Cross Denominational Mission
The Church of Scotland, known also to Scots as 'The Kirk', is the national church of Scotland. It
is Presbyterian. Although it is
the national church, the Kirk is not an 'established church' (that is
to say: "state church"). Under its constitution, which is recognised by
acts
of Parliament, the Kirk enjoys complete independence from the state in
spiritual matters. The British
monarch (when in Scotland) is simply a member of the Church (she is
not, as in England, its Supreme Governor; because the Church of
Scotland is not Anglican). The monarch’s accession oath includes a
promise to "defend the security" of the Church of Scotland. She is
formally represented at the annual General Assembly by a Lord High
Commissioner (unless she chooses to attend in person, even then a Lord High Commissioner may also be present).
The
Church of Scotland's history extends to the earliest Christianity in
Scotland, but its identity is principally shaped by the Reformation of
1560. The church in Scotland split into two traditions, with the Church
of Scotland being the national church 'The Kirk' and presbyterial, the
episcopal part becoming the Scottish Episcopal church which is totally
seperate. The Kirk's current membership is about 12% of the Scottish
population -
but around 40% of the Scottish population claim some form of allegiance
to it. The Church of Scotland Guild, the Kirk's women's
movement, is still the largest voluntary organisation in Scotland. The Church of
Scotland’s Social Care Council (also known as "CrossReach") is the
largest provider of social care in Scotland: including care for the
elderly; those with alcoholism, drug, and mental health problems; and
assistance for the homeless.
The
Church of Scotland is committed to its ‘distinctive call and duty to
bring the ordinances of religion to the people in every parish of
Scotland through a territorial ministry’ (Article 3 of its Articles
Declaratory). In practice this means that the Kirk maintains a presence
in every community in Scotland – and exists to serve not only its
members but all Scots (the majority of funerals in Scotland are taken
by its ministers). It also means that the Kirk pools its resources to
ensure a continued presence in every part of Scotland. The Church
played a leading role in the provision of universal education in
Scotland (the first such provision in the modern world), largely due to
its desire that all people should be able to read the Bible. However,
today it does not operate schools - these having been entrusted into
the care of the state in the later half of the 19th century.
The
Kirk has always been involved in Scottish politics. In 1919, the
General Assembly created a Church and Nation Committee, which in 2005
became the Church and Society Council. The Church of Scotland supported
devolution: it was one of the parties involved in the Scottish
Constitutional Convention, which resulted in the setting up of the
Scottish Parliament in 1997 and, from 1999-2004 the Parliament met in
the Kirk's Assembly Hall in Edinburgh, whilst its own building was
being constructed. The Church of Scotland actively supports the work of
the Scottish Churches Parliamentary Office in Edinburgh.
Links
Church of Scotland
Church of Scotland (extranet)
Cross Reach, Church of Scotland Social Care