Over on Minister? Me? Mrs Gerbil has been asking about how Board member’s might feel when a Congregational Board is replaced with Unitary Constitution. I’ve tried very hard to write a comment below her blog and failed miserably, probably through my own incompetence with the new computer. So I thought I would write my thoughts here. Not just for Mrs Gerbil, but as a reminder to myself of why it has been the right choice to make.

The choice for the congregation was not just about reducing the number of meetings, but instead about having the opportunity to engage with the broad range of thoughts and activities that happen in congregational life. A congregational board was actually quite limiting in what members of the congregation and not just elders were allowed to have opinion on. The Board was limited to looking at Fabric and Finance, and with that knowledge we had found that people were put off in being part of the Board as they didn’t have the skills or knowledge to contribute to these.

Those who were involved in setting out what might become our new Kirk Session structure took time to look at other congregations for ideas, and out of those enquiries we recognised that what might be good was to have a structure that allowed congregation members to be part of smaller teams that focussed on specific areas of the Kirk Session’s work. In Unitary constitution, we now have teams representing Fellowship, Parish Mission, Worship, Fabric, Finance, World Issues and Education. Each of the teams is made up of half elders and half congregation members, and when we have a need of a task group we also try to match elders and members.

Rather than removing congregation members from our leadership and ideas forums, we hope that we have instead opened up the possibilities of how people might be involved. Each of the teams appeal to the different gifts that lie within our congregation. Where there are no major changes in Kirk Session thought and planning, teams tend to progress events in between meetings. Where a new idea is put into a public forum or where it might need financial support, it tends to come back to the Kirk Session for full discussion.

Of course not everything we do slots nicely into one team, and at times teams can be working together on ideas. I suppose on such occasion was our “Messy Church” that brought together our Worship and Education Teams, while “Back to Church Sunday” is a collaboration of Worship and Fellowship. This year’s Autumn Evening Talks will see the Education Team work with the World Issues Team as we explore different faiths.

It’s hard work as minister ensuring that all the teams have full representation, although team leaders do offer suggestion as to who might be helpful. However I would say that I think there are now more people involved than the Board and Session ever allowed. It also seems to be more representative of the profile of the congregation, whereas the Kirk Session tends towards the older age group. I find it tough to remember not to go to all the meetings but to trust them with what is to come – I’m working hard on the letting go.

What we have now is by no means perfect, but because we have a framework to begin with, we are not afraid to change and amend as we find what works best for us now.

We appear to have no regrets that we changed, and are happy to evolve as our needs change and grow.