publications are useful sources of information about the Church of Scotland.
- Life and Work - the monthly magazine of the Church of Scotland.
- Church of Scotland Yearbook
The Church of Scotland Yearbook is a collection of statistical data published annually by the Church of Scotland....
(known as "the red book") - published annually with statistical dataStatistics is a branch of mathematics concerned with collecting and interpreting data. According to other definitions, it is a mathematical science pertaining to the collection, analysis, interpretation or explanation, and presentation of data. Statisticians improve the quality of data with the...
on every parish and contact information for every minister.
- Reports to the General Assembly (known as "the blue book") - published annually with reports on the work of the church's departments.
- The Constitution and Laws of the Church of Scotland (known as "the green book") edited by the Very Rev Dr James L. Weatherhead, published 1997 by the Church of Scotland, ISBN 0-86153-246-5
and which has now replaced the venerable
- Practice and Procedure in The Church of Scotland edited by the late Rev. James Taylor Cox, D.D. published by The Committee on General Administration, The Church of Scotland, 1976 (sixth edition) ISBN 0 7152 0326 6
- Fasti Ecclesiae Scoticanae - published irregularly since 1866, contains biographies of ministers.
- The First and Second Books of Discipline of 1560 and 1578.
- The Book of Common Order
-Genevan Book of Order:The Genevan Book of Order, sometimes called The Order of Geneva or Knox's Liturgy, is a directory for public worship in the Reformed Church of Scotland. In 1557 the Scottish Protestant lords in council enjoined the use of the English Common Prayer, i.e. the Second Book of...
latest version of 1994.
See also
History and concepts
- Presbyterianism
Presbyterianism is the religion of a number of different Christian churches adhering to the Calvinist theological tradition within Protestantism, and organized according to a characteristic Presbyterian polity...
- Church of Scotland Guild
The Church of Scotland Guild or simply The Guild , is a movement within the Church of Scotland....
- Disruption of 1843
The Disruption of 1843 was a schism within the established Church of Scotland, in which 450 ministers of the Church broke away, over the issue of the Church's relationship with the State, to form the Free Church of Scotland...
- Kirk
Kirk can mean "church" in general or the Church of Scotland in particular. Many place names and personal names are also derived from it.-Church of Scotland:...
- Marrow Controversy
The Marrow Controversy was a Scottish ecclesiastical dispute occasioned by the republication in 1718 of The Marrow of Modern Divinity by E. F. . E. F. is generally believed to be a pseudonym for Edward Fisher, an English Calvinist of the seventeenth century noted for his spirituality and learning...
- Religion in the United Kingdom
Religion in The United Kingdom is about the development of religion in the United Kingdom since its formation in 1707. The Treaty of Union that led to the formation of the Kingdom of Great Britain ensured that there would be a protestant succession as well as a link...
Ministry and congregations
- Presbytery of Europe
The Presbytery of Europe covers the Church of Scotland's congregations in continental Europe.As a Presbyterian church, the Church of Scotland has no bishops. Instead courts of ministers, elders and deacons have collective responsibility for the governance of the church...
- Scottish Churches Industrial Mission
The Scottish Churches Industrial Mission is an ecumenical action of Scotland’s Churches engaging with working life in Scotland. It has three aims:...
Organisation
- Moderators and clerks in the Church of Scotland
The Church of Scotland maintains a presbyterian polity and is thus governed by a hierarchy of committees known as church courts . Each of these courts has a moderator and a clerk.-Moderators:...
- Moderator of the General Assembly
The Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland is an honorary role, held for 12 months.Meetings of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, held in May each year, are chaired by the Moderator...
- List of former Moderators
- Lord High Commissioner to the General Assembly
The Lord High Commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland is the British Sovereign's personal representative to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland , reflecting the Church's role as the national church of Scotland, and the Sovereign's role as protector and member of...
Documents and resources
- Articles Declaratory
The Articles Declaratory of the Constitution of the Church of Scotland – often known as the Declaratory Articles - were drawn up early in the 20th century to facilitate the union of the Church of Scotland and the United Free Church of Scotland...
- Book of Common Order
-Genevan Book of Order:The Genevan Book of Order, sometimes called The Order of Geneva or Knox's Liturgy, is a directory for public worship in the Reformed Church of Scotland. In 1557 the Scottish Protestant lords in council enjoined the use of the English Common Prayer, i.e. the Second Book of...
- Hymnbooks of the Church of Scotland
Decisions concerning the conduct of public worship in the Church of Scotland are entirely at the discretion of the parish minister. As a result, a wide variety of musical resources are used...
- Life and Work
- Westminster Confession of Faith
The Westminster Confession of Faith is a Reformed confession of faith, in the Calvinist theological tradition. Although drawn up by the 1646 Westminster Assembly, largely of the Church of England, it became and remains the 'subordinate standard' of doctrine in the Church of Scotland, and has been...
Issues
- Bishops in the Church of Scotland
Like most Reformed Churches, the Church of Scotland has a presbyterian structure which invests in a hierarchy of courts the authority which other denominations give to bishops...
- Ordination of women in the Church of Scotland
The Church of Scotland was one of the first national churches to accept the Ordination of women. In Presbyterianism, ordination is understood to be an ordinance rather than a sacrament; ministers and elders are ordained; until recently deacons were "commissioned" but now they too are ordained to...
Bodies to which the Church of Scotland is affiliated
- Action of Churches Together in Scotland
Action of Churches Together in Scotland is a national ecumenical organisation of churches in Scotland, founded in 1990. It is the successor to the former Scottish Council of Churches...
- Churches Together in Britain and Ireland
Churches Together in Britain and Ireland is an ecumenical organisation. The members include most of the major churches in England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland. It was formerly known as the Council of Churches of Britain and Ireland...
- Conference of European Churches
The Conference of European Churches was founded in 1959 to promote reconciliation, dialogue and friendship between the churches of Europe at a time of growing Cold War political tensions and divisions. It is an ecumenical fellowship of Christian churches in Europe; its membership consists of most...
- Community of Protestant Churches in Europe (Leuenberg Church Fellowship)
The Commununity of Protestant Churches in Europe is a fellowship of over 100 Protestant churches which have signed the Leuenberg Agreement. Most are Lutheran churches or Reformed churches. Prior to 2003 the CPCE was known as the "Leuenberg Church Fellowship".The General Secretary is the Reverend...
- World Council of Churches
The World Council of Churches is an international Christian ecumenical organization. Based in Geneva, Switzerland , it is a fellowship of about 340 churches of which 157 are members...
- World Alliance of Reformed Churches
The World Alliance of Reformed Churches is a fellowship of more than 200 churches with roots in the 16th-century Reformation, and particularly in the theology of John Calvin...
Other bodies
- Iona Community
The Iona Community, founded in 1938 by the Rev George MacLeod, is an ecumenical Christian community of men and women from different walks of life and different traditions in the Christian church that is committed to seeking new ways of living the gospel of Jesus in today's world.Its headquarters...
- Scottish Churches Parliamentary Office
The Scottish Churches Parliamentary Office was created in 1999, at the same time as the devolved Scottish Parliament was established. The office is an ecumenical one, including all the member churches of Action of Churches Together in Scotland plus some others.The office represents the interests...
- Society, Religion and Technology Project
The Society, Religion and Technology Project - or SRT Project for short - was begun by the Church of Scotland in 1970 to address issues being raised by the impact of modern technology...
Legislation
- Protestant Religion and Presbyterian Church Act 1707
The Protestant Religion and Presbyterian Church Act 1707 is an Act of the pre-Union Parliament of Scotland which was passed to ensure that the status of the Church of Scotland would not be affected by the Union with England. Its long title is An Act for Securing the Protestant Religion and...
- Church of Scotland Act 1921
The Church of Scotland Act 1921 is an Act of the British Parliament, passed in 1921. The purpose of the Act was to settle centuries of dispute between the British Parliament and the Church of Scotland over the Church's independence in spiritual matters...
External links