Church of Scotland

The Church of Scotland (CofS sometimes known as the Kirk) is the national church of Scotland. It is a Presbyterian Church, decisively shaped by the Scottish Reformation.

Reform

The Church of Scotland today faces many grave difficulties. Since the 1950s its membership has continued to fall ? now being around half what it was then. It faces problems of finance and the upkeep of a legacy of ancient church buildings. Until recently it also faced a shortage of candidates for the ministry ? but recruitment is now significantly higher. Today, 1400 ministers serve about 600,000 members and a considerably higher number of adherents.

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One of the tenets of the Church since the Reformation has been its notion of being an ecclesia reformata semper reformanda ? a church which is reformed, but always in the process of reforming. Recently, the 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 necessary institutions.

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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 youth assembly and the presence of youth delegates at the General Assembly have served as a visible reminder of the Church?s commitment.

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Since as early as 1968, all ministries and offices in the church have been open to women on an equal basis. Significantly, the majority of ministers in training are now women. However, it was not until 2004 that a woman was chosen to be Moderator of the General Assembly. Dr. Alison Elliot was also the first elder to be chosen since George Buchanan, four centuries before.

Related Topics:
1968 - 2004 - Alison Elliot - George Buchanan

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