Reverend Alan Sorensen of Wellpark Mid Kirk in Greenock is searching for the rightful owners of a collection of birth certificates, dating back to 1947, which he found among old records from the former Cartsburn Augustine Church.
Source: Greenock Telegraph. posted at 9:19 AM

The Church of Scotland has been refused permission to remove fittings from Leslie Parish Church, Leslie, near Insch, until the local council receives a formal planning application for the future conversion of the building. Plans to remove a war memorial plaque, pulpit, organ, bell, and stained glass windows from the disused B-listed building are now on hold.
Source: Aberdeen Press & Journal. posted at 3:54 PM

The killer of teenager Karen Dewar was released from a local authority supervision order even though he failed to carry out a programme to address his deviant sexual behaviour, The Scotsman can reveal. Colyn Evans, 18, was jailed for life at the High Court in June after admitting the murder of Ms Dewar, 16, in Tayport, Fife, in January. Evans was sent to Geilsland residential school in Ayrshire - which specialises in addressing sexual behavioural problems - in December 2002. But documents obtained by The Scotsman under the Freedom of Information Act reveal that the school, run by the Church of Scotland, failed to complete work to address his previous sexual offending, due to staff shortages. Fife Council papers also show that social workers were informed that Evans absconded from Geilsland at least three times and that he was seen as being at high risk of reoffending. Despite this, staff at Fife Council recommended that Evans be released from the school and his supervision order removed, and in April 2004 he was allowed to return to his parental home.
Source: The Scotsman. posted at 3:40 PM

Fresh concerns have been raised about Orange walks after police condemned "disgraceful" scenes which resulted in 20 arrests at a parade in Scotland's largest city. Police said the march on July 12 in the east end of Glasgow was marred by drunkenness, sectarian singing and general disorder. Of the 19 men and one woman arrested, 13 were detained on suspicion of sectarian hatred while seven others will face breach of the peace charges. Robert McLean, an executive officer with the Grand Orange Lodge of Scotland, said: "Strathclyde Police has confirmed that they had very good relations with the organisers in the lead up to the event and that none of those arrested were members of the lodge, or band personnel, or in any way involved with the parade. We ... can only express our sincere disappointment that a small number of the 1500 people who watched the parade have caused the police concern." Monsignor Peter Smith, chancellor of the Archdiocese of Glasgow, who last year called for an outright ban on the parades, describing them as a symptom of the cancer of sectarianism, said: "I have noticed over the past month or so that there have been a larger number of hangers-on at the walks and a greater degree of aggression on display. I believe my parish's stance in naming and shaming those responsible for sectarian aggression in the past may have been responsible for the extra aggression."
Source: The Herald. posted at 3:35 PM

MSPs want people to let them know if they support making St Andrew's Day, November 30, a Scottish public holiday. The Enterprise and Culture committee have appealed for people to come forward with their views on a bill put forward by Independent MSP Dennis Canavan. The deadline is August 24.
Source: Daily Record. posted at 7:26 PM

A casino is to open in a former Aberdeen church. Granite Rock Casinos is preparing to start work on the £1.5million Soul Casino project at the Langstane Kirk after the go-ahead was given by the city's licensing board.
Source: Aberdeen Press & Journal. posted at 7:20 PM

Strathclyde Police have criticised those responsible for trouble at an Orange march in Glasgow's east end. Chief Superintendent Kenny Scott said despite co-operation from parade organisers, there were "disgraceful scenes" during Tuesday's parade. There were 20 arrests, seven for breaches of the peace and 13 for sectarian breaches of the peace. The Orange Order voiced disappointment but stressed that those arrested were not involved in the parade.
Source: BBC Scotland News. posted at 7:16 PM

Two Scots ministers will help lead this year's Keswick Convention, which takes place from 16th July to 5th August 2005. The first week will belong to Sinclair B Ferguson, Professor of Systematic Theology at Westminster Theological Seminary and theologian-in-residence at Park Cities Presbyterian Church, Dallas. His pastoral experience has included serving as minister at St George's-Tron Church, Glasgow, and in Unst, the most northerly inhabited island in Scotland. He is the author of numerous books, including A Heart for God. During the third week the Gospel in the Old Testament will be revealed by Dominic Smart, who is currently the minister at Gilcomston South Church in Aberdeen and teaches on Christian communication in a post-modern world at the Highland Theological College. He is author of When we get it wrong.
Source: Christian Today. posted at 6:54 PM

John R Hume, former Chief Inspector of Historic Buildings, chooses five 'gems of worship' from his recently released book, Scotland's Best Churches. They are St Cuthbert's Parish Church, Dalmeny; St Mary's Parish Church, Ladykirk; St Andrew's Parish Church, Golspie; Killean and Kilchenzie Parish Church, A'Chleit; and Our Lady and St Meddan's Catholic Church, Troon.
Source: The Scotsman. posted at 6:43 PM

Police chiefs today admitted a decision to switch the date of a major Orange walk through Glasgow contributed to a massive increase in arrests. The west of Scotland parade usually takes place on the first Saturday in July, but it was moved forward a week in order to avoid disruption while Glasgow hosted the Special Olympics. More than 22,000 spectators turned out to see 18,000 people take part in the procession. A total of 85 spectators were arrested, up from 23 in 2004, despite talks with organisers before the event.
Source: Evening Times, Glasgow. posted at 11:08 PM

Britain's two largest Christian aid organizations have expressed disappointment about the Africa package agreed at a meeting of the Group of Eight (G8) nations last week in Scotland. Charles Abugre, head of policy for Christian Aid, said: "Millions of campaigners all over the world have been led to the top of the mountain, shown the view and now are being frog-marched down again." George Gelber, policy head of Roman Catholic aid organization CAFOD, lamented: "The G8's promise to provide the resources to halve extreme poverty by 2015 has not been kept."
Source: Ecumenical News International. posted at 8:56 PM

The Pride of the Rock band from Dumbarton took part in the smallest demonstration in Ulster to mark the 315th anniversary of the Battle of the Boyne. It took place in the Co Down coastal village of Annalong. Ian Wilson, the Grand Master of the Grand Orange Lodge of Scotland was expected to join an estimated 20,000 people in Newtownards. Bouncy castles and face painting were planned to add to the carnival atmosphere in Londonderry Park.
Source: Belfast Telegraph. posted at 8:51 PM

Golfers feeling below par and in need of divine inspiration could do worse than attend a church exhibition in Edinburgh. The Scottish Christian Resources Exhibition, at Edinburgh's Royal Highland Centre from October 13-15, will feature a set of three Glory Golf Balls, each inscribed with Bible text. Brett Pitchfork, events director at the exhibition, said: "Old meets new in a unique way at the CRE."
Source: Edinburgh Evening News. posted at 8:43 PM

The Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church, the Most Rev Bruce Cameron, reflects on the events of last week.
Source: Scottish Episcopal Church news release. posted at 8:37 PM

A critical report by MSPs on plans for radical reform of Scotland's family law, including easier divorce and new rights for unmarried fathers, was largely overlooked amid last week's mayhem surrounding the G8 summit at Gleneagles and then the London bomb attacks. But the report by the Scottish Parliament's Justice 1 Committee, which will be debated in full when MSPs return from the summer recess in September, deserves serious attention.
Source: The Scotsman. posted at 7:13 PM

The General Synod of the Church of England today voted to remove the legal obstacles that prevent women from being ordained as bishops.
Source: The Guardian. posted at 7:10 PM

A big-hearted group from Greenock have helped shape the futures of families in Romania. Eight spirited members from the newly-established Greenock East End Parish signed up for charity work and last month spent two weeks helping families build houses in the poverty-striken city of Cluj.
Source: Greenock Telegraph. posted at 12:05 PM

The heart of Scotland's ecumenical movement is in financial crisis and facing closure. Scottish Churches House retreat and conference centre in Dunblane needs £120,000 to cover running costs over the next two years.A public appeal headed by Alison Elliot, former kirk moderator, has been launched in an attempt to save the complex. Alastair Hulbert, warden of the 54-bedroom property near Dunblane Cathedral, which is running at an annual loss of £60,000, has blamed the situation in part on "a failure uptake" by churches to use its accommodation. He also said the withdrawal of a financial contribution by Action of Churches Together in Scotland (Acts), the ecumenical group of nine denominations which has its headquarters there, had aggravated the difficulties. Mr Hulbert warned that if Acts closed the house, which employs around 12 staff, there would be a huge amount of anger and betrayal felt by people associated with it. He added: "If you have the kind of people you have in Acts, like archbishops and leaders of churches, surely they can raise a bit of money."
Source: The Herald. posted at 12:01 PM

Youngsters from across Inverclyde have flocked to St John's Church in Gourock for this year's Mayhem, a week-long summer activity camp open to all children in Inverclyde. Around 100 children each day this week are in the church hall in Bath Street, singing, playing games, dancing and doing craft exercises based on the Bible. Mayhem is run by members of the church, a group called Impact who run summer camps across Scotland, and Inverclyde Youth for Christ.
Source: Greenock Telegraph. posted at 10:59 AM

A descendant of the family that founded Rosslyn Chapel has condemned the trustees of the medieval church for allowing it to be used in the film of The Da Vinci Code. Dr Andrew Sinclair, a descendant of the St Clairs of Rosslyn, has claimed this will damage the reputation of the 15th-century building outside Edinburgh by giving credence (credibility, surely) to the "preposterous" claims made in Dan Brown's bestselling book. Sinclair has condemned the book as "preposterous, its message pernicious, its history a bungle and a muddle". He added that the trust should have followed the lead of the church of St Sulpice in Paris and Westminster Abbey, which have refused to be involved in the film despite featuring in the book.
Source: Sunday Times. posted at 10:54 PM

A Kirk minister has been warned by police after telling a family they were being investigated for alleged child abuse. The Reverend Colin Renwick wrote an anonymous letter to the parents of a young female parishioner who appeared in church with minor abrasions. The note claimed a child protection agency was investigating how the girl was injured The sickened family called the police and detectives discovered it had been sent by the minister, who serves Jordanhill Parish Church, Glasgow. The Church of Scotland said: 'The situation has been dealt with by the Presbytery as a disciplinary matter.'
Source: Sunday Mail. posted at 10:47 PM

Police are investigating Scotlands first sectarian radio station, which broadcasts loyalist and anti-Catholic propaganda through an internet server in Jersey. Detectives believe that Calton Radio, a 24-hour station that claims to have attracted 130,000 listeners since February, may be in breach of a new law banning incitement to religious hatred. The station has an exclusively Orange playlist, including songs ridiculing the Pope and celebrating outlawed terrorist organisations. Its official website features photographs of loyalist paramilitary murals honouring terror groups including the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF), the Ulster Defence Association (UDA), the Ulster Freedom Fighters and the Red Hand Commandos. Visitors can click on an online link to watch graphic video footage of British Army corporals Derek Wood and David Howes being brutally beaten and murdered by a republican mob in Belfast in March 1988. It also features a humour section that refers to Taigs a derogatory name for Catholics and features a mocked-up photograph of Jack McConnell, the first minister, in a Celtic strip. The station was originally launched as an offshoot of the Calton Protestant Defenders Lodge in Glasgow. Now it is run independently by a group of volunteer loyalist DJs there. Listeners can interact with disc jockeys and request music through e-mail and the site's chatroom, which boasts more than 4,600 registered members. The station has been condemned by Nil By Mouth, the anti-sectarian pressure group, and by Donald Gorrie, the Liberal Democrat MSP who persuaded the Scottish executive to introduce the new offence of religious hatred.
Source: Sunday Times. posted at 10:05 PM

The principal of an Arab learning centre in Dundee has condemned the London bombings as "horrific and indiscriminate". Professor Abd al Fattah El-Awaisi said those responsible for the four attacks had a "total disregard for innocent life". The head of the Al-Maktoum Institute for Arab and Islamic Studies in Dundee was speaking as he opened a multicultural garden at a city primary school.
Source: Dundee Courier. posted at 9:31 PM

A body set up to give wider Scottish society a voice in the work of the Scottish Parliament is facing the axe after MSPs refused to fund it. The Scottish Civic Forum, once likened to a "second chamber" for the parliament, has spent the last six years encouraging community groups, churches, trade unions and others to have their say on key issues. But the Scottish Executive announced in February it was withdrawing its grant for the body from the end of this financial year. And now the cross-party Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body has refused to step in.
Source: Edinburgh Evening News. posted at 9:10 PM

Rev Jim Campbell tolled the bell of Selkirk Parish Church on Thursday, joining thousands of others across the country to coincide with the G8 Summit discussions at Gleneagles on African poverty.
Source: Selkirk Weekend Advertiser. posted at 9:07 PM

Religious leaders across Glasgow came together and issued a multi-faith statement this afternoon in the wake of yesterday's London bombings. Representatives of the Jewish, Sikh and Hindu communities, along with the Glasgow Churches Together organisation, made the address at the United Nations tree in Queens Park.
Source: BBC Scotland News. posted at 6:11 PM

Osama Saeed, Scottish spokesman for the Muslim Association of Britain, said of yesterday's bombings: "Our prayers go immediately to those who have suffered and died in (yesterday's) outrage . If, as is being indicated, Muslims were behind these heinous acts, they should know that this has nothing to do with the religion of Islam. Nothing can justify the harming of innocents."
Source: The Herald. posted at 6:00 PM

The Methodist Church has published prayers for yesterday's events in London.
Source: Methodist Church news release. posted at 5:47 PM

The General Secretary of the Conference of European Churches, the Rev Dr Keith Clements, has sent a message to member churches in Britain and Ireland. He says of yesterday's bombings in London: "It is hard to speculate on the mentality of those who would seek to murder and wreak havoc in this way. We can only pray that they may be brought to justice and, by God's mercy, to repentance."
Source: Action of Churches Together in Scotland (ACTS) news. posted at 5:42 PM

Action of Churches Together in Scotland has issued a statement on yesterday's terrorist attacks in London. "We affirm with Muslim leaders in these islands that these attacks, possibly perpetrated from an extreme branch of a particular faith community, in no way represent the practice and beliefs of the Moslem community of Scotland, which has been swift to disassociate itself from them," it says. "They remind us rather of the privilege of building bridges of friendship and solidarity between the faith communities of Scotland."
Source: Action of Churches Together in Scotland (ACTS) news. posted at 5:33 PM

Obituary of the Rev William D Cattanach; born 30 October, 1922, in Inverness; died 27 June, 2005, in Edinburgh, aged 82.
Source: The Scotsman. posted at 8:01 PM

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, has spoken of his horror and grief following the explosions in London this morning. He said: "As it happens I have spent this morning with Muslim colleagues and friends in West Yorkshire, and we were all as one in our condemnation of this evil and in our shared sense of care and compassion for those affected in whatever way."
Source: Anglican Communion News Service. posted at 7:57 PM

Reacting to the news of explosions in central London today, Cardinal Keith O'Brien, President of the Bishops' Conference of Scotland said: "On behalf of my brother Bishops and myself I send deepest sympathies to all those affected by these appalling terrorist attacks together with the promise of our thoughts and prayers at this traumatic time."
Source: Scottish Catholic Media Office news release. posted at 7:55 PM

In response to today's events in London, the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, the Right Rev David Lacy, and the convener of the Kirk's Church and Society Council, Morag Mylne, have issued a joint statement. "This is a time to know that God suffers with the attacked and the oppressed," they say. "That is where our concentration, our presence and our prayers must be."
Source: Church of Scotland news release. posted at 7:52 PM

Churches Together in Britain and Ireland and The Muslim Council of Britain have issued a joint statment following today's bombings in London. "The scriptures and the traditions of both the Muslim and Christian communities repudiate the use of such violence," it says. "Religious precepts cannot be used to justify such crimes, which are completely contrary to our teaching and practice."
Source: Action of Churches Together in Scotland (ACTS) news. posted at 7:51 PM

World Council of Churches general secretary Rev Dr Samuel Kobia has sent a message of support to the churches and people of the United Kingdom following today's bombings in London.
Source: Action of Churches Together in Scotland (ACTS) news. posted at 7:40 PM

A contingent of British, American and African church and community leaders have challenged Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown to simplify UK charity law in order to empower churches.
Source: Evangelical Alliance news release. posted at 7:31 PM

A self-sampling survey by Evangelicals Now newspaper suggests that 98% of pastors from major Protestant denominations suffer from stress; feeling depressed 86%, feeling angry 83%, suffering from family tension 82%, sexual temptation 82%; from writer's block 70%; and loneliness 63%, for "sometimes". The figures for "often or always", however, drop dramatically, with 47% pastors say that they feel stressed often or always. Then 26% feel lonely often or always, followed by sexual temptation 15%; family tension 14%; feeling depressed 14%; mental blocks 11%; and anger at 6%.
Source: Christian Today. posted at 7:40 PM

Conservationists are in dispute with a council and the Church of Scotland over the location of the last resting place of 300 Highlanders. Campaigners believe the Gaels, who arrived in Paisley from the 18th century on, are buried in the town's 200-year-old Gaelic cemetery. But Renfrewshire Council, which plans to sell the cemetery to developers, claims the remains were removed 50 years ago, although officials are not sure where they are now. The Church, which owned the site at the time, said it had no knowledge of any removal of the bodies.
Source: The Scotsman. posted at 3:49 PM

Many churches throughout Scotland will sound their bells tomorrow afternoon as part of an international 'alarm for climate justice'. The campaign is supported by churches in Europe, North America, Africa, South America and Asia. Islamic Relief is also encouraging mosques to hold calls to prayer.
Source: Church of Scotland news release. posted at 3:43 PM

Monsignor Charles Hendry, parish priest of St John the Baptist and St Mary Magdalene's in Dundee, has celebrated 50 years as a priest.
Source: Dundee Evening Telegraph. posted at 8:05 PM

Mark Chatham, webmaster for the Congregational Federation in Scotland, has won the 12-18 category in the 2005 Glasgow Digital City Awards.
Source: Congregational Federation in Scotland. posted at 7:25 PM

The Justice and Peace Commission of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Scotland today called for action from the G8 on matters other than poverty. Among the issues which concern the Commission are climate change, nuclear proliferation and the Middle East.
Source: Justice & Peaces Scotland. posted at 7:14 PM

Western Isles councillors will consider a policy on religious observance in schools in the islands at the next meeting of the council's education committee. Claims had been made that religious matters in certain island schools might be curtailed, causing concern among some communities. But education director Murdo Macleod said a report would go before councillors following guidelines from the Scottish Executive.
Source: Aberdeen Press & Journal. posted at 12:39 PM

Feature on the war of terror being waged against the Acholi people in Uganda by Joseph Kony's Lord's Resistance Army. It focuses on the transformative work being carried out in the region by Mary's Meals. Since its launch in Malawi in 2002 by Scottish International Relief, a charity based in Argyll, the scheme has spread to Liberia, Ecuador, the Democratic Republic of Congo, India and now Uganda.
Source: The Herald. posted at 12:18 PM

Organisers, police and city council officials estimate that approximately 225,000 people took part in yesterday's Make Poverty History march in Edinburgh. A message from Pope Benedict XVI was read out in which he said people from the world's richest countries should be prepared to accept the burden of debt reduction for poor countries. Chancellor Gordon Brown, speaking at a Christian Aid and Church of Scotland rally following the march, said: "We are today seeing Britain at its best, united as one for a great cause. We have come a long way and have still a long way to go."
Source: BBC Scotland News. posted at 3:08 PM

A priest from South Uist who found his calling in Ecuador has transformed one town and is moving on to pastures poorer. Father Colin MacInnes is to leave Comité del Pueblo in Ecuador; his work there prompted Channel 4 news presenter Jon Snow to say: "I think he is the proof that sometimes the church can reach parts that governments can't. He is a liberation theologist, a man of action who gets on with it rather than talking about it. He is one of the most amazing people I have met in the developing world."
Source: Sunday Times. posted at 3:06 PM

Ann Gloag, the transport tycoon, is to host an informal lunch at Gleneagles for the wives of G8 summit participants, including Cherie Blair, Laura Bush, and Ludmila Putin. She will discuss her charity work in countries such as India, Kenya and Malawi, where she has donated millions of pounds for medical equipment and research. She will also explain her involvement with Mercy Ships, an international charity that uses hospital ships to deliver aid to poverty-stricken regions. Also invited to the lunch are Dr Dorothy Logie, a Scots aid worker who has been providing medical care and support to people in some of the poorest parts of Africa, and Dr Josephine Munthali, a Malawian currently living in Edinburgh who works for the Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund.
Source: Sunday Times. posted at 2:43 PM

The General Secretary of the World Council of Churches, Rev Dr Samuel Kobia, has sent a message of greeting to those taking part in today's G8 Service at Dunblane Cathedral. Organised by ACTS' member churches, with assistance from members of the Scottish Inter Faith Council, the service is designed to "allow people from the faith communities of Scotland to come together to demonstrate their shared concerns for the issues which will be discussed at the G8 Conference". The preacher is Dr Daleep Mukarji, director of Christian Aid.
Source: Action of Churches Together in Scotland (ACTS) news. posted at 2:31 PM

A tiny part of Auchterarder has been transformed into a piece of Africa, complete with traditional hut, a replica wind-powered water pump and a 'global village' cafe in where visitors can focus their minds on the problems of the developing world is gearing up for a very busy G8 week. Local minister the Rev Michael Shewan hopes the cafe will focus the minds of locals and visitors alike on the desperate need to send aid to the Third World.
Source: Dundee Courier. posted at 9:44 PM

Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown told campaigners in Edinburgh that the fight against poverty in Africa was "the greatest moral crusade of our times". Mr Brown hailed the campaigners from Make Poverty History, charities and church groups who have forced the issue to the top of the international agenda. Speaking to an audience of around 900 at a rally organised by Christian Aid and the Church of Scotland, he said it was the "duty" of the world leaders gathering in Gleneagles in four days to answer their call for action. It was thanks to their efforts that rich countries had agreed to write off the debts of 38 nations and to double development aid for Africa, he said.
Source: This is London. posted at 9:13 PM

The Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, the Right Rev David Lacy, told crowds gathered in Edinburgh today for the Make Poverty History march that there could be "no more excuses" for the scale of world poverty.
Source: Church of Scotland news release. posted at 9:06 PM

Pope Benedict has sent his greetings to participants in today's Make Poverty History rally in Edinburgh. His message said: "His Holiness prays for the participants in the rally and for the world leaders soon to gather at Gleneagles, that they may all play their part in ensuring a more just distribution of the world's good. In the ardent hope that the scourge of global poverty may one day be consigned to history, he cordially imparts his Apostolic Blessing."
Source: Justice & Peace Scotland. posted at 9:03 PM

Cardinal Keith O'Brien will address tomorrow's G8 rally in Edinburgh with message of support from Pope Benedict XVI.
Source: Scottish Catholic Media Office news release. posted at 9:07 PM

Moves to ordain women bishops are in jeopardy after senior bishops called for the Church of England to hold back. In advance of General Synod this month, 17 bishops have given warning that women bishops would be deeply divisive. Three of the 38 Anglican provinces have women bishops. A further eleven, including Scotland, Ireland and Sudan, have voted for women bishops but have yet to appoint any.
Source: The Times. posted at 8:40 PM

The town of Auchterarder, which neighbours the venue of the G8 Summit at Gleneagles, has built a replica African village to represent work being done in the local community to provide clean water in parts of Ethiopia. The minister of Auchterarder Parish Church, Rev Michael Shewan, said: ""Events which the churches have organised aim to show that local people are combining prayer, campaigning and practical support for those whom the G8 leaders should be thinking about - the 50,000 people who die every day from poverty."
Source: Church of Scotland news release. posted at 8:33 PM

Bishop Peter Moran, president of Justice & Peace Scotland, has issued a statement on Zimbabwean asylum seekers.
Source: Justice & Peace Scotland. posted at 8:22 PM