Edinburgh churches: First merger set to go ahead in city shake-up which will see many church buildings close

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Cramond Kirk and Old Kirk Muirhouse lead way in reorganisation of Edinburgh churches

Two Edinburgh congregations are about to agree a merger, marking the start of a massive rationalisation programme by the Church of Scotland across the Capital which will see many church buildings close.

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A detailed scheme for city congregations to unite, buildings to close and ministers to form teams serving several churches have been given the go-ahead after nearly two years of planning and negotiations. And members of Cramond Kirk and the Old Kirk Muirhouse are expected to become the first to approve a merger when they vote at meetings on Sunday May 28. The two congregations could then unite before the end of the year. The Cramond building will be kept in the reorganisation and the future of the Old Kirk building will be reviewed by the end of 2025.

The rationalisation programme, which is happening all over Scotland, is prompted by a shortage of ministers, together with falling attendances and lower income. In Edinburgh, the number of ministers is being cut by 40 per cent and at least six church buildings are already earmarked to close with more expected to follow.

Cramond Kirk is set to merge with the Old Kirk Muirhouse.  The Cramond building will be kept and the Old Kirk reviewed before the end of 2025. Picture: Google.Cramond Kirk is set to merge with the Old Kirk Muirhouse.  The Cramond building will be kept and the Old Kirk reviewed before the end of 2025. Picture: Google.
Cramond Kirk is set to merge with the Old Kirk Muirhouse. The Cramond building will be kept and the Old Kirk reviewed before the end of 2025. Picture: Google.

Congregations have been grouped in “clusters” to help them plan their future. Cramond and the Old Kirk Muirhouse are in a cluster with Drylaw, Blackhall St Columba’s and Davidson’s Mains. Cramond and the Old Kirk will unite to become one congregation with one minister; Drylaw and St Columba’s are due to merge later and will also have one minister; and Davidson’s Mains will have one minister and work together with both the new united congregations. But in addition, the churches together will be responsible for a “pioneer” minister to work in the Muirhouse and Drylaw area. Apart from the Old Kirk, whose building will be reviewed, all the other church buildings in the cluster are to be retained.

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Congregations in other areas have not been so lucky. In Corstorphine, the Edinburgh presbytery, which drew up the plans, wanted to keep all five local church buildings open, but the Kirk’s national committees overseeing the whole programme insisted at least one would have to go. The plans for the rest of the city could not go ahead until the issue was resolved. An agreement was reached which allows the decision on which building should close to be postponed and now the rest of the plan can move forward. But it means continuing uncertainty for St Anne's and St Ninian's in Corstorphine and St Andrew's in Clermiston, which are all due to merge, and Corstorphine Old Parish Church and Craigsbank Church, which are also to unite.

The Rev Ian Gilmour, locum minister at Cramond Kirk, said the Cramond and Old Kirk congregations are likely to back their merger. “That will be the start of a domino effect around the presbytery as the other unions are set up. They all need to create the Basis of Union, which is a formal document, but Cramond and the Old Kirk Muirhouse were working on that last year so they're one step ahead. As the others go through that, it will be a trickle effect to the end of this year with a lot of the unions taking place after that.

“One of the good things about our cluster group is that one of the appointments is for a pioneer minister to work specifically in the Old Kirk Murihouse and Drylaw parish, but all the congregations will own that work together. Typically, congregations who are losing a building or a minister are tense, are upset and find that difficult. But because we're looking at the whole cluster area, and beginning to say ‘Where do people shop? Where do people go to school? What are the arterial roads? What's the bus service?’ it can invite you to look at church in a different way."

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The Old Kirk Muirhouse is set to unite with Cramond Kirk.  The Cramond building will be kept and the Old Kirk building reviewed before December 2025. Picture: Google.The Old Kirk Muirhouse is set to unite with Cramond Kirk.  The Cramond building will be kept and the Old Kirk building reviewed before December 2025. Picture: Google.
The Old Kirk Muirhouse is set to unite with Cramond Kirk. The Cramond building will be kept and the Old Kirk building reviewed before December 2025. Picture: Google.

He said once congregations voted to merge they needed a new way of looking at issues. “You have to go into the situation with a different mindset, to look at the whole new parish boundary and ask how can you best serve the people in this larger area – that’s going to be the real issue: Can we find the leverage and the commitment to serve the whole area?”