Kirk: Charity really does begin at home

FOR wealthy Kirk congregations such as St Mungo's in Glasgow, fundraising is part of their Christian duty.

But the money raised does not directly benefit their parish; it goes to a central pot for redistribution. Successful fundraising means a larger contribution to other churches.

Now the Kirk is considering radical reforms to give individual presbyteries and congregations greater financial and administrative autonomy. A report to be brought before the Church of Scotland's General Assembly, to be held next month, will look at ways of allowing churches to keep more of the money they raise to spend on local projects.

The new scheme would see the contribution to the central fund based on a church's size, strength and running costs, after which congregations would be allowed to keep any additional funds it raised. As it stands, the Kirk's central government bases a church's contribution on a valuation of income it has received over the previous three years.

The report also calls for total overhaul of the number of presbyteries with a view to increasing their powers to run their own churches.

Instigated two years ago, the report constitutes the findings of a special commission, which was set up to investigate fears by General Assembly members that reforms to the Kirk's councils placed too much power in too few hands, damaging its Presbyterian principal of collective decision-taking.

Though it concluded this was not the case, it said that there were concerns among congregations that local decision-making had been reduced and local initiatives stifled by the inability of congregations to finance them, as all money raised was diverted to the central fund.

The report added: "There is a positive disincentive to active stewardship at every level of congregational income." The commission said the current allocation system was seen as a tax that "penalised" fundraising success.

Addressing the reorganisation of the presbyteries, the report said for the Kirk to make itself relevant to the 21st century, it needed to bring decision-making to the local churches.

Rev Dr Marjory MacLean, secretary to the special commission and depute clerk of the General Assembly, told The Scotsman yesterday: "The commission is suggesting the Church might examine a system which keeps those contributions, but enables any congregation to raise further income to be used wholly for their own purposes.

"Whether large or small, rich or poor, they would know the contribution the whole church needed from them, but be given more freedom beyond that."

The Very Rev Dr John Cairns, a former moderator, who called for the commission to be set up in 2006, welcomed the report, adding that the creation of a central funding model had not worked. "They have removed all the sort of sense of local responsibility for your own church and all the rest of it, and placed it all into this central fund," he said.

"And thereafter the more money you raise, the more they take. This doesn't make much sense. I think the commission have reflected that."

He said he felt the new system would create a new relationship between wealthier and poorer churches that would see them lending a mutual support, which would remove the need for any form of "handouts".

A tale of two churches

RICHMOND CRAIGMILLAR CHURCH

BASED in one of the poorest areas in Edinburgh, Richmond Craigmillar Church is more than a place of worship, it is a support centre and social focal point for the community.

With a congregation of just 40, the Rev Liz Henderson said it was the role of the church that was important, not its accounts: "Though we only have a small congregation, we maximise our buildings use. We don't get much in fundraising, but we get rental income. We pay as much as we can towards reaching solvency. We are financially supported by the Kirk to work in hugely deprived area. As it is the current financial system benefits us."

Mrs Henderson raised concerns about any new system, stating that it was impossible to know where the cut-off mark for contributions would be.

ST MUNGO'S, GLASGOW

BETTER known as Glasgow Cathedral, St Mungo's magnificent structure is home to a congregation of 400. Financially self-supporting, while it is not the wealthiest in Glasgow, it sits in the top third.

With fundraising events, the church can enjoy a reasonable existence and could be seen as one of those that will enjoy the benefit of any move to allow churches to hang on to a proportion of its cash.

But for the Rev Laurence Whitley, it is more important for people to see the bigger picture: "I can understand people being upset when they work hard to raise money then it disappears at a stroke of a pen, but the strength of the Church of Scotland is that it is the national church and we try to speak as a church body. It requires the strong to look after the weak, and it is my job to make people understand that."