The General Assembly of the Church of Scotland has confirmed its first ever female Moderator. Dr Alison Elliot, 54, of Greyfriars Tolbooth and Highland Kirk, has become the first elder to be nominated as moderator since the 16th century.
Source: BBC Scotland News.
posted at 6:37 PM

A controversial scheme to encourage expectant mothers to give birth instead of having an abortion has now helped 1,000 women in Scotland. The Cardinal Winning Pro-Life Initiative, which was set up seven years ago, offers support ranging from the provision of cots to financial help and advice on benefits and debt counselling. Sister Roseann Reddy, the co-ordinator of the programme, said yesterday that she was appalled by the recent case of a 14-year-old schoolgirl in England who was offered an abortion without parental consent after a ten-minute counselling session.
Source: The Scotsman.
posted at 6:26 PM

Church leaders last night welcomed a Scottish Executive-commissioned report despite it calling for the number of religious assemblies in Scotland's schools to be reduced. A spokesman for the Church of Scotland said the Kirk's education committee took the view that "quality of religious observance is more important than quantity". A spokesman for the Catholic Church said: "We welcome Peter Peacock's acknowledgement of our broadly Christian society and his suggestion that nothing in his guidelines is intended to undermine the Christian ethos in many schools."
Source: The Scotsman.
posted at 6:23 PM

Harry Reid writes: "This morning, Dr Alison Elliot will become the first woman moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. Our attention is often drawn to supposed historic moments; this is a genuine, not a spurious one. Indeed it is a golden moment for our national church, mired as it has been in the problems of haemorrhaging membership and lost influence. But the election of a female elder rather than a male minister is a signal that the Kirk may be prepared to change its ways, and to respond imaginatively to its plight." He warns Dr Elliot of "the Kirk's mandarins, who like the Assembly to be managed as far as is possible, and who fear a truculent, assertive and dissenting Assembly." And Reid points out: "There is nothing anti-Presbyterian or anti-democratic in strong leadership." (Former Herald editor Harry Reid is the author of an outsider's analysis of the Kirk and its failings, Outside Verdict.)
Source: The Scotsman.
posted at 6:18 PM

The Church of Scotland's Committee on Education has welcomed the final report of the Scottish Executive's religious observance review group, 'Religious Observance in the 21st Century'. It 'offers a strengthening of the position of Christianity', says the committee.
Source: Church of Scotland news release.
posted at 11:57 PM

Ambitious plans for developing Inverurie West Parish Church have been approved by the congregation.
Source: Inverurie Herald.
posted at 11:47 PM

Around 800 people took part in the 34th annual Whitekirk to Haddington pilgrimage on Saturday.
Source: East Lothian Courier.
posted at 11:39 PM

St Margaret's Parish Church in Glenrothes celebrates its 50th anniversary this weekend.
Source: Fife Now - Glenrothes Gazette.
posted at 11:36 PM

A call has been made for Buckfast tonic wine to be taken off the shelves of Glenrothes shops as part of a crusade against anti-social behaviour in the town. 'Bucky' is made by Benedictine monks in Devon.
Source: Fife Now - Glenrothes Gazette.
posted at 11:35 PM

The fight to save the roof of the Church of Our Lady and St Andrew in Galashiels at a cost of £690,000 looks to have been won at last.
Source: Border Telegraph.
posted at 11:32 PM

Lennox Herald journalist Tina Kemp was licensed as a Church of Scotland auxiliary minister last week. Tina, 44, was licensed at a service in her home church of St Andrew's in Bellsmyre. The event marked the end of three years of study at Glasgow University, carried out on a distance learning basis to allow her to continue work as a reporter. It also signals the start of Tina's final year of training before she is ordained and inducted to a church in the Presbytery of Dumbarton.
Source: icDunbartonshire - Lennox Herald.

posted at 11:28 PM

South Lanarkshire Council has granted the Salvation Army a concessionary rental for its charity shop in Buchanan Drive, Cambuslang.
Source: icLanarkshire - Rutherglen Reformer.
posted at 11:25 PM

The choir of Cambusnethan Old and Morningside Parish Church in Wishaw welcomed singing star Patti Boulaye for practice last week to help them warm up for their singing debut at the SECC in Glasgow on Sunday May 16 in a concert in aid of the charity Support for Africa, of which Patti is founder and president.
Source: icLanarkshire - Wishaw Press.
posted at 11:22 PM

The long term future of Buittle Church will come under the spotlight later this year following the retiral of the Rev James Sinclair from the linked charges of Auchencairn and Rerrick with Kelton and Buittle in January after 14 years with the Presbytery of Dumfries and Stewartry.
Source: icDumfries - Galloway News.

posted at 11:11 PM

Communities in the west of Scotland must have a say on whether Orange and Republican marches can pass through their area, a senior police officer said today. Chief Superintendent Allan Shanks, who is president of the Association of Scottish Police Superintendents, said marches were having a "significant impact" on communities and placing an "increasing burden" on the police service.
Source: Evening Times, Glasgow.
posted at 10:50 PM

Dr Jimmy Boyle, who spent all his working life as a GP in Pollok, Glasgow, has died at the age of 84. He married Tony Kivlichan, daughter of Willie Kivlichan, one of the few Catholics at that time who had played for Rangers and Celtic before the First World War. When his stalwart companion, partner and wife for more than 50 years died in 2000, he had the good fortune to meet Margaret through his local church, Christ the King, and found a soulmate who shared his sense of humour and great religious conviction. They married last year and had eight very happy months together.
Source: The Herald.
posted at 10:38 PM

The Church of Scotland faces a deficit in central expenditure of nearly £20 million on top of a pension scheme that has moved from a surplus of more than £8 million four years ago to a deficit now in excess of £56 million. The General Assembly will hear that to balance the next year's budget, the Kirk will have to find cuts of more than £800,000 in areas not designated as "priorities". Gordon Jamieson, the director of stewardship, said the cuts, in effect from 2008, will involve "extremely painful retrenchment in core mission and in support services".
Source: The Scotsman.
posted at 10:32 PM

The Church of Scotland faces a deficit in central expenditure of nearly £20 million on top of a pension scheme that has moved from a surplus of more than £8 million four years ago to a deficit now in excess of £56 million. The General Assembly will hear that to balance the next year's budget, the Kirk will have to find cuts of more than £800,000 in areas not designated as "priorities". Gordon Jamieson, the director of stewardship, said the cuts, in effect from 2008, will involve "extremely painful retrenchment in core mission and in support services".
Source: The Scotsman.
posted at 10:31 PM

The Operation Christian Vote party is standing in next month's European elections on a pro-Christian, pro-life and pro-family ticket.
Source: The Herald.
posted at 10:26 PM

Scotland's top Catholic cleric, his country facing what he calls a "frightening" decline in population and skilled workers, is appealing to young Canadians with Scottish roots to return "to the home of your ancestors". Cardinal Keith O'Brien, who was awarded an honorary degree last week by Nova Scotia's St Francis Xavier University, reminded graduates of how much "Scotland has given to Canada" over the centuries. He urged the youth of "New Scotland" to repay that debt by helping save "Auld Scotland" from economic ruin.
Source: Canada.com.
posted at 10:22 PM

The Church of Scotland fears that some of the country's finest examples of stained glass could be lost to the nation. The Kirk has approached the Scottish Executive over its concerns that windows from a golden age of Scottish glasswork are at risk when churches are converted to housing or other uses.
Source: The Scotsman.
posted at 10:19 PM

The Church of Scotland is working on a policy to cover photography and communicating with children and young people by e-mail or mobile phone, says a report to this month's General Assembly from the Joint Boards Group on the Protection of Children and Young People.
Source: Church of Scotland news release.
posted at 8:00 PM

The congregation of an Inverurie church will be going up in the world as part of an ambitious revamp. Members of West Church, near the town centre, have backed a £400,000 scheme that includes creating an extra floor and moving the area of worship upstairs.
Source: Aberdeen Press & Journal.
posted at 7:49 PM

The congregation of an Inverurie church will be going up in the world as part of an ambitious revamp. Members of West Church, near the town centre, have backed a £400,000 scheme that includes creating an extra floor and moving the area of worship upstairs.
Source: Aberdeen Press & Journal.
posted at 7:48 PM

The congregation of an Inverurie church will be going up in the world as part of an ambitious revamp. Members of West Church, near the town centre, have backed a £400,000 scheme that includes creating an extra floor and moving the area of worship upstairs.
Source: Aberdeen Press & Journal.
posted at 7:48 PM

A tiny north-east community that rallied to preserve its ancient kirk has rung-up a crowning glory milestone. The 300 year old bell that had tolled the passing of four centuries in Clatt was put back in place on the old church this week, ready to mark marriages and funerals through future generations.
Source: Aberdeen Press & Journal.
posted at 7:47 PM

Oxfam yesterday announced it is to launch Britain's first chain of fair trade coffee shops, including at least one in Scotland. The charity has joined Third World coffee co-operatives and Matthew Algie, the Glasgow-based coffee roasting firm, for its Progreso cafe venture, and plans to open 20 outlets over the next three years. The fair trade café concept originated from discussions between Oxfam and La Central in Honduras, one of the three co-operatives that will supply the cafes along with Oromia from Ethiopia and KPTO in Indonesia, all members of Progreso - a group of 11 coffee co-operatives in seven countries working together to develop sales.
Source: The Herald, Oxfam.
posted at 7:42 PM

The Joint Working Group between the Roman Catholic Church and the World Council of Churches has declared that: "The future of ecumenism demands a return to the spiritual roots of the movement." Archbishop Mario Conti is a co-moderator of the group, formed in 1965 following the Second Vatican Council and charged with initiating, evaluating and sustaining collaboration between the two parent bodies.
Source: World Council of Churches Press Office.
posted at 7:33 PM

A former Kirk moderator says the Church of Scotland may have to overturn 400 years of history by appointing the equivalent of bishops. The Very Rev Dr Finlay Macdonald says the Kirk may need a recognised leader with a higher profile than the current moderator to speak out on major issues. He was responding to fears within the Kirk that it was losing out to the Catholic Church in terms of its public profile.
Source: Edinburgh Evening News.
posted at 7:27 PM

'The Sword and the Cross' the BBC2 series about the history of Christianity in Scotland, has been commended by judges at this year's Sandford St Martin Trust TV Awards.
Source: Church of England Newspaper.
posted at 7:21 PM

Stuart Cosgrove writes about Rangers fans throwing potatoes and bananas onto the pitch at last week's Old Firm game. "I find it difficult to get upset by the tatty controversy. It is so obviously a part of the gallows humour of football rivalry that only a very irate Celtic fan could take it seriously. To elevate it to the status of sinister sectarianism borders on desperation. Throwing bananas is different and significantly worse and daft as it may seem, there is a real distinction to be made. Earlier this week, Marvin Andrews made a personal and heart-felt attack on the evils of racism. Andrews has already committed his future to Rangers and will join the Ibrox side in the summer. That makes his stance not only timely but upstanding, too. Andrews has taken a clear stance on the potatoes and banana debate not only showing racism the red card but also describing it in an evangelical way as the devil's work.The big Christian did himself and his religion proud by putting honesty and integrity before short-term popularity. Significantly, Big Marvin made his feelings known prior to his arrival at the club.This is in marked contrast to Henrik Larsson who only spoke out about the dark sides of Scotland when he was already on his way to the airport."
Source: Daily Record.
posted at 7:14 PM

Cardinal Keith O'Brien told MPs during Mass in the Crypt of the House of Commons today that the church and politics were "autonomous" but that co-operation "served the common good", and called on politicians to attend to the "concerns of society".
Source: Scottish Catholic Media Office news release.
posted at 7:39 PM

Plans for the world's first officially recognised online church were unveiled today. The i-church - which will be the first to be included in the formal structures of the Church of England - will go live at the start of July. And already more than 700 people - from across the world - have shown an interest in joining. Alyson Leslie from the Scottish Episcopal Church has been made "web pastor", although ultimate responsibility for care will lie with the Bishop of Oxford, the Right Rev Richard Harries. Ms Leslie said: "We have people who are in residential care homes with access to the internet, we have people who travel around a lot with their work and want access to church groups that will pray and support them, and we have people who are just exploring the Christian faith and don't want to commit to a physical church but want to be part of a community where they can explore their spiritual longings."
Source: The Sun.
posted at 7:09 PM

Scotland's feudal land system ends in November when the Abolition of Feudal Tenure etc (Scotland) Act 2000 comes into force. Not all elements of this archaic system will be completely swept away, but bodies such as the Church of Scotland, which have extensive superiority interests in property such as tenement flats on former glebe land, will now lose their superior status.
Source: The Scotsman.
posted at 7:04 PM

The Church of Scotland needs to improve its transatlantic links in light of the war on terrorism, Kirk leaders warned yesterday. Speaking ahead of the General Assembly, which starts on Saturday, Dr Alison Elliot, the first female Moderator, said: "We are very good at building partnerships with Churches in the south but our transatlantic links are not as strong as they should be."
Source: The Scotsman.
posted at 6:59 PM

The first female moderator of the general assembly of the Church of Scotland yesterday said she would attempt to lighten what she described as a sometimes heavy culture within the Kirk. Alison Elliot, moderator-designate, said: "I think the church's mission is a very serious matter, but we can take ourselves too seriously on various occasions. The great curse in the church in general is the 'aye been' syndrome which is that things have aye been and therefore we are not going to question it. Being a woman and an elder gives me the opportunity to question a lot of that." She said she would not be wearing the black robe which traditionally goes with the office of Moderator.
Source: The Herald.
posted at 6:56 PM

Scottish international footballer Brian Irvine's faith sustained him when multiple sclerosis threatened his career. Now a new challenge confronts this most gentle of giants, grooming the next generation of players for Ross County in his work as Highland Academy coach. He said: 'I believe my experience in life and as a player will help me relate to these youngsters."
Source: Daily Record.
posted at 6:52 PM

The Moderator of the Church of Scotland's General Assembly and the Catholic archbishop for Glasgow have offered prayers for those affected by a factory explosion in Glasgow.
Source: BBC Scotland News.
posted at 6:49 PM

The Church of Scotland's Board of Ministry is encouraged by the number of enquirers and candidates training for ministry, says its report to this year's General Assembly. Now in its third year, the Enquiry and Assessment Scheme continues to attract about 100 individuals, helping them reflect upon their call to service. Numbers accepted for training have risen significantly, with 33 new candidates having started training in 2003 to 2004.
Source: Church of Scotland news release.
posted at 10:00 PM

A report to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland by the Kirk's Ecumenical Relations Committee welcomes "the potentially fruitful exploration on the sacrament of baptism" with the Roman Catholic Church. "If baptism is into one Church," the report concludes, "and there is agreement that it is the same sacrament that is being celebrated with the same theological understanding, it becomes possible to recognise each other's liturgies as alternative rites. It would also be possible to look at 'double belonging' e.g. in the context of inter-church families."
Source: Church of Scotland news release.
posted at 9:59 PM

Details of an online church, the first to be included in the formal structures of the Church of England, were unveiled today. The i-church, part of the Diocese of Oxford, will go fully live at the beginning of July with a congregation expected to be drawn from all over the world. Alyson Leslie, a lay eucharistic minister with the Scottish Episcopal Church, will oversee the project, as the Church of England's first "web pastor".
Source: PA News/The Scotsman.
posted at 2:43 PM

Details of an online church, the first to be included in the formal structures of the Church of England, were unveiled today. The i-church, part of the Diocese of Oxford, will go fully live at the beginning of July with a congregation expected to be drawn from all over the world. Alyson Leslie, a lay eucharistic minister with the Scottish Episcopal Church, will oversee the project, as the Church of England's first "web pastor".
Source: PA News/The Scotsman.
posted at 2:43 PM

Husband-and-wife Salvation Army captains in a north-east port are heading for pastures new. David and Jane Alton will make the short flit from Peterhead to take charge of the Aberdeen Citadel in Castle Street.
Source: Aberdeen Press & Journal.
posted at 2:33 PM

A 2,300-mile virtual reality journey from Nairn to Belarus takes place in Nairn United Reformed Church hall next month to raise funds for the Inverness/Nairn branch of Chernobyl Children Lifeline. It will help finance 32 children who will be arriving in the Highlands in July for a month-long respite holiday from Belarus, which was affected by the nuclear fallout from the Chernobyl explosion. The event was the brainchild of Nairn URC minister Tom Heggie, who has just returned from a three-month pulpit exchange in Australia.
Source: Aberdeen Press & Journal.
posted at 2:31 PM

The price of burying loved ones is plunging Scots families into debt. Now concerned church leaders and advice agencies want to rein in funeral directors who pressure families into lavish funerals. Yesterday, a former moderator of the Church of Scotland, the Reverend John Millar, of Castlemilk Parish Church, Glasgow, claimed families were even turning to money lenders to foot huge funeral bills.
Source: Daily Record.
posted at 2:16 PM

Gillian Bowditch writes: The Silver Ring Thing may sound like a programme on body-piercing for the under-fives, but it is actually a group of American virgins and evangelists who are visiting British cities, including Glasgow, urging teenagers to abstain from sex until they are married. It has been funded by George Bush's administration, which last year spent $120 million on sexual-abstinence groups, despite the lack of any evidence that they work. The moral crusaders' mission lacks any kind of feasibility. The average age of marriage for a man in Britain is currently 31. If everyone abstained from sex until their wedding night, we would be a nation of 30-year-old virgins. If children were expected to observe the law, and parents were expected to take responsibility for their children's moral education and the consequences of it, there would be no place for sinister, cultish groups such as The Silver Ring Thing.
Source: The Scotsman.
posted at 2:13 PM

Marvin Andrew last night demanded that Rangers fans quit the racist abuse that he thinks is dragging Scotland into the gutter. Livingston's Trinidad and Tobago international will join Rangers in the summer and he admits he is painfully aware of the monkey noises a section of the Ibrox support direct towards Celtic defender Bobo Balde. He was speaking at the launch of a new Show Racism The Red Card video in Glasgow and the devout Christian believes that those who spit racist bile are carrying out the devil's work.
Source: Daily Record.
posted at 2:05 PM

Obituary of Rev Trevor Stevens (24 March 1965 - 1 May 2004). "The unexpected death of the Rev'd Trevor Stevens at the age of 39 has deprived the Scottish Episcopal Church of one of its most gifted young priests."
Source: Scottish Episcopal Church news release.
posted at 8:43 PM

The number of Orange Order and republican marches in Glasgow and North Lanarkshire - currently running at 300 a year - should be limited by a parades commission, an MSP said today. Anti-sectarian campaigner Donald Gorrie wants police and councillors to team up with the organisations and residents who live along the routes in a bid to reduce the number of parades. Robert McLean, a spokesman for the Orange Order, said: "We are already heavily involved in negotiating with police and council prior to parades. We do not have any controversial parades in Glasgow and if there was a problem we would also speak with local people." A spokeswoman for Glasgow City Council said: "There have been few occasions in recent years where a decision on a march had to go to a committee." An Orange march in August was re-routed after police fears of violence if it was allowed to pass through Gallowgate. And a republican march in Wishaw was banned by North Lanarkshire council in January.
Source: Evening Times, Glasgow.
posted at 8:40 PM

A procession of more than 150 politicians, councillors and young people brought the centre of Aberdeen to a halt yesterday as they celebrated the annual Kirkin' of the Council at St Nicholas Kirk.
Source: Aberdeen Press & Journal.
posted at 8:32 PM

A group of American virgins will visit Scotland next month in a bid to get teenagers to sign up to chastity. The Silver Ring Thing movement wants youngsters to hold on to their virginity until they tie the knot. The group will launch a seven-city tour of the UK and Ireland this week, with a young crew of virgins ready to spread the word. The glitzy road-show, which features stand-up comedy and a rap track, has its Scottish date at Partick South Parish Church in Glasgow on June 29.
Source: Daily Record.
posted at 8:19 PM

Extensive profile of Dr Alison Elliot, Moderator-elect of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland.
Source: The Scotsman.
posted at 8:11 PM

Churches and politicians must work together to alleviate Edinburgh's problems, Cardinal Keith O'Brien said today in a homily at the annual 'kirking' of City of Edinburgh Council in St Giles Cathedral.
Source: Scottish Catholic Media Office news release.
posted at 5:26 PM

Marvin Andrews is drawing strength from his faith as he prepares for a baptism of fire in his new life as a Rangers star.
Source: Sunday Herald.
posted at 3:23 PM

Income from the sale of Mount Zion church in Quarriers' Village, Renfrewshire - estimated at between £300,000 and £400,000 - will be ploughed back into the community to benefit the church congregation, local facilities and Quarriers.
Source: Sunday Mail.
posted at 3:20 PM

Attacks on the Highland Sabbath puzzle me, writes John McLeod. I never saw cockerels confined beneath a creel, lest they propagate; or a cow muzzled of a Sunday, lest she moo; nor did I attend a Sabbath school where coloured pencils were banned, lest we be inclined to frivolity. It was a day of togetherness, a day of worship. It was a day of rest. And it was, as always, a day of Gospel opportunity.
Source: Sunday Times.
posted at 3:18 PM

The law that bans alcohol sales before 12.30pm on Sundays is to be abolished as part of wide-ranging reform of Scotland's 25-year-old licensing laws. Rev Iver Martin, minister of the Free Church of Scotland in Stornoway, said that the moves rode roughshod over the traditional observance of the Sabbath.
Source: Scotland on Sunday.
posted at 3:05 PM

Church leaders are reaching out to aspiring young golfers at the Open Championship in Troon this year in an attempt to boost congregations. Professional players have been hired by Troon Churches Together to offer tuition to children attending the event, with backing from the Christians in Sport organisation. In return for free golf lessons, recruits will attend 'life lessons' from Christian counsellors, which will include discussions on social and moral issues such as sex and drug abuse. A team of nine professionals, headed by Luther Blacklock, coach to the Welsh National Junior Golf Association, will be housed in two marquees in the grounds of St Ninian's Episcopal church. "It's about giving them a grounding and understanding in the Christian faith. The real blessing is that all local churches are working as one," said Rev Ron Boyd, minister of Portland parish church in Troon. Golfing celebrities such as Bernhard Langer and Tom Lehman - both committed Christians - are also expected to drop in to offer advice about life on and off the course.
Source: Sunday Times.
posted at 3:03 PM

A youth has been jailed for five years for an attack with a knife and a metal pole on Alistair Morris, 57, and his son Peter, 19, as they made their way home from a fundraising event at Holy Family Parish Church in Mastrick, Aberdeen. Peter is now studying divinity in the hope of becoming a religious education school teacher.
Source: Aberdeen Evening Express.
posted at 6:05 PM

Buckfast, the tonic wine which has been made by monks in Devon for more than 100 years and enjoys a somewhat tainted popularity in Scotland, is under threat from a European Commission draft Nutrition and Health Claims for Foods directive which aims to stop false claims of health benefits being made in food and drink labelling. The inclusion of the word "tonic" in the name of their product could be a problem for Buckfast's makers. Buckfast spokesman Bob Colquhoun said the monks have been lobbying Brussels to be excluded from the new rules.
Source: The Scotsman.
posted at 5:54 PM

Members of Chalmers Ardler Parish Church near Dundee have carried out renovations themselves instead of paying contractors £50,000 to do the work.
Source: Dundee Courier.
posted at 5:49 PM

Tayside's leading Roman Catholic churchman has denied that the Church will have to change its most traditional beliefs to halt a dramatic decline in the number of people training to become priests. Bishop Vincent Logan, the Bishop of Dunkeld, spoke out after Catholic academic Professor Noel Timms said the Church would have to think about ordaining women and look at the issue of celibacy. Professor Timms said the recruitment crisis had worsened in the three years since he forecast the halving of the priesthood in the next 10-15 years. While Bishop Logan agreed the number of men entering Scotland's two Catholic seminaries, which provide the six years of training needed to become a priest, had diminished considerably, he said changing the position on celibacy or female ordination was not the answer.
Source: Dundee Courier.
posted at 5:46 PM

A food safety seminar aimed at churches and voluntary groups is being held on Wednesday, May 19 at Meadowbank Sports Centre in Edinburgh. Organised by the city council, it aims to educate groups providing catering about how to prevent food poisoning, especially the killer bacterium e.coli, and the importance of food hygiene. One of the speakers at the event will be Rev James Davidson, a former minister from Wishaw, which was the scene of a huge e.coli outbreak nine years ago.
Source: The Scotsman.
posted at 5:41 PM

Christian Aid Week is to be marked with a series of events in the Inverurie area.
Source: Inverurie Herald.
posted at 10:12 PM

Plans for a major procession through Penicuik by members of the Orange Order were announced last week, with local councillors delaying a view until more details are available. It is set to be the biggest procession of its kind in the town with approximately 40 flute bands and 1,572 members, though various numbers up to and including 12,000 have been mentioned.
Source: Peeblesshire News.
posted at 9:34 PM

Cardinal Keith O'Brien last week formally opened St Andrew's RC Primary school in Midlothian.
Source: Peeblesshire News.
posted at 9:31 PM

A church that has served the community in the Beeswing area between Dumfries and Dalbeattie for over 130 years closed its doors on Sunday afternoon for the last time. The closure of Lochend Church following a special service conducted by the minister, the Rev William Holland, marks the end of an era which has seen 12 ministers since it was built as a Free Church and opened in 1868.
Source: icDumfries - Galloway News.
posted at 9:19 PM

Trained nurses and volunteer helpers are urgently required take part in this year's Paisley Diocese week-long pilgrimage to Lourdes, in the South of France, from Monday, July 5. More than 100 caring teenagers have already volunteered to help older pilgrims with mobility difficulties.
Source: icRenfrewshire - Paisley Daily Express.
posted at 9:09 PM

Churches are celebrating the enlargement of the European Union as the healing of a divided continent and an opportunity to develop greater solidarity between rich and poor. But no one is underestimating the challenge posed by the addition of ten new member states. The inclusion of the Czech Republic, Cyprus, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, and Slovenia brings in countries with a strong religious culture and character, and effects a shift of religious weight in Europe. The draft EU constitutional treaty is now almost certain to include a reference to Christian tradition and culture; and the new opportunities of regular dialogue afforded by Article 51 are likely to give the Churches a greater voice.
Source: Church Times.
posted at 8:57 PM

Bishops have issued a statement entitled 'Solidarity is the soul of the European Union' which amounts to the Catholic Church in Europe's vision of what it sees as the core values and proper future direction of the EU. They say: 'The common European interest should prevail over national interests.' The bishops also look to the concept of subsidiarity, a key social Catholic concept first enunciated in the Church's 1931 social encyclical Quadragesimo Anno. The European Union has 'universal obligations' and a duty towards the poorest countries and regions in the world, they argue. The bishops reserve their sharpest criticisms for those consider the EU merely a matter of economy and geography.
Source: The Tablet.
posted at 8:53 PM

An evangelical church leader was jailed for three-and-a-half years today after being convicted of sex assaults. Pastor Douglas Goodman preyed on members of his congregation of young women worshippers to satisfy his lust. He took advantage of at least two women who held him in high regard as their spiritual leader and father figure, the Old Bailey in London heard. Goodman's charismatic preaching style helped boost the coffers of the Victory Christian Centre in Kilburn, North London, to a reported £7 million. But it was closed down by the Charity Commission 17 months ago after it was found to be inexplicably in the red. Old Bailey Judge Gerald Gordon told Goodman: "Because of your position as pastor and your total hold on your congregation, some members of your congregation may have felt duty-bound to submit to your sexual demands."
Source: ICScotland, Scotsman/PA news.
posted at 12:16 PM

Preparations for the annual Christian Aid book sale at St Andrew and St George Church in Edinburgh, the largest charity book sale in the world and the charity's most important UK fundraiser.
Source: The Scotsman.
posted at 7:24 AM

Two Moray villages are to mark Christian Aid week with a host of events centred on Bellie Church, near Fochabers, and St Andrews, Lhanbryd & Urquhart Church.
Source: Aberdeen Press & Journal.
posted at 7:19 AM

Catholic headteachers last night welcomed reassurances from Peter Peacock, the education minister, that denominational schools would remain part of the state sector for as long as parents want them. Mr Peacock told the annual conference of the Catholic Headteachers' Association of Scotland (CHAS) that faith-based schools had "an important role" to play in Scottish education. The minister also praised the record of Catholic schools and said they would continue to receive government support.
Source: The Scotsman.
posted at 7:04 AM

A church that closed five years ago is being reopened for a wedding - because the groom's grandfather was a minister in it for 33 years. Colin Howie and Jennifer Zureikat wrote to the trustees of St Peter's Church at Culter, which has been a heritage centre since it closed in 1999, and asked about the possibility of them marrying there. Colin's grandfather, Rev Thomas Howie, started as a minister at the church in 1948 and retired in 1981. He died about 20 years ago.
Source: Aberdeen Press & Journal.
posted at 3:37 PM

Once upon a time, singing about God would have been the kiss of death to a chart career. But a new generation is singing about a higher power and having hits.
Source: The Herald.
posted at 3:26 PM

Scottish Education Minister Peter Peacock will hold out an olive branch to the Roman Catholic church today by promising that denominational state schools are here to stay. Mr Peacock will tell the annual conference of the Catholic Headteachers' Association in Crieff: "We believe that denominational schools have an important role to play in educating children. They give parents another option within the state school sector."
Source: Dundee Courier.
posted at 3:24 PM

Tributes have been paid to the former rector of St Salvador's Episcopal Church in Dundee, the Rev Trevor Stevens, who died suddenly on Saturday aged 39. He had latterly been chaplain and religious education teacher at Strathallan School in Perth after three years at St Salvador's.
Source: Dundee Courier.
posted at 3:23 PM

Profile of Scottish Christian rock band Superhero.
Source: Church of England Newspaper.
posted at 3:10 PM

Fifty years after opening his first showroom in Glasgow, Sir Arnold Clark, of the eponymous motor trade giant, is combining life as one of Scotland's richest men with his role as a church elder.
Source: The Herald.
posted at 3:06 PM

Photographs of some of the famous church spires that once dominated Glasgow's skyline are to be displayed in a new exhibition at Renfield St Stephen's Church on Bath Street until 14 May. John Gair, secretary of the Church Building Renewal Trust, said: "Of the 30 city centre churches left, only half have a religious use. The worry is those not in use will fall into disrepair. It is important people realise what a fantastic buildings heritage we have." Dr Brian Fraser, director of Scotland's Churches Trust Scheme, said: "We have to fight to retain these buildings."
Source: The Scotsman.
posted at 3:03 PM

Two women voiced their commitment to each other at a civil ceremony in Alloa on Saturday. Rod Richardson, Clackmannanshire Council's principal administration officer, said: "It was not a marriage, because they are not bound to each other by law, nor is it a blessing for homosexuals because that would suggest it was a religious ceremony. It was a civil ceremony." The Reverend Graham Brown, of the United Free Church in Sauchie, Clackmannanshire, said the council's ceremonies were sinful and immoral.
Source: The Herald.
posted at 2:56 PM

Rev Dr Leslie Griffiths, ex-President of the Methodist Conference and now superintendent minister of Wesley's Chapel, is to be given a peerage.
Source: Methodist Church News.
posted at 3:39 PM

This year's summer concert series at St Andrew's Cathedral in Inverness starts today with a premiere performance of local group Blas, featuring contemporary music from around the globe. The programme of eight Wednesday-night concerts, created by the Cathedral's Master of Music, Edward Barbieri, ends on June 20 with Bach's St Matthew Passion.
Source: Scottish Episcopal Church news release.
posted at 3:36 PM

The Church of Scotland's Panel on Worship has set up a network of specialists to contribute to a growing interest in spirituality and aimed at working "face to face with presbyteries and congregations" says a report to this year's General Assembly. A new edition of the panel's Pray Now - "a valuable if under-used resource for church members" - is being prepared for next year and a companion volume, aimed at "those more on the frontiers or outskirts of the Church is being prepared, grappling with themes such as money, health, music, love."
Source: Church of Scotland news release.
posted at 3:28 PM

In his book, Confidence in a Changing Church, the Very Reverend Dr Finlay A J Macdonald, former Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, suggests that if relationships are to develop across faith boundaries, there has to be dialogue and engagement "not just between minister and imam but also involving the members of both communities."
Source: Church of Scotland news release.
posted at 3:25 PM

Gay Christians are to ask MSPs to allow same-sex civil partnerships to be blessed in church. Edinburgh's Holy Trinity Metropolitan Community Church has lodged a petition at the Scottish Parliament, calling for an amendment in the proposed law on civil partnerships to allow them to be recognised in a religious ceremony.
Source: The Scotsman.
posted at 3:17 PM

Glasgow's skyline was once punctuated by the spires of 200 churches, but since the late 50s most of those buildings have collapsed or been demolished and just 30 remain in the city centre. Now, an exhibition of 50 photographs of some of the lost churches has been launched at Renfield St Stephen's Church on Bath Street, running until May 14. 'The Lost Spires' ties in with a conference called 'What Is The Future Of Our Churches?' to be held on Friday at Renfield St Stephen's. And 35 churches across the city are opening their doors to the public on Saturday with a view to increasing public awareness.
Source: Evening Times, Glasgow.
posted at 3:11 PM

On Friday, it is expected the Harris community will oppose strongly a proposal by ferry company Caledonian MacBrayne which would see the MV Hebrides sail empty on a "repositioning run" from Harris to North Uist on Sunday mornings as part of CalMac's decision to extend the existing summer-only Sunday ferry service between Lochmaddy in North Uist and Uig in Skye, which has been operating for 15 years, to a year-round service.
Source: The Herald.
posted at 2:58 PM

"The love that dare not speak its name has become the subject that dare not raise its head." So says the Very Rev Dr Finlay Macdonald, one of the Kirk's most senior ministers, about the Church of Scotland's careful management of its stance on homosexuality, in his new book 'Confidence in a Changing Church'.
Source: The Herald.
posted at 2:48 PM

Bishop Peter Moran of Aberdeen has urged partnership rather than confrontation as the guiding principle of newly enlarged European Union.
Source: Scottish Catholic Media Office news release.
posted at 7:56 PM

Aberdeen will this weekend celebrate its first World Fair Trade Day as Scotland's largest Fairtrade location.
Source: Aberdeen City Council.
posted at 7:40 PM

An American TV network was in Dundee today, filming for a documentary about the life of Mary Slessor which will be broadcast to over 100 million people worldwide. The Christian Broadcasting Network is focusing on the Aberdeen-born and Dundee-raised missionary -a relatively forgotten figure in her home country, but a household name in Nigeria.
Source: Dundee Evening Telegraph.
posted at 7:34 PM

A Thai Buddhist temple is set to be built in Edinburgh. Backers hope to recreate the magnificence of Bangkok's famous Wat Po Temple at a city site. If built, it would be only the second Thai Buddhist temple in Europe. The Scottish Thai community has launched a £1 million campaign to get the project off the ground. The 500-strong local community previously worshipped at a house in Gorgie Road before relocating to a rented farm near Pathhead, Midlothian, at the weekend.
Source: Evening Times, Glasgow.
posted at 7:28 PM

Cardinal Keith O'Brien has asked Canadian students to consider living in Scotland.
Source: Scottish Catholic Media Office news release.
posted at 4:59 PM

Glasgow is to fight bigotry with a major advertising blitz. City chiefs today unveiled plans for a £218,000 media campaign to tackle sectarianism and racism.
Source: Evening Times, Glasgow.
posted at 4:54 PM

The Salvation Army moved today to distance allegations about the running of its hostel at Clement Park House in Dundee from the proceedings at the High Court in Forfar on Friday, writes Brian Smith. Stewart Cochrane was sentenced to life imprisonment after admitting murdering fellow resident John Peoples at the hostel on December 13. Lt-Colonel Bo Brekke, Divisional Commander for The Salvation Army in North Scotland said, "The recent unfounded allegations made by former employees of Clement Park and the murder last year of one client by another are entirely separate issues and have both been dealt with." A spokesperson for the Scottish Commission for the Regulation of Care said today that the inspections of the premises, ordered in the light of recent events, are still to go ahead as a matter of urgency.
Source: Dundee Evening Telegraph.
posted at 4:51 PM

Glasgow is to launch a six-week advertising campaign in an attempt to combat racism and sectarianism in the city, with the slogan "Glasgow - We're every kind of people". Ronnie Convery, a spokesman for the Catholic Church in Glasgow, said: "This kind of positive, pro-active approach to try to educate people that we don't have to stand for intolerance within our city has to be welcomed."
Source: The Scotsman.
posted at 4:44 PM

New York gang leader-turned-Christian crusader Nicky Cruz drew Zion Tabernacle church in Peterhead its biggest crowd ever this weekend. He told the Buchan Observer the youth of the town had given him great encouragement for the future of the Christian movement. He said: "It has been a privilege to be in a community where the people are so humble. They are very different from the south of the United Kingdom. They speak so openly and enthusiastically about things. They are expressive, like Christians should be."
Source: Buchan Observer.
posted at 6:11 PM

Peebles and District raised £11,500 for the work of Christian Aid in 2002 and hopes to surpass the figure during this year's Christian Aid Week from 9-15 May.
Source: Peeblesshire News.
posted at 6:05 PM

This year's Warden of the Cross Kirk will be Rev Jim Wallace, from St Andrews Leckie Church. [Sorry, folks, the paper doesn't explain what this means. Ed.]
Source: Peeblesshire News.
posted at 6:02 PM

An American musician has made a pilgrimage to his ancestral homeland to get married. Barry McClellan, who now lives in Nashville, wed sweetheart Kimberly Lee at Greyfriars Church in Kirkcudbright - which was founded by his family. Barry has worked with Neil Young, the Everly Brothers and Tom Petty.
Source: icDumfries - Galloway News.
posted at 5:55 PM

Thieves stole thousands of pounds-worth of electronics and caused even more damage to a historic stained glass window in a raid on St George's Church in Dumfries.
Source: icDumfries - Dumfries & Galloway Standard.
posted at 5:53 PM

Rev John Pickering is minister of Errol Parish Church in Perthshire was this weekend completing a lifetime's ambition by climbing the last of Scotland's 284 Munros. He's raising funds to restore Errol kirk as well as Kilspindie and Rait Church, which dates from the 18th century.
Source: icPerthshire - Perthshire Advertiser.
posted at 5:42 PM

The Presbytery of Dunkeld and Meigle has agreed that £25,000 from the holding of Blairgowrie Parish Church in the consolidated fabric fund be donated to Aberfeldy Parish Church to be used for their new building.
Source: icPerthshire - Blairgowrie Advertiser.
posted at 5:39 PM

Claims of a sectarian school split in Peebles have been rubbished by parents. Mums and dads at a Catholic primary have voted against co-locating with a non-denominational school in the town. And a poll of parents at Kingsland, which was being announced last night, is expected to return the same result.
Source: Southern Reporter.
posted at 5:33 PM

The congregation of Dunbar Parish Church is going against the national trend and increasing in size while many others are shrinking. At a busy Communion Service held on Sunday, 12 new members were welcomed to the church.
Source: East Lothian Courier.
posted at 5:30 PM

Hooligans have desecrated the grave of a child who was only buried five weeks ago at the parish cemetery in Denholm, in the Borders. Parish minister the Rev Anthony Jones said: "This was a heartless and cruel act."
Source: Hawick Today.
posted at 5:25 PM

Religious bodies may continue refusing to employ homosexual and lesbian people under certain circumstances, the High Court in London has ruled. But the judge made it clear that exemption from the Government's equality legislation was intended to be "very narrow". A group of trade unions had argued that the religious exemption from the Government's Employment Equality (Sexual Orientation) Regulations 2003 was incompatible with European law, while the Evangelical Alliance, Care, and the Christian Schools Trust said that they had intervened to ensure that the freedom of religious organisations to choose employees living by the values of the teachings of scripture was preserved.
Source: Church Times.
posted at 5:16 PM

A Scottish Executive report that urges the weakening of the link between Christianity and state schools has sat on the shelf for two years. Yet "most agree it's the perfect response to today's multi-faith Scotland". So why the delay?
Source: Sunday Herald.
posted at 5:04 PM

A controversial Sunday ferry service to the Hebridean island of Raasay has begun operating for the first time. Twenty five passengers travelled on the first ferry to make the 15-minute Sabbath trip to Sconser on Skye. The Free Presbyterian Church refused to stage a protest as it would have to be held on the Sabbath. Rev James Tallach said: "It is a terrible violation of the Lord's Day."
Source: BBC Scotland News.
posted at 4:53 PM

Scotland on Sunday publishes a list of the 100 most powerful people in Scotland. There are four churchfolk: Cardinal Keith O'Brien at number 37; Archbishop Mario Conti (46th); Alison Elliot, Moderator Designate of the 2004 General Assembly of the Church of Scotland (70th); Richard Holloway, former Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church (89th). Notable Catholic layman Sir Tom Farmer is abune them a' at number 35, trailed by Church of the Nazarene member and transport tycoon Brian Souter at 38.
Source: Scotland on Sunday.
posted at 4:47 PM

St Andrew's Episcopal Church in Fort William may consider installing CCTV cameras in the wake of a spate of thefts and vandalism.
Source: Aberdeen Press & Journal.
posted at 9:19 PM

The Salvation Army hostel in Dundee where a murder was committed last year is to be visited "as a matter of urgency" by representatives of the Scottish Commission for the Regulation of Care, whose headquarters are in the city. The Salvation Army has failed to apply for registration of the Clement Park Hostel, Lochee, and submit to formal inspections by the Care Commission.
Source: Dundee Courier.
posted at 9:13 PM