The finalised mission plan has now been sent to Kirk bosses meaning congregations must merge and buildings closed – in some cases, within months – in an attempt to balance books.
With falling membership numbers and a shortage of people joining the ministry, the Church faces reduced income and resources to maintain its current infrastructure in Scotland.
Church leaders were tasked with coming up with mission plans to look at how they could continue to serve the people in their parishes.
This area is part of the Presbytery of Forth Valley and Clydesdale which was formed from the former Presbyteries of Falkirk, Hamilton and Lanark.
Kirk leaders had initially given a two year deadline to have plans agreed but this passed at the end of 2022 with no decisions made locally. The first planning group resigned and last September a draft plan was drawn up only to be revised again.
However, now the mission plan has been agreed and those responsible stated: “It’s not perfect (although we believe it better than what was presented in September). It includes some very hard choices. However, we do believe, as a group, that we now offer to you the best that we can give, within the constraints that we had, to shape the mission of our church.”
The General Assembly of the Church of Scotland said the presbytery could have 59.5 paid posts for ministers and staff such as deacons and assistant ministers.
There are currently 117 congregations and by 2027 these have to be reduced by more than half to just 47 to serve the 31,468 church members.
A reduction in the number of buildings, including places of worship and halls, must also take place and so far the presbytery has identified 80 to be kept, 53 to go and 24 where a decision has still to be made.
Locally, Falkirk Trinity will remain with a minister in the heart of the town, while Camelon, which in the draft plan was to be a union with Trinity, will now remain independent with a ministerial post. No decision has yet been made on the Camelon buildings.
Grahamston United is in the unique position of being part of a local ecumenical partnership but it has been agreed Bainford Parish Church congregation will join and its buildings closed.
In Grangemouth there will be two phases to the union with first a union with Zetland and Abbotsgrange, followed within five years with a union with Kirk of the Holy Rood. The B Listed Zetland church will be retained.
In the Lower Braes there will be a union within five years of Laurieston, Redding & Westquarter and Polmont Old, retaining the Redding church building and halls, along with the halls in Laurieston and Polmont.
In the Upper Braes there will be a union with Blackbraes & Shieldhill, Muiravonside, Brightons and Slamannan with a local mission church, which will see both Brightons and Slamannan church buildings retained.
In the west of the presbytery there will be a single united charge of Bonnybridge St Helen’s, Denny Old, Haggs, Denny Westpark and Dunipace. St Helen’s building will be kept but no decision on which of the Denny churches is retained has been made ahead of the union. The church halls in Haggs may be retained too.
Bo’ness Old and Bo’ness St Andrews will unite with the Old church being retained.
The draft plan had St Andrews West in Falkirk being dissolved but it will now be united with Larbert Old and Bothkennar & Carronshore. The Larbert Old church and halls will be retained.
Larbert East, Larbert West, Stenhousemuir & Carron and Airth will form a union, retaining the Larbert East church and halls.
Over the summer, the four churches have been holding joint Sunday morning services.
A spokesperson said: “At the first of these joint services on July 7 the Rev. Anne White of Larbert East emphasised that by loving Jesus Christ and seeking to love each other, then even those who are most widely separated can come together in Him. She also hoped that the members of the four churches would be holding out the hand of Christian friendship to each other, which was certainly the case in the very busy and noisy socialising over tea and coffee after the service.”
Previously there had been a joint elders’ conference in Falkirk Stadium where there was “lively discussion” about how the new church will proclaim the Christian message in varied and innovative ways.
The preparatory work will continue over the coming months up to Christmas and into 2025, during when it is hoped the new church will be launched.
The new church will have a new identity to reflect the history of the four existing churches and members have still to choose a new name.
Carol Sergeant, session clerk of Larbert West Parish Church, said: “There is a lot of excitement about the opportunities which will flow from sharing ideas and working together in the new church, tinged with an inevitable degree of sadness about losing the individual identities of the four existing churches.”
At the start of July around around 30 children and teenagers took part in the Going for Gold holiday club. Senga Smith, who led the club, said, “A great time was enjoyed by the children and helpers along with Oskar Forbes and Gregor McKay from Larbert Churches Youth Trust. A huge thank you to all who helped organise and everyone who came along to take part in the fun.”
Margaret Tooth, session clerk of Larbert East Parish Church, added: “We’re also delighted that we’re able to help our friends in Found Church over the summer period, who will be worshiping in the Larbert East building when the joint services are taking place elsewhere.
“Found Church normally holds two separate services with the children meeting elsewhere – this allows them to be together in one place, and emphasises the good relationship amongst our congregations.”