Cookies

We use cookies to improve your experience of using our website. Please let us know if you agree to the use of these cookies.

No, take me to settings
The Church of Scotland
  • Skip to content
  • Donate
  • Home
  • About us
  • Worship
  • Get involved
  • News and events
  • Resources

You are here:

  • Home
  • >About us
  • >Our departments
  • >Faith Action Programme and committees
  • >Committees
  • >Registration of Ministries Committee

Registration of Ministries Committee

Remit

The Registration of Ministries Committee shall deal with various applications related to the Registration of Ministry. Refer to the Registration of Ministries Act (Act II 2017).

Membership

The Committee is appointed by the General Assembly as a Standing Committee, in terms of the Standing Orders of the General Assembly and shall be a committee of five persons, consisting of a Convener, Vice-Convener and three other members. One member shall be appointed by the Legal Questions Committee, one by the Faith Nurture Forum (formerly the Ministries Council), and the other three members shall be appointed by the General Assembly on the nomination of the Nomination Committee. The General Assembly shall appoint a Convener and Vice-Convener, both of whom shall be proposed by the Nomination Committee and selected from its own three nominees. The three nominees proposed by the Nomination Committee shall include one member who is legally qualified, at least one Minister of Word and Sacrament, and at least one elder. The following persons shall also attend the Committee ex officiis in an advisory capacity (i) one or other of the Clerks of the General Assembly and (ii) the Secretary to the Faith Nurture Forum. These persons shall not be members of the Committee.

Membership 2023/24:

  • Rev Robert Hamilton (Convener)
  • Rev Hilary McDougall (Vice Convener)
  • Mr John Ritchie
  • Mrs Barbara Finlayson
  • Mr Richard Henderson

Areas of Work

The Committee shall receive the following:

  • Application for Category O Registration. The application form requires Presbytery to read and sign the completed form prior to submission. This is normally done by either the Presbytery Clerk or another designated person within presbytery.

    On submission of an application for inclusion in Category O, the applicant will normally be invited to attend for interview on the corresponding Decision Date. Presbytery also has the opportunity to make representation on that date should it wish to do so.
  • Applications from individuals registered in Category S
  • Applications for change of Category of registration from persons who left a post for reasons of ill health

Where the Act specifies that a Presbytery may comment on a particular application, a representative of that Presbytery shall be entitled to attend the relevant Hearing. In the event of a Presbytery representative failing to attend, the Committee shall be entitled to proceed with the Hearing.

Following a Hearing

Following discussion of an individual's application with the Committee, an applicant will receive an email or letter within 10 working days advising of the outcome. Please note that the Register is held electronically and a certificate or extract from the Register is not issued at this point but an extract of a person's own entry on the register can be requested direct from the Registrar at RegistrationofMinistries@churchofscotland.org.uk

NOTE: At the point someone is invited to preach as sole nominee, the individual should make written request to the Faith Nurture Forum, which will provide a certified extract of his or her entry on the Register of Ministry. The extract shall be valid for a period of two months after which time it is thought to have expired and should a further extract be required then this will be provided on request.

For the avoidance of doubt, expenses incurred for applicants and Presbytery representatives in attendance at an interview with the Registration of Ministries Committee will not be reimbursed by the national Church. It may be that application for assistance towards any costs incurred could be made to the Presbytery through which the applicant is registered, but this would be according to any arrangements made at Presbytery level.

REGISTRATION OF MINISTRIES MEETING DATES 2024 - 2025

Deadline for Submission

Date of Meeting

May 28th 2025

June 4th 2025

August 27th 2025

September 17th 2025

November 19th 2025

December 3rd 2025

January 28th 2026February 11th 2026
March 25th 2026

April 8th 2026

Contact for Information

Email the Clerk of the Committee at RegistrationofMinistries@churchofscotland.org.uk or contact the Church's offices in Edinburgh.

  • Return from Suspension Application Form
  • Application for Category O
  • Application for Category O

In this section

  • Our faith
  • Our views
  • Our structure
  • Our departments
    • Church property
    • Communications
    • Faith Action Programme and committees
      • Children and young people
      • Committees
        • Assembly Business
        • Ecumenical Relations
        • Forces Chaplains
        • Legal Questions
        • Nomination Committee
        • Theological Forum
        • Registration of Ministries Committee
        • Audit Committee
      • Councils
      • Equality, Diversity and Inclusion group
      • Faith Action Programme Leadership Team (FAPLT)
      • Forums
      • Priority Areas
      • Scottish Faiths Action for Refugees
      • Stamp Appeal
      • The Faith Action Plan
    • General Trustees
    • Housing and Loan Fund
    • Human Resources Department
    • IT Department
    • Law Department
    • Safeguarding Service
    • Service Departments
    • Stewardship
    • Stewardship and Finance
    • Stewardship Finance and Trusts
  • General Assembly

General

  • Vacancies and volunteering
  • Properties for sale
  • Historical records
  • Life events

Inside the Church

  • Forums, committees and departments
  • General Assembly
  • Safeguarding Service
  • National Stewardship Programme

Privacy and cookies

  • Privacy centre
  • Data Protection
  • Your rights and choices
  • Cookie policy and settings

Get in touch

  • Contact us
  • Departmental contacts
  • Media enquiries
  • Complaints

Copyright, sitemap and technical information

  • Scottish Charity Number SC011353
  • Copyright © The Church Of Scotland, 2025. All Rights Reserved
  • Facebook
  • X
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
  • News feed (RSS)
  • Linkedin