Cornerstone No. 194, page 8
An evening with Albert Bogle:
“Re-imagining Church for 21st Century People”
Albert Bogle has a range of experiences within the Church of Scotland. He was
the moderator of the General Assembly in 2012-2013, he led the church in
Bo’ness for 34 years and he is the pioneer minister of Sanctuary First, the
church’s internet ministry. He is known as an innovator, particularly in promot-
ing the use of new technology within worship.
With that as a backdrop, we were keen to take the opportunity to listen and
learn from Albert’s experience. We were joined for the evening by his friend
Jim Steel, who added his perspective on using technology in the church. Here
are some of the highlights of what we learned:
Core purpose of the church: worship and mission. The CoS allows each
church to find its own way of fulfilling this purpose. There are a variety of
worship styles that fit with everyday life, and Sunday worship is not the only
way to achieve this purpose. Acts of service where we make connections with
people outside the church can also fulfill the purpose. Churches have a building
that is mostly used on Sundays. Using the building for other activities is a way
to make connection with people and the community, i.e. music clubs, folk clubs,
cooking, gardening, language or cafés for example. Some churches partner
with local organizations such as social enterprises on some projects and others
apply for special grants. Some churches have opened 24 hours a day to allow
people a place to pray.
Future of the church: The Ten Year Strategy was a proposal made by the
Council of Assembly after a two year consultation with Church members around
the country. What was proposed was seen to be ineffective and not radical
enough by this year’s General Assembly. The strategy was posted to every
commissioner. It was thought with the falling numbers and the high number
of vacancies (well over 200 congregations without a minister) that a ten year
plan was not facing up to the immediate crisis. The Council of Assembly was
instructed to come back in 2019 with a radical 3 year plan. The General
Assembly then instructed every Kirk Session to meet in conference and discuss
the present issue of decline and how each congregation intends to develop its
mission over the next three years. This is a task we as a congregation are
supposed to take on board before the 31 December 2018.
Technology in the church: How do we reimagine the church? The Reformation
was fueled by the technological innovation of the printing press. Could the
internet facilitate the next “reformation” of the church? Albert and Jim recom-
mended to start with small steps. Adding short video clips of activities to the
website is a way to start a communication and show people what is happening