East Lothian Courier | News | Support worker to help new parish minister

Thursday, 20th November, 2008

Published: Thursday, 17th April, 2008 08:05

Support worker to help new parish minister

IN a bid to attract a new generation of churchgoers to Tranent Parish Church, Lothian Presbytery plans to appoint a support worker to work “hands-on” with the community.

Presbytery members heard at a recent meeting that the support worker would focus on expanding the congregation of Tranent Parish Church by providing “hands-on support to Tranent in developing new work with young people and those under 45”.

He or she would also assist other parishes in the Tranent cluster, such as Longniddry, Gladsmuir and Prestonpans.

Rev Neil Dougall, minister of North Berwick’s St Andrew Blackadder Church, is convener of the presbytery’s Parish Resources Committee, which initially devised the proposal.

He told the Courier: “When the committee agreed a forward plan for Tranent in 2006, we looked at the growing population of the town, which I think has jumped from 9,000 to 12,000 people in the last two years.

“We recognised there was a need in Tranent for the church to be trying to do new things, to include the people in that community.”

Mr Dougall explained that a support worker would not be appointed until the vacancy, left by the retirement of Rev Tom Hogg last October, was filled.

That was expected to happen by October at the latest.

Macmerry-based Rev Jan Gillies is currently acting as locum minister for Tranent.

“We will need to examine what skills the new minister has to make sure that the support worker complements rather than duplicates the gifts of the new minister,” said Mr Dougall.

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