Church of Scotland to stop using Alves, Dallas, Findhorn and Rafford Churches, as well as St Laurence Church, Forres, for worship
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
FOUR local churches will cease to be places of worship in the latest Church of Scotland (CoS) cutbacks.
The buildings in Alves and Rafford will stop being places of worship by the end of the year then sold, Findhorn Church will be released by the end of 2024, while Dallas church will be retained and used as a local mission centre under team ministry management by the end of 2024.
A CoS spokesman confirmed the organisation is reconfiguring its mission and service around fewer buildings and charges to “lay a realistic and sustainable foundation for the future”.
He said: “We need to lay a sustainable foundation for the future against a backdrop of diminishing finances and members. These buildings have value to the community but change is necessary to ensure well equipped spaces deliver Jesus’ call. Essential reforms mean churches in the area will be served by a team ministry who will work across two worship centres in Kinloss and Forres. This will enable congregations to unite under a single Kirk Session and share resources.”
A team ministry model will be formed of one full-time minister with a primary focus on the urban area and the other mainly working rurally.
“There will be an emphasis on collaborative working,” said the spokesman, “both with churches in surrounding areas and ecumenical partners, and making use of existing community spaces to ensure no part of the parish is neglected or isolated.”
Churches in West Moray are governed by the Presbytery of Inverness - to become part of new Presbytery ‘the Church of Scotland in the Highlands and Hebrides’ on January 1.
No final decision has been taken on the future of all of the Forres’ church buildings.
The spokesman added: “St Laurence manse will be released later this year. Two minister-posts are allocated to the charge.”
