Shortage of ministers leads to registrars training up for funeral services

A shortage of ministers and celebrants has seen council registrars training up to take funeral services in rural Argyll.

The pilot scheme is being trialed in Campbeltown, Kintyre, for six months.

But if it proves to be a success, it could be rolled out across Argyll and Bute.

The move could also create an annual revenue of £6,000 for the local authority.

Undertakers in Campbeltown called upon registrars for help after having to draft people in from outside the area to conduct funeral services.

It follows the retirement of two Church of Scotland Ministers in the town.

Highland Parish in New Quay Street and Lorne and Lowland on Longrow are due to amalgamate.

The other denominations in Campbeltown are St Kieran’s RC Church, Springbank Evangelical Church and the Free Church.

Proposals for the registrars to take non religious services were brought before the full council recently.

Councillor Donald Kelly said: “It’s a sad reflection of the times we live in that Campbeltown has gone from having five churches to this.

‘I would commend the registrars willing to do this’

“There are a lot of people who are of no faith or religion who need to be served. It is a service needed in Kintyre. I would commend the registrars willing to do this. There is a big difference between registering a death and actually taking a service.”

Jane Fowler, head of customer support services, said: “This has come from the registrars in Campbeltown as a result of undertakers approaching them.

“They have an enormous skill set to draw on. They can already undertake marriage ceremonies and register deaths. Both the manager of the service and myself will put in place guidelines and look at other councils which already undertake this work.”

What’s happening in Kintyre?

In the wider Kintyre area, Saddell and Carradale Parish Church at Dippen and Southend Parish Church are also currently without ministers.

Speaking after the meeting, Kenny Blair of TA Blair Funeral Services in Campbeltown said the days of one minister for each church are gone.

Mr Blair said: “All ministers are looking after a number of churches these days. It’s very difficult for them. They have got a lot of work and in rural places they have big geographical areas to cover.

‘It’s not easy for ministers’

“The ministers are so far stretched, it’s not easy for them. Not everybody wants funerals in churches anymore.”

He added: “We have always been able to get somebody. We have never been in a position where we have had to cancel a funeral.

“The ministers that are here do their utmost to serve the area. We have had retired ministers and ministers from other parts of Argyll stepping in to help out.

No humanist celebrants in Campbeltown

“We don’t have any humanist celebrants in Campbeltown. The registrars have stepped in and are being trained up as an alternative to having a religious service.”

The council said there is an increasing shortage of faith-based celebrants in other areas.

A Church of Scotland spokesman said: “The Presbytery of Argyll is aware of the pilot scheme proposed by Argyll and Bute Council and regard it as a short-term solution in an area where many people would usually choose a Church of Scotland funeral service.

Plans to merge

“The congregations of Campbeltown: Lorne and Lowland and Campbeltown: Highland have agreed to unite to form Campbeltown Parish Church and the new congregation, along with Saddell and Carradale and Southend, have voted to form a link.

“They will, within the next two weeks, receive permission to call and begin the search for a new minister.

New minister will be supported

“The minister will be supported by a Ministry Development Staff worker and there is scope to appoint a locally appointed reader, a ministry of the Church, or an Ordained Local Minister (OLM) to the team.

“The minister will be able to conduct funerals as will a reader or OLM and discussions are underway on the prospect of training lay people to also provide this service.

“We hope that the situation will become easier again during the course of the local authority’s six-month trial period.”

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