Yes! We are working our way through the Union process with our Neighbours, The Old Parish.
At our Stated Annual Meeting on 17 April 2025 at East Craigs, our session clerk, Elaine Thompson, presented the following, very informative, update on the Union of Corstorphine Craigsbank and Corstorphine Old Parishes. click here for the transcript. Or read the expanded version below:
Where are we?
Since our last up-date on the Union between Craigsbank and Corstorphine Old Parish on this site, much has been going on behind the scenes. We are now able to give an update on progress, stumbling blocks, and moving forward together. You can still read our 2024 Vision Statement by clicking here. If you read both articles together, you will see just how much work is going into making this happen.
Over the last few months, there have been regular meetings with both church ministers, Alan and Moira, our session clerks and steering groups who are all working together on our behalf.Why are we merging?
You will remember the reasons behind the Church of Scotland’s decision to merge parishes and reduce the number of buildings it is responsible for – declining Church of Scotland membership, less people worshipping particularly on a Sunday morning, reduced offerings and not enough ministers to serve the current parishes. It is a long and difficult (and at times painful) process to get this right but at both churches, we are determined to work together to do just that.
We – Corstorphine Craigsbank (including East Craigs) – were guided by presbytery to work towards union with Corstorphine Old Parish. The united parish would retain two full time ministers – one to be the parish minister to the newly merged congregation and the other a pioneer minister to the ever-expanding new developments to the west of Maybury Road. Who is looking after our interests in the negotations?
In January 2024 the joint steering group of Craigsbank and the Old Parish was set up. We have strong representation. Craigsbank members are Alan Childs, Alan Kennedy, Mike Brough, John Baker, Susan Ross, Paul Spencer and Elaine Thompson. They have been meeting with representatives of the Old Parish every month to work out the best way of bringing our two churches together.
BUT… Difficulties amongst our neighbours
St Andrew’s Clermiston, St Ninian’s and St Anne’s were guided towards a three way union with one and a half ministerial posts. Unfortunately the union of the other Corstorphine churches has not gone smoothly. In the process there have been votes taken by the congregation and by the Session of St Andrew’s about possible dissolution (closure of the church and parish) but agreement has not yet been reached about the best way forward.
Too many buildings
The Presbytery Plan stated that there were too many church buildings in the greater Corstorphine area and that one of the buildings should be released (sold or repurposed in some way). All the buildings in the greater Corstorphine area were then assigned as category B which meant that any one of them could, in theory, be released. This includes Craigsbank and East Craigs. Presbytery’s Deployment Group proposed that the buildings of St Andrew’s, Clermiston should be the one to be sold, but Presbytery voted against it.
Focussing on the path ahead
Our two congregations’ steering group was sympathetic to the plight of St Andrew’s but, after much discussion, it was agreed that we should focus on the union of Craigsbank and the Old Parish which includes the instruction and opportunity of pioneering to what is likely to become a sizeable development with more than 25 000 residents, including four new schools, all to the west of Maybury Road.
Compromising and planning for the future
Part of the remit of our Craigsbank and Corstorphine Old Parish churches’ steering group, is to consider – in conversation with the two Sessions – how best to proceed with our union. This is not always an easy task and compromises need to be made. We have a plan which will be formally stated in a document called the Basis of Union. This needs to be approved by Presbytery’s Deployment Group, the national Law Department, the Clerk of the Church of Scotland – before it can formally be put to both our congregations simultaneously to vote on. After which our Presbytery also needs to accept it.
A timeline without dates
John Baker and Paul Spencer have created a timeline but it is difficult to assign dates when we are waiting for approval from the deployment group, law department and presbytery. The occurring of the General Assembly, followed by summer holidays, and the continued unification complications requiring attention at our neighbouring congregations, are all likely to defer the date of the union towards the end of the year. An announcement regarding the date of the vote will be read out at church on the preceding two Sundays. The vote will be arranged by the Deployment Group. Church services will remain as they are, at least until the union is formally approved and the union starts to take effect.
Team work
As part of our unification process, various teams comprising members of both congregations are being formed and starting to work together to facilitate the greater collaboration in the carrying out of the day to day running of our two churches. (Please read our news item on the teams to see where you might fit.) For instance, the Property, Finance and HR Team are meeting regularly and working on budgets and contracts. The Social and Mission Team have met up and have agreed to collaborate on a Christian Aid coffee morning to be held at Craigsbank on Saturday 10 May 2025 from 10.30am – 12.30pm. There will also be some walks planned and a quiz night at the Old Parish in the autumn. The Pioneering Team meet monthly and have already started reaching out west. The Young Family Ministry Team is forming with an eye to participating in the national Growing Young project and already collaborating on summer holiday clubs. We are looking for volunteers to join these and other teams, such as the Communications and Technology Team (who are already expanding and keen to move forward with additional platforms for communication), the Creative Arts Ministry Team and the Worship Team, so please consider joining one or more and please do ask for more information.
And once again, DO REMEMBER: Change does not have to be a bad thing. This union with our neighbours offers the opportunity to grow our community and make new friends.
Your prayers in all of this are most important.
