Nowadays there is always so much going on!
It was in late 2015 that the parish minister of Fogo (with Swinton, Ladykirk, Whitsun and Leitholm) announced that he would be retiring after forty years of service on the 31st. August, 2016.
At the September 2015 meeting of the Presbytery of Duns the matter of the future of Ladykirk, Fogo and Swinton was discussed. The Business Committee proposed and it was agreed that: Presbytery instructs the Presbytery Planning Working Group to bring detailed proposals and a route map to enable a plan to be implemented by August, 2016 regarding the futures of Ladykirk, Fogo and Swinton.
The Buildings sub-committee of the Presbytery Planning Group reported to Presbytery on 2nd. February, 2016. It was a full report minuted in some detail. Fogo was identified as a building which was deemed to have a limited need and which should be continued on a two-year reviewable basis. The report continued:
As both Ladykirk and Fogo are implicated in the retiral of the current minister, the group were of the view that both these properties should move out of Church of Scotland ownership on the retiral of the incumbent Minister on or about the 1st. September, 2016.
The following deliverance was proposed, discussed and agreed:
Presbytery accepts that discussions should be entered into, as soon as possible, to move to the disposal of Ladykirk and Fogo Churches to a Trust, or other body, acceptable to the General Trustees of The Church of Scotland. 2nd. February, 2016
This then was the situation when a draft basis of union was drawn up to incorporate Fogo Parish Church into Duns and District Parishes. The draft basis was, as all such bases have to be, approved by the Church of Scotland General Trustees, Law Department and Presbytery Planning Task Group.
Within the Draft Basis of Union there appears an important sentence:
There is a commitment to attempt to transfer ownership of Fogo Church to an appropriate Trust within the three years following the date of Union. Subject to the permissions of any new Trust so created, and so long as it continues to be appropriate, during the life-time of the current ministry services will continue to be provided at Fogo Church.
This Draft Basis received universal approval from the Church of Scotland, Presbytery and Kirk Sessions, but at the start of the week leading up to the weekend at which the Basis was to be voted on by the two congregations, Fogo and Duns and District, the Kirk Session of Duns and District pulled out concerned about the costs of the Fogo Church building in the future.
On 28th. June, 2016 The Rev. Dr. Adam Hood reported to presbytery in the following terms:
Dr. Hood said that the fifth deliverance brings the Basis of Unions back to Presbytery for a final time – this time, however, they are no longer draft bases but the actual basis on which everything will change on 1st. September. He could report that all congregational meetings had now been held and that agreement had been reached with them all. In addition the changes had received the approval of the General Trustees, the Ministries Council and the Church of Scotland Law Department. Presbytery’s agreement tonight would finalise these permissions.
He drew attention to one change which was highlighted in deliverance 6. Initially it had been proposed that Fogo Church be moved into a Trust and members of Fogo become part of Duns and District Parishes. However, during discussions it had become apparent that it would take a bit of time for this transfer of Fogo Church to be achieved and while initially Duns and District Parishes had felt able to take both the congregation and its building under their wing, further reflection had led the Kirk Session to the view that they would prefer not to unite with Fogo until its building had been disposed of. Further consultations (with assistance from both the Ministries Council and the Church of Scotland Law Department) have led to the proposal that, with the agreement of the congregation of Fogo, the congregation is taken into the Guardianship of Presbytery until such time as the future of the building is realised. Presbytery is asked to approve of this proposal as well as the appointing of an Interim Moderator and three assessor elders who each have special skills to assist the congregation particularly in property matters.
The following deliverance was agreed:
Presbytery agrees to take the congregation of Fogo Parish Church into the Guardianship of Presbytery until such time as the building of Fogo Parish Church has been moved into the ownership of an appropriate Trust. 28th. June, 2016.
This remains the position of the Presbytery of Duns even although the congregation has now been removed from Guardianship and continues as a congregation served by a non-stipendiary minister.