Congregational Meeting 21 March 2010

Thanks to all who turned out for the Annual Stated Meeting and the Congregational Meeting on 21st March.

The Congregational Meeting was opened by Rev Dorothy Granger. Then the Presbytery Clerk, the Rev Dr Johnston McKay, addressed the meeting. Rev Dr McKay talked about the national situation in the Church of Scotland – the financial crisis and the need to reduce the number of ordained ministries in parishes across Scotland - and how this might affect us in Barony St John’s.

He made clear to the meeting that while Presbytery is committed to the congregation of Barony St John’s - and has expressed this commitment in allowing the congregation to call a minister without restriction - the Presbytery is not committed to saving the sanctuary. Current estimates show that expenditure in the region of £500,000 is required to bring the sanctuary up to a safe and suitable standard and it is very unlikely that a sum in excess of £100,000 could be raised through grant funding sources out with the church (i.e. Historic Scotland and the like).

Once Rev Dr McKay had finished speaking, members had a chance to ask questions about the future of the congregation and about the church building.

The second half of the meeting was given over to discussion groups and a feedback session. Members split into five discussion groups to look at a series of questions about (1) our congregation; (2) how we might reach out to our parish community; and (3) what is hindering us from meeting the needs of our parish.

Each group independently concluded that we needed more detailed information about the needs of our parish and that the congregation should work with the Transformation Team (part of the Church of Scotland’s Priorities Areas Initiative) to produce a detailed parish profile. This profile would then form the basis of our plan for mission and outreach to our parish community. This plan then has to be submitted to, and approved by, Presbytery prior to their giving approval for the Feasibility Study in to the future usage of our building.

The Project Group (Stuart McMahon, John Armstrong, Jim Neil and Pauline Reid) and the Minister will also meet with a Sub Group of the Presbytery Business Committee to look at the information gathered to date and, if appropriate, to progress the Feasibility Study with the General Trustees of the Church of Scotland when the results of the parish profiling are known.

The church property committee will in due course meet with the Presbytery Property Committee and the General Trustees to discuss the sanctuary. An approach will then be made to the Local Authority about how best to manage the future of the sanctuary given its Grade 2 listed status.