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Hello, please see the following from
Rev Roy Henderson.
Kind Regards,
Nina Valvona.
Currie Kirk Administrator.
Interim Minister's Letter
Balerno linked with Currie Church of Scotland
This is a short guide to the next administrative steps towards the Union of Balerno Parish Church and Currie Kirk to form Edinburgh: The Kirk of Currie and Balerno.
The Kirk Sessions having voted in favour of the Union at a meeting on August 24th 2026, there will now be Congregational votes.
These will be held after worship on Sunday 18th October at Balerno Church (Service 09.45am) and thereafter at Currie Kirk (Service 11.00am).
They will be overseen by Jane Smart and Ruth Minnican of the Presbytery of Edinburgh and West Lothian Deployment of Resources Committee.
This is a vote for or against the ‘Basis of Union and Basis of Reviewable Charge’ attached to this note.
Voting is by secret ballot and is made in person.
Paper copies of the voting papers will be given out on the day of the vote.
Communicant members and adherents of each congregation may vote.
Names will be cross-checked with the communion roll and the adherents’ roll. Only people whose names are on one of these rolls can vote.
The result of the Balerno ballot will not be shared with the Currie voters until they too have voted.
As stated above, only those actually in attendance may vote.
The minister will introduce the matters at hand and then hand over to Jane and Ruth. They may describe the ‘story so far’, then the Basis of Union and Basis of Reviewable Charge will be discussed.
There will be space for discussion and for questions to aid understanding.
At this stage, altering the document is not immediately possible. If any changes appear to be required, the vote would be aborted and the consultation process would then begin again.
So, if either congregation votes against the Basis of Union or the Basis of Reviewable Charge, then the Presbytery Deployment committee will need to discuss the situation and re-engage with the congregations.
Summary
Jane Smart and Ruth Minnican will oversee the voting at both Currie Kirk and Balerno Church on Sunday October 18th.
• Balerno Church 9.45am
• Currie Kirk 11.00am
After each services and introductory comments by the minister, the meeting is turned over to the Deployment representatives who open with prayer, followed by:
• opening thoughts
• description of major points or issues
• questions or comments
• votes taken.
The result of the vote is then taken to the Presbytery meeting at 7.00pm on Tuesday 3rd November for consideration.
Citations to attend Presbytery will be read out to the congregations on Sunday 25th October and Sunday 1st November prior to that meeting of Presbytery at Gorgie and Palmerston Place Parish Church, Palmerston Place.
Roy Henderson, Interim Minister October 1st 2026
B and C Severance Basis of Union and Reviewable Charge
BASIS OF SEVERANCE
The congregation of Balerno Church of Scotland (SC018012) being linked with the congregation of Edinburgh Currie Kirk (Church of Scotland) (SC001554) in terms of the Basis of Linking approved by the Presbytery of Edinburgh and West Lothian on 5th November 2024 and effected on 1st December 2024 the said linking shall be severed as from …………. 2026.
BASIS OF UNION
The congregation of Balerno Church of Scotland (SC018012) and the congregation of Edinburgh Currie Kirk (Church of Scotland) (SC001554) shall be united from a date to be determined by Presbytery.
1. Name: The name of the united charge shall be Edinburgh: Kirk of Currie and Balerno Church of Scotland and SCO18012 will be retained.
2. Transference of Property and Funds: The property and funds belonging to or held on behalf of each congregation shall belong to or be held on behalf of the united charge and any transference necessary shall be duly effected.
3. Places of Worship: Both churches at present used and occupied by the congregations, designated ‘A’ in the approved Presbytery Mission Plan, shall be the places of worship of the united charge. Services shall be conducted each Sunday at a time and place to be decided by the Minister and Kirk Session, subject to the approval of Presbytery.
4. Territorial Responsibility: The bounds to be served by the united charge shall be designated as the bounds of the parishes of Balerno and Currie Kirk, or as the Presbytery shall determine.
5. Kirk Session: The elders of both Kirk Sessions shall form with the minister the Kirk Session of the united charge.
6. Congregational Management: The temporal affairs of the united congregation shall be administered by the Kirk Session in terms of the Unitary Constitution, the Delegation of Assembly being authorised to issue the appropriate Deed of Constitution to the said congregation.
7. Minister: Both charges being vacant, the united charge shall proceed to the appointment of a minister in terms of the Call, Election and Appointment of Ministers of Word and Sacrament Act (Act X1, 2025). The Minister shall be called on the Basis of Reviewable Charge in terms of section 9.1.1 of the Presbytery Mission Plan (Act V111, 2021).
8. Manse: The Currie Kirk Manse having been sold and the proceeds held in the Consolidated Fabric Fund, the Manse of the congregation of Balerno shall be the Manse of the united charge.
9. Ministerial Support: The stipend of the charge shall be paid in accordance with the terms of the National Stipend Scheme.
10. Power to Readjust: While the articles and terms shall form the Basis of Union for the two congregations now uniting, the united charge shall be free, like other congregations, to adjust arrangements under the authority of Presbytery as need may arise.
BASIS OF REVIEWABLE CHARGE
By decision of the Presbytery of Edinburgh and West Lothian, permission is granted to the congregation of Edinburgh: Kirk of Currie and Balerno Church of Scotland (SC018012), to call a minister on a Basis of Reviewable Charge in terms of section 9.1.1 of the Presbytery Mission Plan Act (Act V111, 2021), and that on the following conditions:
1. The Presbytery shall review the appointment five years from the date of induction of the minister.
2. At the review, the Presbytery shall consider with the Kirk Session:
a) whether the life of the congregation exhibits the five Marks of Mission i.e.
i. to proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom;
ii. to teach, baptise and nurture new believers;
iii. to respond to human need by loving service;
iv. to seek to transform unjust structures of society, to challenge violence of every kind and pursue peace and reconciliation; and
v. to strive to safeguard the integrity of creation and sustain and renew the life of the earth.
b) whether the life of the congregation exhibits the five purposes of the church, i.e. worship, service, discipleship, fellowship and evangelism and whether these are in a healthy balance;
c) the extent to which the congregation has been successful in establishing a community based church with a sustainable presence for the future;
d) the extent to which a leadership core has been established and developed to enable the resourcing of all aspects of church life;
e) the success or otherwise of reaching out to younger generations, the unchurched and local community groups;
f) the success or otherwise in developing the capacity for people to engage with prayer both collectively and individually and in new expressions of prayer;
g) the extent to which the congregation has been able to progress the priorities set out in the congregation’s Action Plan as it develops over the life of the reviewable charge; and
h) such other matters as may be relevant by that time.
3. Following such review, the Presbytery shall take a further decision on the future arrangements for ministry to the congregation and parish of Edinburgh: Kirk of Currie and Balerno Church of Scotland recognising that one of the options available to it is the termination of the tenure of the charge on giving the minister six months’ notice in writing.
The minister shall be free to seek to demit or to be translated as in the ordinary case of any minister inducted to a charge, provided that, if this Reviewable Charge is his or her first charge, the Presbytery hereby agree that these conditions constitute exceptional circumstances in terms of Section 6 of the Call, Election and Appointment of Ministers of Word and Sacrament Act (Act X1, 2025) and will accordingly issue the necessary Certificate if he or she seeks to be translated within five years.
If you would lile any information or need to speak to someone please call Currie Kirk Office on
(0131 451 5141) or contact the Session Clerk Louise Lamont (07910594188).
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