Kirks should merge

I must applaud Kathleen Manning for her temerity on a touchy subject (Letters, 24 November).

Here in Troon we have three Church of Scotland churches within 200m of each other. Each is half full on a Sunday. Despite this, the elderly congregations on fixed incomes have to raise their givings to pay for the salary of minister, secretary, organist, beadle and cleaner, plus the maintenance and heating of old and draughty buildings. The three ministers in Troon occupy large manses which require regular maintenance.

The situation is a nonsense. Any large business would never keep three premises in a small town within a stone's throw of each other. Why then does the Church of Scotland drag its feet when amalgamation is so urgently needed?

MARGARET ROBERTSON
Hunter Crescent
Troon, Ayrshire


Kathleen Manning is correct that the Kirk's difficulty maintaining buildings should be an opportunity to shed many unsuitable cash-guzzling white elephants. Many large, crumbling churches were built as status symbols, and were never full even when new. Large halls to use for a couple of hours on a Sunday are not hard to come by.

Unfortunately, some church-goers who wouldn't cross the road to defend the gospel will battle heroically to save buildings, forgetting that God does not dwell in "temples made with hands".

RICHARD LUCAS
Cowan Road
Edinburgh