LONDON — A radical slimming-down of the Church of Scotland’s central structures has been accepted by the Kirk’s general assembly at its annual meeting in Edinburgh, May 15–21.
In place of the network of some 14 major boards and committees, with as many smaller bodies, there will be just six councils to oversee the different aspects of the church’s work. The conveners of these six new bodies along with 10 other commissioners will form a council of assembly, which in effect will oversee the church’s affairs during the 51 weeks of the year when the general assembly is not meeting. The new structure is to be put in place at the beginning of June 2005, just after next year’s general assembly.
In working out the new structure the present assembly council considered whether a chief executive was also needed. But, given the committee structure of presbyterianism, the assembly council said it was “far from persuaded” this would be acceptable among Presbyterians.
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