Presbytery of Lothian & Borders
Lothian & Borders Presbytery
We are a group of people across south east Scotland who aim to live out our Christian faith in today’s world.
Made up of almost 100 Christian congregations that extend from North Berwick to Berwick and Dunbar to Upper Tweeddale, we exist to help our congregations in their calling to glorify God and share the good news of Jesus Christ to all people.
Lothian &
Borders
Presbytery
We are a group of people across south east Scotland who aim to live out our Christian faith in today’s world.
Made up of almost 100 Christian congregations that extend from North Berwick to Berwick and Dunbar to Upper Tweeddale, we exist to help our congregations in their calling to glorify God and share the good news of Jesus Christ to all people.
Presbytert Update – August 18th 2026
From the L&B Mission Officer – 3rd August 2026
Dear Friends, As a Presbytery, we share together in Christ’s work in this part of Scotland. Being part of something bigger draws …
Dear Friends  It was great on Sunday after the service at West Linton to take our refreshments outdoors. I spotted a …
Meet the Presbytery Council
Presbytery has 4 paid staff who work alongside volunteers.
What we do
As a charity Presbytery is answerable to the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator. Being part of the Church of Scotland it is answerable to the General Assembly of The Church of Scotland which meets annually. Acts of the Assembly determine what it is responsible for. These include support and oversight of the local church, superintendence, resourcing congregations, good order, civil law, and helping congregations engage in wider regional issues beyond themselves.
For a fuller explanation of what Presbytery does look on the Church of Scotland website.
What does the above actually mean?
1. Best practice
Presbytery acts as the supervising body of congregations to ensure they are working with best practice across a range of areas such as safeguarding, GDPR and other obligations under charity law.Â
2. Training
Presbytery offers training programmes like Internships to help congregations develop local mission opportunities.
3 Resources
Presbytery has responsibility for deciding where ministry resources are deployed whilst developing new resources for the future.Â
Frequently asked Questions
Please get in touch if you have a question not answered here.
Do I need to be a member already to attend a Church of Scotland service?
No, churches welcome everyone and services are open to the public at no cost.
I would like my child to be baptised or blessed, what do I do?
Contact your local church. They will talk through what is required.
I want to get married? Can the church help?
Yes, the church has been marrying people for hundreds of years. Contact your local church and they will help you design a service that is special to you.
Do I need to be a church member for the minister to bury my loved one?
No, local churches are ready to help anyone say goodbye to a loved one.
What exactly is a church member?
The Church of Scotland is a Christian church which means we believe in Jesus as God and Saviour and promised in front of the congregation to live the way Jesus taught.
I have questions about life, the universe and everything, can you help?
Many local churches run groups to help people explore life, the universe and everything. Go along and tell the door person you would like to chat and they will point you in the right direction.Â
What happens in a church service?
People gather together to praise God. This includes singing together, someone from the church leading the rest in prayer and everyone listening to an explanation of a particular bit of the Bible. Around this there is the chance to meet God and meet new people as well as existing friends.
What am I expected to do in a church service?
There is no pressure on you to do anything. You can if you wish join in with the singing and follow along with the rest of the service. We would ask anyone attending church to be respectful of the worship and keep mobiles on silent so as not to distract others who are concentrating.
I am looking for help right now, who can help me?
On this page (link) are a list of organisations who offer 24/7 help. Please contact them. We also encourage you to contact your local minister/church as soon as you can. You can find your local church on the church finder page here.Â
Who do I contact to attend church?
You don’t need permission, church services are open to all so just go along.