Auditors for the Church of Scotland are warning that the denomination is “at a tipping point in terms of its financial viability” and that the organization is in a financial, ministerial, congregational, and denominational crisis. In response, church trustees are recommending that the denomination end lifetime tenure for clergy.
The news comes after years of steady membership decline, with the Church Times reporting that, as of December 2024, the church had:
245,000 members, representing a 5.5-per-cent fall on 2023, and a decline of 35 per cent over the decade. The operating budget deficit stands at £5.9 million, while the free reserves available to cover the Church’s day-to-day charitable activities totalled £51.2 million at December – about five months of operating costs.
Moreover, the trustees warned of a “retirement timebomb,” with 77 percent of ministers over 50, and the actual numbers of retirements and “demissions” continuing to surpass initial estimates. Two-thirds of Church of Scotland churches depend on financial subsidies from the national church.
While the fate of the proposal remains uncertain, the church is asset-rich and case-poor, with many churches holding glebes or land intended to provide revenue for the church.
The decline in the Church of Scotland, which is presbyterian in polity, mirrors that of the Episcopal Church. Similarly, the passing of the so-called Baby Boom will result in large draws upon Church Pension Group assets in the coming years.
Episcopalians of every ilk should pay attention to the challenges facing the Church of Scotland. Specifically, if the Episcopal Church does not change, the issues facing our Scottish sisters and brothers will soon be upon the American church,
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