Dear Friends,
Over the last year the Planning and Development committee of Irvine & Kilmarnock Presbytery has been working on a plan to reduce its number of minsters whilst maintaining ministry support for the whole Presbytery. This reduction is expected to take up to ten years. It was an instruction to all presbyteries from the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. The draft plan for our Presbytery has now been published and John Knox is to be linked with Stewarton: St Columbas. If this plan is accepted by Presbytery it will have no immediate impact on either congregation as long as both ministers choose to remain in post. Both George and I feel strongly called to Stewarton.
If, in the future, either of us were to leave our positions then a process would commence for the remaining minister to become the minister of both churches (assuming this was acceptable to both minister and congregations).
This news may come as a considerable disappointment to many of you despite our close working together with our friends at St Columbas. Our town has a long history of faithful ministers, tasked with the pastoral oversight solely of one church and one parish. I see some of their pictures every Sunday at the back of the church. Sadly, consideration of this potential change to our church life is required of us by the General Assembly. In our recent look at the example of Jesus when faced with major decisions we were encouraged to pray. This many of you have been doing in prayer meetings and in personal prayer. We have prayed for our town, for the committee and for Presbytery so we can have confidence in God’s hand at work among us. Our church government which we believe to be in accordance with the Word of God also is God’s gift to us and enables us to discuss and debate this matter further as a presbytery. There will be an opportunity for this on Thursday 23rd February. Four of our members will be able to be part of the debate: myself, John Strathdee, Cath Shaw and Anne McAllister. There will also be the opportunity for six other members to be present and for one of these to make comment on the proposed plan. It is very important to realise that this is a draft plan. It is only a proposal. It has been a very hard job for the Presbytery committee and I’m sure they will gladly accept improvements to their proposal, which further thekingdom ofGod in our presbytery.
At this time of decision we are called to be like Jesus and to pray in order to seek the Lord’s will and wisdom. We are also called like Joshua to be bold and courageous, confident that the Lord will lead us forward into His good plans for us as a congregation.
Warmly in Christ,
Gavin
