This Committee is charged by Presbytery with:

1. Carrying out the instructions of the General Assembly of 1990 to the Board of Ministry to have in place by 1st September 1991 a scheme whereby a Pastoral Advisor would be available for ministers in the first five years of their ministry. This Committee performs this function in this Presbytery, in accordance with the following guidelines:

• Oversight of Congregations within the bounds. Normally this is achieved through the five-yearly visit of each Congregation by a small team of visitors appointed by Presbytery on the recommendation of the Oversight Committee.  This team, with the minister and office-bearers of the congregation, looks at the life, witness and welfare of the minister, the congregation, and the parish, and reports to Presbytery. The Committee also provides support for any congregation experiencing difficulties and can draw on the expertise of Presbytery in this aspect of its work

• Dealing with requests for Sabbatical Leave.

• The Annual Inspection and Attestation of Records: The following records are inspected annually by Presbytery.

• Communion roll

• Baptismal register

• Kirk Session minutes

• Transference certificate book

• Financial court minutes (e.g. church Board)

• Child protection records.

• In addition, “Properties and Glebes” attest the Property Register.

Presbytery, through its Oversight Committee, states a date, place and time when these records are inspected. Apart from it being good manners, it is essential to the smooth running of Presbytery that this date is adhered to. The records are attested for each calendar year.

How to keep these records satisfactorily.

Communion Roll : This is such a helpful tool for churches. It should be kept neatly and up to date.  If the roll is kept electronically a printed copy (for the calendar year) should be available for attestation and then filed by the Kirk Session. {This is the membership roll for churches who no longer use cards}

Baptismal Register: Baptismal Registers are available from 121. The appropriate information should be given and each baptism signed by the minister performing the sacrament. (note : it is no longer necessary to include “father’s profession” which appears in older books.) These are among the best kept records in the country and are often used to trace people’s heritage.

Kirk Session Minutes:  These should be kept neatly in a bound book with pages numbered consecutively.  Each minute should be signed by the moderator of the meeting and the session clerk. If a new page is started for each meeting a diagonal line must be drawn across any unused space under the signatures.  Records should be free from blotting and underlinings. Insertions should be initiated by the clerk and deletions by the clerk and moderator. Deletions should be made by a single line so that the words deleted can still be read. If minutes are kept in loose-leaf form, the first word on each page should also be the last word on the previous page. Each page should be initialled by the moderator. As Kirk Session meetings take place within an act of worship, minutes should reflect this by stating (at least) that the meeting opened and closed with prayer. The topic of discussion should be clearly headlined or inserted in the margin. The minute appointing the presbytery elder will be attested as will be the attestation of the role on 31st Dec.

Transference Certificate Book: It is the duty of the roll keeper to keep this up to date. “Church lines” are not the property of the member but of the church at large. The book should show clearly to which church the member has transferred.

Financial Court Records: (See Kirk Session Records).

Child Protection Register: These have been demanded by the Scottish Office and every church MUST adhere to the keeping of accurate records. Those who have completed training should be added and those who have left the church removed. The Kirk Session should inspect these records and a minute that this has been done should appear in the Kirk Session minutes. {Any church leaders who are unclear about Child Protection Procedure should contact Presbytery’s Education committee.}

Convenor: Rev. Donald McCorkindale 2006; Vice-Convenor: Rev. V McKay (2004)