L&B Presbytery Update – 22/06/2026

Dear Friends,
Thank you so much for the welcome and good wishes I have received – I very much appreciate them all and am looking forrward to getting to know in the months ahead.
The Bible reading in our Church this week was Acts chapters 3 and 4 – the arrest of Peter and John after they healed the man at the city gate. The worship leader pointed out that the guards noticed that Peter and John ‘had been with Jesus’ and her words have challenged me a lot. Can people notice that I have been with Jesus?
By Acts chapters 3 and 4, Peter and John have come a long way as followers of Jesus. The one-time rivals racing to get to the empty tomb first are now firmly acting as team. Peter, who once denied knowing Jesus now has temple guards standing with open-mouthed amazement at his courage.
I guess one of the roles of a Presbytery is to encourage and equip one another to be the best versions of ourselves  as we follow Jesus in our unique and diverse settings. I have often been helped by these words about Christians encouraging each other. They’re from William Temple, Archbishop of Canterbury in the 1940s:
‘Pray for me…not chiefly that I may be wise and strong, or any such thing, though for these things I need your prayers. But pray for me chiefly that I may never let go of the unseen hand of the Lord Jesus and may live in daily fellowship with him…So shall we go forward together – not without stumbling, not without weariness – but always towards the loving welcome that awaits us in our Father’s home, where the conflicts which now beset the earth will have vanished, where self-seeking cannot find entrance, where misery gives place to joy and quarrelling to peace, because self is either sacrificed or forgotten in the realisation of the love of God.’
 
With best wishes
Dan
Rev Dan Carmichael, Presbytery Clerk.
 
“Wide, wide as the ocean!”
Jock Stein, our new Presbytery Moderator, asks us to take a look at this wee publication from Douglas Nicol. https://handselpress.org.uk/product/wide-wide-as-the-ocean-the-legacy-of-church-of-scotland-summer-missions-1934-2011/
Book launch in Edinburgh is on June 28th at St. Giles Cathedral.
 
East Lothian Street Pastors
“Street Pastor patrols are already an important part of life in certain border towns as well as elsewhere in Scotland. We are looking to draw together a team for East Lothian. The good news is that East Lothian’s Chief Inspector, Ben Leathes, is eager to have Street Pastors in Musselburgh, Haddington, Wallyford, and other local towns. As well as patrols there are also opportunities to support Street Pastors East Lothian through:
  • Prayer,
  • Local church facilities for patrols
  • & Funding
You would be joining a large family which currently consists of 13,000 Street Pastors across the UK, backed by 30,000 Prayer Pastors. Please consider joining us. secretary@elsp.org.uk
 
Logos Hope is coming to Leith
Visit the world’s largest book fair! July 10-19th July
You can find the main info here:
Logos Hope UK Tour 2026
More information attached
 
Looking ahead…
Season of Creation September 1st – October 4th
Join with Christians around the world to come together in worship, prayer & action for creation.
https://seasonofcreation.org/
https://youtu.be/xVVZ8LSpcRk?si=ZaKpnl16l5ecJiiU
Disability Awareness Sunday
Theme for 2026: ‘One Body, Many Parts’
“Join churches across the UK – and beyond – to celebrate Disability Awareness Sunday! The next official date is 27th September 2026 but celebrate on any Sunday that suits your church!
The most important thing about Disability Awareness Sunday is that Christians reach out and include disabled people fully in community life. Catch the vision today! Get free resources to help celebrate – register below. 
The 2026 theme is ‘One Body, Many Parts’ – with a new resource now available. You can register for the resources below and we will send you an email with the free resource.”
https://throughtheroof.org/forchurches/disability-awareness-sunday/
David Menzies, the Convener of the Presbytery Property Committee has asked for this information to be included:
Action briefing for congregations with listed places of worship
Contact your MSPs about support in Scotland following the end of the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme
Key facts
What has changed?
The Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme has closed, and the replacement fund applies only in England.
Who should be contacted?
All of your MSPs — 1 constituency MSP and 7 regional MSPs.
What should MSPs be asked to do?
Press Scottish Ministers for clarity on support in Scotland and back a practical Scottish funding route.
Why now?
A new Parliament is in place, and this is the right moment to raise the issue clearly and early.
The UK-wide Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme has closed. For many congregations in Scotland, this means essential repairs and improvement projects for listed church buildings will become more expensive, placing further pressure on already stretched budgets.
 
Why now? The immediate question is what response the Scottish Government will make. A new Parliament is now in place, MSPs are taking up constituency and regional casework, and this is a good moment for congregations to raise the issue early and clearly with all of their representatives.
The UK Government has replaced the former scheme with the Places of Worship Renewal Fund for England only. It has also said that decisions about support in Scotland are now for the Scottish Government. Congregations are therefore encouraged to write to their MSPs — ideally to all eight of them.
As many people as possible should write. Individual messages from constituents usually carry more weight than a standard text, so office-bearers, members and church users are encouraged to write in their own words. If you have a local church meeting or a presbytery, diocesan, district or synod meeting coming up, you may wish to agree a short statement of concern and use it as the basis for individual messages.
If you are writing in a regional role, such as a Presbytery Clerk, Bishop, Superintendent, or as a member of a property or finance committee, consider writing to all MSPs whose constituencies and regions fall within the area you cover.
 
How to contact your MSPs:
Use the Scottish Parliament’s Find your MSP tool and enter your postcode, or the postcode of your church building. Everyone in Scotland is represented by 8 MSPs — 1 constituency MSP and 7 regional MSPs — and you are encouraged to write to all of them.
Email is usually the quickest and easiest route. If you prefer to write, the postal address for MSPs is: The Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh, EH99 1SP. If an MSP holds a local surgery and you are able to attend, that can also be a useful way to raise the issue in person.
 
What to say:
We are not offering a template letter. MSPs are more likely to engage with messages that are personal, local and specific. Please explain the issue in your own words and include details about your congregation and building.
 
Three things to ask your MSPs to do:
 
A short sample email opener:
I am writing as a constituent and as someone involved in [name of congregation/church] to ask for your support following the closure of the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme. This change will increase the cost of caring for our listed church building, which is both a place of worship and an important community space used by local people and organisations.
 
Follow up:
 
Please let the national office know if you have contacted your MSPs, and what response you receive. Write to the Parliamentary Officer, David Bradwell – dbradwell@churchofscotland.org.uk
If you do not receive a response after a reasonable interval, follow up politely. MSPs often receive a high volume of correspondence, and a brief reminder can be effective.
 
If other community groups or organisations use your church building, ask them if they will also write to their MSPs to explain how they value the space and how important it is to their work.
 
Further information:
As of June 2026, no replacement support for Scotland has been confirmed. The key issue now is what action the Scottish Government will take, which is why engagement with MSPs matters at this stage.
Churches and other faith groups in Scotland are in close contact with each other, and with partners in Wales who face a similar situation. There is broad agreement that church buildings are not only heritage assets but important spaces for community wellbeing and local service.
If you are currently undertaking works to a building, or have a project planned that will be affected by the end of the scheme, please contact your Presbytery Building Officer in the first instance for advice on options, timing and next steps.
The previous scheme has closed and there will be no further funding rounds. In Scotland, congregations may still wish to explore other funding routes where appropriate, but no direct replacement for the former VAT recovery scheme has yet been announced.
Finally, if you have any queries, please contact us using the details below.
Queries relating to contacting your MSPs: Parliamentary Officer, David Bradwell – dbradwell@churchofscotland.org.uk, queries relating to specific projects and buildings: gentrustees@churchofscotland.org.uk.
 
Finally in the Presbytery Prayer Calendar
On the week starting June 21st we pray for Caddonfoot linked with Stow & Heriot
We remember the leadership and all involved in the life of this community.
Pray too for future decisions and ask for God’s leading.