Church of Scotland The Church of Scotland ( sco, The Kirk o Scotland; gd, Eaglais na h-Alba) is the national church in Scotland. The Church of Scotland was principally shaped by John Knox, in the Scottish Reformation, Reformation of 1560, when it split from t ...

congregation is led by its minister and elders. Both of these terms are also used in other

Christian denominations Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...

: see

Minister (Christianity) In Christianity, a minister is a person authorised by a church body, church or other religious organization to perform functions such as teaching of beliefs; leading services such as weddings, baptisms or funerals; or otherwise providing spir ...

and

Elder (Christianity) In Christianity, an elder is a person who is valued for wisdom and holds a position of responsibility and authority in a Christian group. In some Christian traditions (e.g., Eastern Orthodoxy, Roman Catholicism, Anglicanism, Methodism) an ''elder ...

. This article discusses the specific understanding of their roles and functions in the Scottish Church.

Terminology

The Greek term , used in the

New Testament The New Testament grc, Ἡ Καινὴ Διαθήκη, transl. ; la, Novum Testamentum. (NT) is the second division of the Christian biblical canon. It discusses the teachings and person of Jesus, as well as events in first-century Christ ...

as a designation for the leaders of the

Early Church Early Christianity (up to the First Council of Nicaea in 325) spread from the Levant, across the Roman Empire, and beyond. Originally, this progression was closely connected to already established Jewish centers in the Holy Land and the Jewish ...

(e.g. Acts 11.30), has three different equivalents in English: ''elder'', '' presbyter'' and ''

priest A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particu ...

''. ''Priest'' is the oldest, a borrowing into

Old English Old English (, ), or Anglo-Saxon, is the earliest recorded form of the English language, spoken in England and southern and eastern Scotland in the early Middle Ages. It was brought to Great Britain by Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain, Anglo ...

via

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

, ''elder'' (first attested 1526) is a translation of the underlying meaning of the Greek word, and ''presbyter'' (1597) is learned correction of the loan-word. However, the

semantics Semantics (from grc, σημαντικός ''sēmantikós'', "significant") is the study of reference, meaning, or truth. The term can be used to refer to subfields of several distinct disciplines, including philosophy Philosophy (f ...

of ''priest'' are complicated by the fact that it is traditionally used also as the

translation Translation is the communication of the Meaning (linguistic), meaning of a #Source and target languages, source-language text by means of an Dynamic and formal equivalence, equivalent #Source and target languages, target-language text. The ...

of a different New Testament Greek word, , which refers to those who perform

sacrificial rites Christian liturgy is a pattern for worship used (whether recommended or prescribed) by a Christian congregation or denomination on a regular basis. The term liturgy comes from Greek and means "public work". The majority of Christian denominatio ...

in the Jerusalem temple and in pagan temples, but also appears as a title for

Jesus Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious ...

(Heb 7.26). Consequently, the word ''priest'' was rejected by the

Reformed Reform is beneficial change Reform may also refer to: Media * ''Reform'' (album), a 2011 album by Jane Zhang * Reform (band), a Swedish jazz fusion group * ''Reform'' (magazine), a Christian magazine *''Reforme'' ("Reforms"), initial name of the ...

and

Puritan The Puritans were English Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries who sought to purify the Church of England of Catholic Church, Roman Catholic practices, maintaining that the Church of England had not been fully reformed and should become m ...

traditions as a term for Christian leadership, as part of the more general rejection of sacrificial elements in the

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

understanding of the

mass Mass is an intrinsic property of a body. It was traditionally believed to be related to the quantity of matter in a physical body, until the discovery of the atom and particle physics. It was found that different atoms and different elementar ...

. ''Elder'' and ''presbyter'' remain theoretically as

synonym A synonym is a word, morpheme, or phrase that means exactly or nearly the same as another word, morpheme, or phrase in a given language. For example, in the English language, the words ''begin'', ''start'', ''commence'', and ''initiate'' are all ...

s in Church of Scotland usage, but in practice ''presbyter'' is often reserved for those elders who are members of Presbytery, one of the higher courts of the Church. ''Minister'' comes from a Latin word meaning servant, and is also used in the Church as a verb: to minister to the needs of

God's people Throughout history, various groups of people have considered themselves to be the chosen people of a deity, for a particular purpose. The phenomenon of a "chosen people" is well known among the Israelites and Jews, where the term ( he, עם ס ...

Concepts

In calling itself a

Presbyterian Church Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their nam ...

, the Church of Scotland declares itself to be a Church governed by elders. Although colloquial usage in the Church distinguishes between ministers and elders, the minister is understood theologically to be an elder with a special task. The minister is styled as a "teaching elder", the other members of Kirk Session are known as "ruling elders". All elders are ordained, and the ordination of ministers is understood to be an

ordinance Ordinance may refer to: Law * Ordinance (Belgium), a law adopted by the Brussels Parliament or the Common Community Commission * Ordinance (India), a temporary law promulgated by the President of India on recommendation of the Union Cabinet * ...

of a similar nature to that of elders, but with a different charge.

Role of the minister

A minister is ordained by the Presbytery to the "ministry of word and sacrament", and is regarded as being the ''teaching elder''.{{Citation needed, date=April 2008 A minister has the pastoral responsibility for a congregation, which he or she exercises under the supervision of the Presbytery. The minister is responsible for the conduct of public worship, and is alone authorised to administer the sacraments of Baptism and Communion. The minister is moderator of the Kirk Session, is a member of Presbytery, and on average is a member of the

General Assembly A general assembly or general meeting is a meeting of all the members of an organization or shareholders of a company. Specific examples of general assembly include: Churches * General Assembly (presbyterian church), the highest court of presby ...

once every four years.

Selection and training of ministers

The longstanding system of ministry training has recently changed.

Selection

People who express interest in entering the ministry must first attend a one-day conference, at which various options (including the ministry of Word and Sacrament, the auxiliary ministry, the diaconate and other forms of church work) are outlined. Thereafter, applicants for the full-time ministry must undertake a variety of assessments, leading up to a residential two-day procedure known as an "Assessment Conference" (previously "Selection School") held at various locations around Scotland. Those who are accepted at the end of this selection procedure are recognised as candidates for the ministry. From this point on, they are under the supervision of their home presbytery, but also of the Ministries Council in the Church's offices in

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...

Initial training

All ministers of the Church of Scotland must have a university qualification in

theology Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the ...

divinity Divinity or the divine are things that are either related to, devoted to, or proceeding from a deity.divine

. While foreign qualifications are accepted, most candidates study for a

Bachelor of Divinity In Western universities, a Bachelor of Divinity or Baccalaureate in Divinity (BD or BDiv; la, Baccalaureus Divinitatis) is a postgraduate academic degree awarded for a course taken in the study of divinity or related disciplines, such as theology ...

(B.D.) degree at the

theological colleges A seminary, school of theology, theological seminary, or divinity school is an educational institution for educating students (sometimes called ''seminarians'') in scripture, theology, generally to prepare them for ordination to serve as clergy, ...

of the ancient universities of Scotland ( St Mary's College, St Andrews,

Trinity College, Glasgow Trinity College, Glasgow, Scotland, is the Church of Scotland's College at the University of Glasgow. It provides special supervision of candidates for the ministry through a Principal (appointed by the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland ...

, Christ's College, Aberdeen and New College, Edinburgh). In 2006 the

Highland Theological College The Highland Theological College (HTC; Scottish Gaelic: ''Colaiste Diadhaireachd na Gaidhealtach'') is located in Dingwall, Scotland. It is part of the University of the Highlands and Islands. In 1994 the Highland Theological Institute was set ...

, Dingwall, was also approved as a centre for training. An increasing number of ministers are opting to take a further qualification, such as the

Diploma in Pastoral Theology A diploma is a document awarded by an educational institution (such as a college or university) testifying the recipient has graduated by successfully completing their courses of studies. Historically, it has also referred to a charter or offici ...

(Dip.P.Th.), Master of Theology (M.Th.) or Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.) degree courses. The B.D. course was traditionally a three-year post-graduate degree, though mature students may be permitted to take a shorter course of studies. Since the 1980s it has also been permissible for school-leavers to go straight to theological college to do a B.D. as a first degree; in this case the course of study is longer, at least five years. The recently revised system has introduced a course with a system of four placements in congregations, replacing the former student attachments, 12 or 18 month probationary period and "trials for licence". In addition to their academic studies, they are also trained through a conference programme and through the "Ministries Trainling Network" in church law exams, public speaking, Safeguarding and pastoral care. On completing their studies, candidates were formerly "licensed to preach" by their home presbytery and became a probationer, serving a 12 or 18 month full-time probationary period in a parish. This probationary year has now been replaced by a final 15 month placement, although the objective remains very similar (albeit with more short residential training courses.) When the training has been sustained, the candidate is free to seek a charge. The Church of Scotland does not ordain ministers without simultaneously inducting them into their first charge. This is because, theologically, ministers are ordained "to do" a task rather than "to be" a minister. This stands in contrast to some other denominations which ordain their clergy on completion of training.

Theological colleges

Prior to Church union in 1929, the

United Free Church of Scotland The United Free Church of Scotland (UF Church; gd, An Eaglais Shaor Aonaichte, sco, The Unitit Free Kirk o Scotland) is a Scottish Presbyterian denomination formed in 1900 by the union of the United Presbyterian Church of Scotland (or UP) and ...

maintained its own colleges in Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Glasgow, whilst candidates for the ministry in the Church of Scotland studied in the University Faculties of Divinity. The union of 1929 necessitated the integration of the two systems. The theological colleges now form integral

academic school An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of secondary or tertiary higher learning (and generally also research or honorary membership). The name traces back to Plato's school of philosophy, ...

s at the universities of

St Andrews St Andrews ( la, S. Andrea(s); sco, Saunt Aundraes; gd, Cill Rìmhinn) is a town on the east coast of Fife in Scotland, southeast of Dundee and northeast of Edinburgh. St Andrews had a recorded population of 16,800 , making it Fife's fou ...

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...

Aberdeen Aberdeen (; sco, Aiberdeen ; gd, Obar Dheathain ; la, Aberdonia) is a city in North East Scotland, and is the third most populous city in the country. Aberdeen is one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas (as Aberdeen City), and ...

and

. The Church used to appoint the Professors of Divinity along with certain other chairs but the cost of maintaining these chairs necessitated transferring patronage to the Academic Senate or University Court of each university. Though technically still Church colleges, these are almost indistinguishable from the university schools. The Church still advises on the appointment of Professors and advises on the appointment of the Principal of the College. The Head of the School of Divinity at St Andrews is currently (2015) Professor Mark Elliot. The Principal of St Mary's College is Dr Ian Bradley and as he is an ordained Church of Scotland minister, he is entitled to use the

prenominal Pre-nominal letters are a title which is placed ''before'' the name of a person as distinct from a post-nominal letters, post-nominal title which is placed ''after'' the name. Examples of pre-nominal titles, for instance professional titles inclu ...

Very Reverend whilst in office.

Role of the elder

A ruling elder is ordained by the minister and Kirk Session of the parish, and is answerable to the Kirk Session. Like a minister, an elder is ordained for life. Unlike members of parish councils in other denominations, elders are understood to have pastoral responsibilities, which they carry out under the guidance of the minister. Usually a parish will be divided into elders' districts, and the elders are expected to visit the church members resident in their district on a regular basis. Elders also often assist the minister in the distribution of the elements at a formal Communion Service. All elders are members of the Kirk Session. They may also be members of the higher courts of the church. Each Kirk Session appoints one of its members to attend Presbytery, and on average once every four years, one of its members might be commissioned by Presbytery to the General Assembly. Since retired ministers, theology professors and others ministers with non-parochial charges are members of Presbytery and sometimes of the Assembly, "equalising elders" are required in the higher courts of the Church to maintain the principle that ministers and elders are represented in equal numbers. Elders are eligible for appointment to any function in the higher courts, including Moderator of the Assembly. When a congregation is unable to form a Kirk Session, for example when a new congregation is first founded, so-called "assessor elders", from neighbouring Kirk Sessions, may be appointed by the Presbytery.