Church of Scotland
The Church of Scotland, commonly referred to as the Kirk, is a Presbyterian denomination with deep historical roots, tracing back to early Christian missionaries in Scotland during the fifth century. Established in 1560 during the Reformation, it was significantly influenced by John Knox, who is considered its founder. The church has experienced various schisms over the centuries, leading to the formation of several offshoots, such as the Free Church of Scotland and the United Free Church of Scotland, reflecting differing theological and governance views.
The Church of Scotland practices a reformed theology centered on the teachings of the Bible, with a strong emphasis on communal worship and sacraments like baptism and Holy Communion. It is governed by a Presbyterian structure, where authority is shared between elected elders and ordained ministers. The church has made notable strides in inclusivity, allowing for same-sex marriages among ministers and ordaining women since the late 20th century.
Despite a decline in membership in recent years, the Church of Scotland maintains a significant presence both within the UK and abroad, emphasizing its commitment to evolving with societal changes while upholding core Christian values of love, equality, and respect.
Church of Scotland
The Church of Scotland, often called the Kirk, is reformed and Presbyterian. It has roots in early Christendom when missionaries traveled across Europe during the fifth century CE with the blessing of the Roman Catholic Church. It was established in 1560, after the Reformation. John Knox is regarded as the founder of the church.
Several subgroups and schisms arose within the church. The Original Secession Church was formed in 1732 over a dispute concerning who should appoint ministers. Members of this subgroup further divided into four groups over other disagreements. The issue of patronage arose again in 1761 and led to the formation of the Relief Church, but in 1847, these groups reunited as the United Presbyterian Church. In 1843, about one-third of the congregations of the Church of Scotland broke away to form the Free Church of Scotland, an evangelical Presbyterian church. In 1893, a denomination left the Free Church to form the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland due to disagreement over the Westminster Confession of Faith. In 1900, members of the Free Church of Scotland merged with the United Presbyterian Church to form the United Free Church of Scotland.
Because of the Church of Scotland's positive stance on same-sex marriages, the more traditional, conservative Presbyterian Church in Ireland, located in Northern Ireland, chose to end its association with the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland.
Church of Scotland congregations exist in a number of countries, including England and Israel. Worldwide membership was estimated at 607,714 in 2000, though figures represent only those officially listed as members; many more people consider themselves members of the Church of Scotland without formal ties. Membership fell quickly in the early twenty-first century, as the church lost more than 155,000 members between 2004 and 2014. By 2019, the Church of Scotland estimated membership to be 340,000; however, the Scottish Church Census, which surveys all denominations, found that there were 390,000 total churchgoers in Scotland in 2016, representing 7.2 percent of the national population. By the mid-2020s, membership numbers had fallen again to 280,000.
History
Early Scotland comprised a number of peoples and kingdoms. About 400 CE, Saint Ninian traveled through Dark Age Scotland to take the message of Christ to the Picts. He was said to be a Briton who had studied in Rome and had been appointed a bishop. Saint Ninian established Candida Casa, a monastery in southern Scotland, possibly in 397 CE. His tomb there later became a popular destination for pilgrimages.
Saint Columba, an exiled Irish prince, traveled to the island of Iona in 563 CE. He founded a monastery on the island off Scotland's west coast. He set up a school to educate the sons of Gaelic kings. The monastery was highly influential and became well known for producing The Book of Kells, a famed illuminated Gospel manuscript. From this community and through the works of other saints, including Mael Ruba and Donnan, the message of Christianity spread across Scotland and into England.
The Christian community was supported by many of its rulers, including Queen Margaret, later Saint Margaret of Scotland. The widely established tradition of churches in Scotland educating children greatly increased the influence of Christianity.
Western Europe was experiencing upheaval during the sixteenth century as reformers revolted against the established Roman Catholic authority. This Reformation, sparked by John Calvin, was carried to Scotland by John Knox in 1559. Knox and his colleagues wrote the Scots Confession, a declaration of faith, which the Scottish Parliament accepted in 1560.
After many years of turmoil in Scotland and England, the Revolution Settlement of 1690 established the reformed Presbyterian church as the national church of Scotland.
Beliefs
Like other Christian churches, the Church of Scotland believes in the teachings of the Bible, relying on both the Old and New Testaments. Worship services, which are open to all and take place on Sundays, usually include readings from the Bible. Singing of hymns is usually a prominent feature of worship services. Baptism and Holy Communion are sacraments. Any member of a Christian church may participate in communion.
The church believes in the Holy Trinity of God as Father, Son (Jesus Christ), and Holy Spirit. Jesus is the head of the church, and the church is his body. It also teaches that God showed his love for the world by sending his son and wants humankind to love one another and treat each other with equality and respect. Additionally, it believes the Holy Spirit is God's spiritual form and is with God's people, offering Jesus's followers peace, security, and strength.
As a Reformation church, the Church of Scotland believes it must continually evolve with new information and changes in society. The church permits remarriage after divorce with the minister's approval. In 2018, the church proposed to allow ministers and deacons to perform same-sex marriages if they so desire. Ministers may conduct funerals of anyone within the parish, even if they are not members of the church.
Organization
The church is Presbyterian in structure. This means authority is shared equally by elders elected from the congregation and ministers. Both elders and ministers are ordained for these roles, and all are able to lead worship services. Clergy are known as Ministers of Word and Sacrament.
Governance is under the authority of courts or councils on local, regional, and national levels. Together, the elders and minister form the local council, or Kirk Session. The presbyteries, or regional councils, are responsible for the churches in their territories. The General Assembly, which is the national council, convenes annually in Edinburgh. It is chaired by the moderator, who is elected for a one-year term. National councils oversee doctrine, education, finance, mission, social services, worship, and other areas.
The first female elder was ordained in 1966. In 1968, women became eligible for ordination as ministers. In 2015, the church voted in favor of allowing congregations to ordain gay ministers who are in same-sex civil partnerships.
The Church of Scotland Act of 1921 established the church as a "national church." The reigning monarch attends or is represented at the General Assembly, though they are not head of the church. The act also gave the church freedom from the influence of Parliament, but the Church of Scotland freely contributes to national discussions on issues.
Bibliography
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Burdge, Richard. "Kirk in Crisis Church of Scotland Losing 300 Members a Week." The Courier, 22 Apr. 2015, www.thecourier.co.uk/news/scotland/kirk-in-crisis-church-of-scotland-losing-300-members-a-week-1.867017. Accessed 13 Jan. 2025.
"Church of Scotland." BBC, 14 July 2011, www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/christianity/subdivisions/churchofscotland‗1.shtml. Accessed 13 Jan. 2025.
"Church of Scotland Votes to Allow Gay Ministers in Civil Partnerships." BBC, 16 May 2015, www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-32760416. Accessed 13 Jan. 2025.
"History." The Church of Scotland, www.churchofscotland.org.uk/about‗us/how‗we‗are‗organised/history. Accessed 13 Jan. 2025.
Kelly, Michael. “Could New Hate Speech Law in Scotland Target Christians?” OSV News, 4 Apr. 2024, www.osvnews.com/2024/04/04/could-new-hate-speech-law-in-scotland-target-christians. Accessed 13 Jan. 2025.
"The Kingdom of the Picts." BBC, www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/history/articles/kingdom‗of‗the‗picts. Accessed 13 Jan. 2025.
"St Columba (Colum Cille)." BBC, www.bbc.co.uk/history/scottishhistory/earlychurch/features‗earlychurch‗iona.shtml. Accessed 13 Jan. 2025.
Swindon, Peter. "'Crisis' for Christianity in Scotland as Churchgoer Numbers Continue to Dwindle." The Herald, 15 Apr. 2017, www.heraldscotland.com/news/15227243.why-christianity-is-in-crisis-in-scotland. Accessed 13 Jan. 2025.
"Who Was Saint Ninian?" BBC, 13 Sept. 2010, www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-11276120. Accessed 13 Jan. 2025.
Williams, Martin. "Faith No More: Questions over a Liberal Approach as Church of Scotland Affiliation Plummets." The Herald, 6 Sept. 2018, www.heraldscotland.com/news/16694382.faith-no-more-questions-over-a-liberal-approach-as-church-of-scotland-affiliation-plummets. Accessed 13 Jan. 2025.