The Church of Scotland (Cof S) has announced it is selling around 100 buildings following a period of drastic decline in worshippers and ministers. Buildings on sale range from churches to houses, some dating back to the 1800s – and it has described the decision as a ‘difficult’ and ‘painful’ move.
The news comes after the denomination recently announced at its General Assembly that it is set to close hundreds of churches in the coming years due to a large fall in membership, and that it was ‘unsustainable’ to keep over 1,000 churches open for the number of people attending services.
A (CofS) spokesperson said: ‘We believe a significant reduction in the number of buildings we own is necessary in order to deliver sustainable and realistic new expressions of ministry and church, and to ensure all of our buildings are suitable for the needs of mission in the 21st century… The Church owns many more buildings than it needs, a legacy from a different age, so presbyteries have been evaluating their buildings and planning for the next five years.’
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