Church Without Walls

In 1999 the Church of Scotland General Assembly appointed a Special Commission to review the life and shape of the Church and to formulate make proposals for reform. This review, which became known as the Church Without Walls Report, [A] was approved overwhelmingly by the General Assembly in 2001. In essence it encourages individual members and congregations to ask themselves what are the implications of Jesus' command "Follow me!".

The perceived problems

During the review many signs were recognised that showed that the Church of Scotland is failing to carry out that command of Jesus, "Follow me!" Somehow we have taken our eyes off Jesus and what he is calling us to, and have lost our way. A church in this position cannot thrive, and some sections of the Report highlight the realities of the decline of the Church over the last 40 years:

• In the last 40 years the total membership of the Church of Scotland has reduced by almost 50%, and in many areas the number of young people in the church has dropped catastrophically.

• A consequence of the reduction in membership the numbers of youthful members of the church has reduced significantly. This has affected the leadership of the Church. The Minister as the traditional leader may not be maintained as 211 retire within 5 years and candidates going into training for the ministry are no more than 25 in each year. The outflow will be fewer than 25 in each year.

• The Church of Scotland has 2500 buildings. There is a need for only 1700 buildings. This reduced need is due to shifts in population and the changes in styles and patterns of Worship.

• Some of our forms of worship are out of tune with how most people now live and express themselves. The idea of church membership is seen as "too static for the searchers" and as "tamely passive" for the people with a spirit of adventure.

Demolish and reconstruct

The 19th Century concept of church, (one church in one parish with one minister) is no longer appropriate as the need for mission is much more diverse than 150 years ago. A shift from simple membership to discipleship and to be part of a sharing community that can relate to each other and to the realities around us was thought to be appropriate.

Leadership

Elders, Deacons, Chaplains, Readers and Ministers all need to be involved actively in the Christian community and Ministry teams are a pattern of leadership that uses the skills of the individual fully. Training and retraining for all are seen as essential elements of the necessary actions so that mutual aid and collective benefit can be achieved.

Change

An openness to change is essential to survival. Although the Christian Gospel never changes, the ways in which we share it have to, so that they remain (or become?) relevant and understandable to the people we are trying to reach (i.e. everybody outside the Church). Change does not need to be cataclysmic to be important and effective but the target of any review and any change needs to be the spread of the Christian message to the vast majority of the people of Scotland who aren't engaging with it at the moment.

Change in the Church is seen at three levels:

• local (the individual congregation, other local churches, and the community they serve)

• regional (how presbyteries operate)

• national (the General Assembly and the national boards and committees coordinated from "121")

Although all 3 levels are important and are dealt with in the Report, the local level is the one that affects us most directly; this is where we can and must have personal input.

The Report asserts that the local church is the focus for action. It stresses that we need to look at ourselves as a Christian community. We have to begin to know each other better; identify and use the skills and gifts that we all possess; and consciously relate our worship and teaching to where we feel God is calling us to go. Improved communication is essential, for example between the kirk session (and/or board) and individual church members. We need to ask ourselves, "How are we helping the people in our community?" Other aspects might include sharing Ministries and Chaplaincies. Not all of these issues can be decided and put into practice within the parish but ideas for action can be generated.

Resistance to change? Obstacles to change?

Two main obstacles to change were identified, by the Special Commission, as Fear and Power. Aspects of fear that were voiced to the Commission were "pain of the unknown", "exposure to weakness", and "exposure to conflict". Aspects of "power" included the "fear of a loss of power". In fact the Commission recommended that "the Panel of Doctrine undertake(s) a study of the Christian use and abuse of power". No doubt this subject will be a rich field of study. However, the Commission do suggest the local abuses of power can result in "passive aggression" and/or "outright manipulation" of people.

[A]  "Report to the General Assembly 2001" by the Special Commission on "Church Without Walls", Edinburgh, Parish Education Publications.

St Mungo's

During the coming 10 months the Kirk Session of St. Mungo's has arranged a series of meetings about the Church Without Walls. Six of these meetings will reflect the information gained during the day-long sessions, on several topics within CWW which will take place at Carberry Tower. The other four meetings will be review, reflection and the development of plans for action in the parish. All of these meetings are open to all members of the Congregation. Please come along!

The opinions of all members of the congregation are important on all aspects of the life of the developing church. The knowledge and skills of all members will be important to survival.

Church without walls - Living out the vision Dates and people

Bill Webster and Eric W. Marchant, September 2002

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