Meeting over closure of church building
All change in 2020
The St Martins Church building is due to close in 2020 A special committee meeting is to take place next month to debate the decision to close the St Martins Church building in 2020.
The planning and development committee from the Presbytery of Perth will be present at a special meeting of the kirk session on Tuesday, September 18.
Church members will attend to voice their concerns and ask questions to the panel.
Rev Lis Stenhouse, interim moderator for Scone and St Martins Parish Church led morning worship in the St Martins Church on Sunday, August 19.
At the close of service the reverend addressed the congregation on the “preparations for the closing of St Martins Church in June 2020”.
Upon this meeting a special kirk session was agreed.
A spokesperson on behalf of the Church of Scotland said: “After much prayer, thought and discussion, following a kirk session decision in 2010, Perth Presbytery agreed to unite the congregations of Scone Old, St Martins and Scone New.
“In 2015 the kirk session and Perth Presbytery took a decision to close the St Martins Church building, while at same time encouraging the worshipping congregation to continue meeting in local village halls.
“The decision was made because of drawbacks with the building including poor accessibility and because it was felt the building could not meet the needs of our church community today.
“The presbytery plan called for the building to close in 2020, however at a recent meeting members of the congregation expressed their views and raised questions about this decision.
“The planning and development committee from the Presbytery of Perth will be present at a special meeting of the kirk session on September 18 to listen to church members views about the process that has been followed and the decision to close of the St Martins building.”