On a week when the Moderator of the Church of Scotland is in Inverness and on a day when he is visiting the Lighthouse, here is an interesting report outlining the shape of the future. It is proposed to cut the number of ministers by 20% in the next 4 years. This proposal is primarily driven by decline - not enough members to pay the salaries - but I believe it's impact may well be very positive, in that it should effectively vest more responsibility on the people within the church rather than one "professional". Personally, I believe paid staff/ministers have a vital role to play within the life of any missional church, but a key focus in that role should be releasing and engaging the gifts of all the people. We are facing challenging times ahead, but I welcome the challenge and think that it may well lead to a much more purposeful and engaged Church of Scotland.
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