News from the Presbytery of Perth 2024
Presbytery: The office is Suite F3, Riverview House, Friarton Road, Perth, PH2 8DF. Tel: 07596 868064. perth@churchofscotland.org.uk; www.perthpresbytery.org.uk. Facebook: Presbytery of Perth. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/presbytery_of_perth
Updated 4 July
Another Service of Union: Following last week's Service of Union between Chalmers Adler and Strathmartine in north Dundee, the Presbytery of Perth is meeting this week to mark another new Union between two Dundee churches: Coldside and Steeple. The Steeple Church was the charge of Revd. Robert Calvert before he 'retired' and joined our congregation. He is currently Locum Minister at Orwell & Portmoak.
Summary of Presbytery Meeting: If you wonder what happens at Presbytery, here is a link to a summary of the most recent meeting for 'ordinary business': 2024 06 11 Presbytery meeting summary.pdf
Updated 27 June
Visit Clackmannan Parish Church: This prominent and historic church, whose minister is Rev Austin Wicks, is now open to visitors, over the summer (Tue, Wed and Thu 2pm-4pm). We are invited to pop in and admire the impressive oak panelling, the historic graveyard, and the beautiful stained-glass windows, including the only one in Scotland installed to commemorate the Coronation in 1953.
Training for Elders: The Presbytery of Perth ran a training evening in three different locations this week for elders on Church law and the responsibilities of elders as Trustees of charities. A number of our elders attended the training in Perth on Tuesday, which was very well attended.
Service of Union: The Presbytery of Perth will hold a Service of Union on Tuesday, 2nd July at Chalmers Ardler Parish Church. This marks the new union between the congregations of Chalmers Ardler and Strathmartine Parish Churches, in north Dundee. It is a further example of the implementation of the Presbytery Mission Plan.
Updated 20 June
Visit Clackmannan Parish Church: This prominent and historic church, whose minister is Rev Austin Wicks, is now open to visitors, over the summer (Tue, Wed and Thu 2pm-4pm). We are invited to pop in and admire the impressive oak panelling, the historic graveyard, and the beautiful stained-glass windows, including the only one in Scotland installed to commemorate the Coronation in 1953.
Sanctuary Sunday: We are invited to a prayer gathering with and for refugees and asylum seekers this Sunday, 23 June at 3pm in the North Church, Mill Street, Perth to mark Sanctuary Sunday. All welcome. Refreshments.
Updated 14 June
Rev. Alan Reid: The Presbytery of Perth met this week and appointed Alan as its Moderator for the next year. The Presbytery recorded: 'Alan has a wide knowledge of the Church as a Parish Minister but also through his involvement in the General Assembly’s Legal Questions Committee, the Judicial Proceedings Panel and as a past Clerk of the old Perth Presbytery. We look forward to his year as Moderator and pray for God’s blessing on him in the year ahead'.
Rev. Jan Steyn: Many of us remember Jan fondly from when he spent a year with us under Rev. Dr. John Munro while he familiarised himself with the Church of Scotland from the Dutch Reformed Church. Jan has since been minister in Cupar, Paris and Logie (Stirling). Presbytery 'thanked him for his services to Logie Kirk and wished him well in his new congregation of Bethelkerk, Barendrecht in the Netherlands'. Jan spoke online from the Netherlands, and it was nice to see his friendly face again as he paid tribute to the congregation at Logie while 'trying to remember not to speak Dutch!'.
Long Service: Part of the role of presbyteries is to recognise service to the church, in a wider context than can be given by individual congregations. At this week's meeting Presbytery recognised significant anniversaries of ordination for 13 ministers, ranging from 25 years to 65(!).
Updated 10 June
Hustings in Perth: In advance of the General Election, Perth Action of Churches Together (PACT) along with the Perth Amnesty Group is organising a Hustings meeting on Thursday June 13th at 7.30p.m. in St Matthew's Church, Tay Street, Perth. All the candidates have received an invitation to attend - (so far, four have accepted) - and it will be an opportunity for voters to hear from those who are standing, and to ask them questions about the burning issues of the election. All welcome.
Updated 6 June
Unions and Linkages: Movement continues on the implementation of the Presbytery Mission Plan. Last week the Presbytery held a service to mark the new linkage between Cowie and Plean, and Fallin. This coming week there will be a service to mark the new union between Dunblane Cathedral, Kilmadock and Kincardine -in - Menteith Parish Churches.
Updated 30 May
Trustee Training: The new larger Presbyteries now established throughout Scotland can provide more support to congregations, including through providing training. An important role of our elders is as Trustees to the congregation as a formal charity, with all that that means in terms of charity law. The Presbytery of Perth has organised three training evenings in June across the Presbytery on the responsibilities of Trustees and some of our elders will be attending.
Updated 17 May
Perth Presbytery at General Assembly: There are 43 'Commissioners' from the Presbytery of Perth at this year's General Assembly, including Rev Alan Reid and elder Gordon McFarlane from our congregation. A training evening for Commissioners was run by the Presbytery last week. The Assembly starts this Saturday 18th and statistics to be presented show that Perth Presbytery is the largest in Scotland in terms of membership (38,000) and congregations (152).
Updated 2 May
Service of Linkage: The implementation of the Perth Presbytery Mission Plan continues, with a Presbytery service last week to mark a new linkage between Killearn and Strathblane Parish Churches in Stirling-shire.
Safeguarding: Rhona Nicol, who is employed as Treasurer and Congregational Support Officer for the Presbytery, and already had a major Safeguarding remit, will now be the new Safeguarding Contact for the Presbytery of Perth - and is contactable on: SafePerth@churchofscotland.org.uk
Updated 25 April
The National Church's Towards Ministry Team is holding a Celebrating Calling event on Saturday 11 May 2024 at Torrance Parish Church, 10.30am-2.30pm. This is for anyone who has even the faintest interest in exploring calling to ministry within the Church of Scotland. Could it be you? Or could it besomeone you know who, with a quiet word of encouragement, might be ready to explore? Full details on the
Church of Scotland website and social media platforms. Further information and registration at: ministry@churchofscotland.org.uk
Updated 11 April
Presbytery Roundup: Kinross Parish Church was featured twice in last week's Presbytery Roundup. The Roundup drew the attention of other congregations to our Guild's forthcoming concert with the Earn Singers on Friday 26 April, 7.30pm. The joint Kinross-shire loch-side service on Easter morning, together with our wooden cross dressed for Good Friday, also featured in the video of 'Easter Highlights across the Presbytery': https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=946509367131102&ref=sharing
NEW: Sidlaw Parish Church: The Presbytery held a service of union on Thursday to mark the coming together of three existing congregations on 1 February to form Sidlaw Parish Church. The three rural congregations, in Angus to the north-east of Dundee, were Auchterhouse, Fowlis and Liff, and Lundie and Muirhead.
Updated 4 April
Maundy Money Recognition: Three elders within the Presbytery of Perth were among those honoured for their dedicated years of service to the Church when they received Maundy Money from Her Majesty the Queen, on behalf of the King, at Worcester Cathedral on Maundy Thursday. Congratulations to Moyra Stewart (Glamis), Elizabeth Bruce (Dull and Weem) and Clive Bridges (Logierait).
Updated 15 March
Palm Sunday: Churches across the Presbytery of Perth are encouraging their members to invite a friend to church on Palm Sunday, 24th March: "Although we welcome everyone to our churches any Sunday a special invitation is given for this year’s Palm Sunday". Our Kirk Session has supported this initiative for our own congregation.NEW: Revd. Austin Wicks: The Presbytery of Perth was “delighted to induct the Revd. Austin Wicks to the charge of Clackmannan linked with Sauchie and Coalsnaughton on Thursday, 7th March. The Church was near to full capacity and a large number enjoyed refreshments after the service along with words of welcome for Austin and Alicia.”
Rev. Alan Reid: Our minister is the most recent of those in the new Presbytery of Perth to be filmed talking about some aspect of their church’s life – in our case, the importance of ministry by the whole the congregation. Watch it at: https://fb.watch/qJIsKBG-Sj/
Updated 22 February
World Day of Prayer - Palestine: The Church and Community Committee of the Presbytery of Perth has drawn special attention to this year's World Day of Prayer on 1 March and encouraged us all to take part. Each year the material is prepared by a different country, decided two years in advance. By what the Convener of the Committee called 'Godincidence', this year's material was drawn up by the women of Palestine. A presentation about the situation in Israel/Palestine was recently given to Presbytery by the Rev Muriel Pearson and commended by Alan Reid in his message for Sunday, 11 February. It can be accessed at: www.perthpresbytery.org.uk
Updated 15 February
Presbytery Services: The last of the Presbytery Mission Plans for our enlarged Presbytery of Perth were approved last year. As a result, churches can once more call new ministers and go ahead with reorganisation, if in accordance with the plan.
In this coming month alone, the Presbytery will be meeting to hold services for
• Induction of a new minister at Brechin and Farnell
• Linkage of Blair Atholl with Pitlochry
• Union of the Arbroath churches
• Induction of Rev. Austin Wicks at Clackmannan with Sauchie and Coalsnaughton
Updated 8 February
Presbytery Decisions: The Presbytery of Perth met on Saturday, 3rd February, in hybrid form for the first time. 135 attended in person and 76 on-line. Decisions of particular interest to us:
- Rev. Alan Reid was appointed Moderator of the Presbytery, starting in June for one year.
- Rev. Alan Reid and Gordon McFarlane, our Presbytery elder, were appointed as Commissioners to the May 2024 meeting of the General Assembly
- One space remains for a Youth Delegate to the General Assembly from Presbytery
- The call of Rev. Austin Wicks to Clackmannan linked with Sauchie and Coalsnaughton was sustained.
- Our fee to Presbytery for 2024 was assessed at £3,042.
Updated 25 January
The next meeting of the Presbytery of Perth for ordinary business is on Saturday 3 February at 10.30am in St Matthews Church, Tay Street, Perth. This is the Presbytery's first hybrid meeting, allowing presbyters to join online though it's hoped that many will still come in person, so that presbyters can continue to get to know one another better. The meeting will include a session focusing on the situation in Gaza with input from the Church of Scotland ministers at Jerusalem and Tiberias: St. Andrews. In the afternoon, there will be a conference session focusing on the Presbytery's first year and on where we are going in the future.
Updated 18 January
'Leading Worship' Course: The Presbytery Training Team has organised this course over three Saturdays (10 February, 24 February and 9 March) in St. Matthew's Perth from 10.00am - 4.00 pm each day. There are still spaces available. If you need further details about what is involved, please contact Alex Rae. fourraes@btinternet.com for information or to register.
Saturday 10 February: The Bible in worship, Speaking in Church, Prayer in worship.
Saturday 24 February: Music in worship, Preparing a service, how we bring all the elements together.
Saturday 9 March: Presentation of acts of worship.
Presbytery Buildings Officer: Click here to watch a video introducing the new presbytery buildings officer, Jamie McNamara. His job is to provide professional support to congregations to help them look after their buildings and is an example of the new help available because of the enlarged Presbytery.
11 January 2024
Unions and Linkages: One of the predictions for 2024 for the Presbytery of Perth by the Presbytery Clerk was 'that we look forward to a large number of Services of Linking and Services of Union.' These have now started, with Presbytery Services in the next month to mark: a new congregation of Carnoustie Trinity, formed from three existing congregations in the Carnoustie area; a linkage between four congregations just north of Kinross-shire of Dunbarney (Bridge of Earn), Forgandenny, Aberdalgie and Forteviot; a new congregation of Dundee North-East from four previous congregations. This union has decided on no separate church building but to use existing community facilities. And a new congregation of Broughty Ferry, formed from the union of four existing churches in Broughty Ferry and Barnhill.