Kirk Session

The Kirk Session meets normally five times a year, and also for one day in conference, with a brief of giving pastoral leadership to the church. Elders are ordained for life and would normally have a number of households to keep regularly in touch with; there are also some retired Elders still active on the Kirk Session. The brief of the Session is wide-ranging, from matters legal and administrative within the Presbyterian governance of the Church of Scotland through to giving support and guidance for strategic decisions within the Crown congregation. There are three standing committees: Pastoral, Worship and Youth.

Meetings for 2009/2010 are scheduled as follows:

• Wednesday 9th September 2009
• Wednesday 11th November 2009
• Saturday 23rd January (Conference) 2010
• Wednesday 21st April 2010
• Wednesday 9th June 2010

Anyone may attend at these meetings but only the Elders have decision-making powers.

The Session Clerk is Mr William Mein and the Depute Session Clerk Mr Bruce Merchant. The Minister, Dr Peter Donald moderates all Kirk Session meetings.

Kirk Session Notes

Our Kirk Session began its last meeting by discussing, in groups, aspects of pastoral care - a theme we will continue to pursue at our future meetings this year. We want to provide appropriate training for our district elders and to improve wherever possible the pastoral support provided by ministers and elders. This was part of the list of outcomes from our January Kirk Session conference from which we have initiated a review of communication and sought to provide more support for Peter by using pulpit supply and the energy of ETs and others in the congregation.
We received reports from each of the elders who keep contact with every organisation and group meeting on the church premises. The high quality of the work done by the many volunteers involved in these organisations and groups is impressive; there were several points where action was needed and we will try to address these over the next few weeks.

Our next Kirk Session meeting will be one which is being specially called to assist the deliberations of the Special Commission on Same-sex Relationships and the Ministry, set up by the last General Assembly. This Special Meeting of the Kirk Session of Crown Church will be held on Wednesday 12th May.                                                   Bill Mein