CHURCH leaders have backed "radical" reform to tackle dwindling numbers that pose a threat to the "very existence of the Church".
The annual gathering of senior figures in the Church of Scotland supported a three-year survival plan instead of a ten-year action strategy, as congregational giving is down and numbers continue to drop.
Plans put forward to the 730 delegates- or commissioners - on The Mound in Edinburgh included that every congregation should carry out a buildings inventory, set targets for new members and become "sustainable and growth-orientated" in a decade.
However, a move for an earlier solution to the running of the Kirk was backed by the assembly.
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New younger members - described as the missing generations - were said in a Council of Assembly report to be critical to the Kirk's future.
Congregational giving down by £1.8 million in four years to £46.8m and fewer members will lead to continued reductions in funds in future, it is feared.
Under the Council Assembly proposal, Church laws would be overhauled and its territorial ministry pledge of providing pastoral care to every Scottish community is under threat.
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The traditional model of one minister to one parish would also be rethought with pastoral responsibilities expected to be shared.
The report before the assembly revealed: "We have falling numbers of ministers, elders, people in our congregations and finances.
"There are missing generations in congregations.
"Not only do we have very few children compared to ten years ago, or similarly young people - under 25s - the number of folks in their 30s and 40s is also very small.
"Given that the majority of those attending Church are over 60, these missing generations pose a real challenge to the very existence of the Church.
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"We cannot afford to ignore this and fail to produce a plan to address it.
"Around 75 per cent of our ministers are aged over 50.
"Best estimates suggest that the number of fulltime paid ministers will fall to around 550 in the next five-six years, leaving a shortfall on the current model of ministry of around 300."
Sally Bonnar, Council of Assembly convener, said: "We know that numbers of ordained minister are falling.
"Is it realistic then to continue pursuing the same model of ministry as has served well in the past.
"Maybe there are things we can learn from other denominations, from our overseas churches or even from some secular organisations about how best to minister to large areas with fewer personnel?"
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She said: "The key to success lies with the local supported by presbyteries and to that end we would want to be discussing with presbyteries at an early stage how they might help congregations in their area to identify how they could use the strategy and what support they would need both from presbytery and from the national church.
"Local church review will play a key role in helping congregations to identify goals and monitor their implementation. Likewise the new system of presbytery review currently being piloted should play the same role for presbyteries.
"At a national level we will be discussing how councils and committees can assist local congregations and we have a proposal to hold a conference of councils in August to aid coordination in the work that we are doing."
However, the assembly backed a move towards the three year plan put forward by the Rev Robert Allen which was carried by 439 votes to 130.
He said the council should be instructed to "return to the General Assembly of 2019 with a radical action plan for 2019-2022 to achieve much needed reform within our Church".
He also called on the Kirk to "instruct the council, in collaboration with other councils, committees and departments to bring forward proposals to the General Assembly of 2019 that will allow more funds for mission work, including the freeing of funds held only for property matters and a reformed ministry and mission allocation process" - a bid that will be debated later this week.
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