It is time to lay down our cherished territorial ministry! Reluctantly but realistically, we have to let Article 3 go! It states... "As a national Church representative of the Christian Faith of the Scottish people it acknowledges its distinctive call and duty to bring the ordinances of religion to the people in every parish of Scotland through a territorial ministry."

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As the number of Churches and ministers dwindle, accompanied by the struggle to provide cover for services and funerals for ministers on holiday or study leave or absent through illness, then we simply have to get real! It is a noble aim to provide "the ordinances of religion" to the whole of Scotland, however most of Scotland seems to want little to do with the Christian faith, at least in the institutional form in which we serve it. In truth we are a national Church which represents the Christian faith of some 300,000 members, and how many of that number are actually active in the Church? In a population of 5.5 million! How do other sister Churches survive without this territorial ministry, like the Presbyterian Church of the USA for example? However much we have valued the territorial ministry in the past, we have to approach the future realistically.

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Ministers need to focus on leading a Church in new mission pathways. In a dwindling  and declining Church there will come a time soon when there will be areas of Scotland where we simply will not be able to provide a Church of Scotland presence. We have to remember that we are not the only Christian Church in Scotland and that other denominations may be working in areas where we may no longer have a presence in the future. 

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We can still be a national Church with a network of congregations covering many parts of Scotland, however in an increasingly secular society we have to reflect and regroup to allow for a new missionary advance in Scotland. We need less Church buildings; we need Churches to unite and find their strengths; we need ministry teams to work together. Maybe one day we will once again be a national Church that represents the faith of the people of Scotland!​

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We can keep trying to fly the flag whilst burying our heads in the sand...quite a flexible feat for anyone, or we can decide... now is the time to undeclare Article 3 and set our focus on a new Kirk for the 21st century!

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Mon the reformers!

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(This page was last updated in October 2023)