Re-branding the Church of Scotland
by David Robertson, theweeflea:
The Courier and other newspapers have recently run main articles on the continuing decline of the Church of Scotland. For example this one about the possible closure of Brechin cathedral – where the attendances are dreadful.
[…] Today’s Courier has another report in the same vein. With some suggested solutions from Life and Work.
[…] The media are reporting the situation correctly – the Church of Scotland is in freefall. After years of pretending otherwise, the leadership of the C of S now admits that is the case and that something needs to be done. We are told that the life expectancy of the Kirk is 30 years; membership is in freefall, there are not enough ministers and finance is a major problem. With such a dire situation all agree that something must be done. Life and Work tells us that this needs to be ‘radical’.
So far that ‘radicalism’ seems to be tied in with the ‘solutions’ offered by the theologian, Doug Gay, whose Chalmers lectures were fascinating – not least because the solutions they offered were at best sticky plaster and cosmetic, rather than radical. See the analysis here.
The Courier report today suggests that what is needed is just ‘rebranding’ – as though the problem were only one of image. Form and not substance. A clever marketing campaign will not save the Church.
The real solution is found within the article from Life and Work. The editor speaks of those who will object that ‘the timeless message of the church’ should not be subject to crass marketing. And therein lies the problem. Not with the marketing – but with what is being marketed.
Brechin cathedral was the church of Rev Scott Rennie (Rev. Rennie divorced his wife and is now ‘married’ to another man), before he moved to Queens Cross and precipitated the latest crisis in the Church of Scotland. You can read about the crisis this provoked here.
The decline in the Church of Scotland has not happened because of the Scott Rennie situation. That situation is rather indicative of why this decline is happening. The Church has lost the ‘timeless message’ of the Gospel Whilst there remain ministers who preach the Gospel and congregations which practice it – overall the C of S has moved away from the Gospel and therefore we should not be surprised if Ichabod (the glory has departed) is written over Brechin Cathedral, and many of its buildings and institutions. Sadly evangelicals have far too often acquiesced in this state of affairs, and have refused to challenge it, thinking that quiet infiltration will work. It won’t and it hasn’t.
Related Posts
Tags
Share This
