ENI—To stem a nationwide shortage of full-time clergy, the Church of Scotland is considering the use of “virtual ministers” who would preach over a live video link to congregations that do not have a permanent minister.
Gordon Bell, media relations officer with the church, said the link would be especially useful for reaching isolated island congregations. “We think this is not only a first for Scotland but also a first for the whole of the United Kingdom.”
There are presently an estimated 190 full-time vacancies for clergy across Scotland, which has a population of 5.1 million.
