Upcoming retirement of ageing ministers leads church online, writes Ken Mann

Over time our lives have become differently regulated. Summer holidays for the masses don't have to be taken in the once obligatory Fair Fortnight and television viewing no longer stops abruptly at midnight with a rendition of the national anthem.

There are other changes to customs once considered part of the fabric of family life.

For instance, this evolution in social trends, options, commitments and expectations is reflected in the dwindling number of attendees at formal religious gatherings, as recorded by several faiths.

However, this is not the chief reason why the Church of Scotland (CoS) has, in an apparent contradiction of this position, resorted to modern technology to amplify the "calling" for desperately needed new ministers.

Using social media video communication, it is promoting a new recruitment campaign which will be available to share from Sunday and will be launched in front of 3,000 Church members at the Heart and Soul Festival in Edinburgh's Princes St Gardens.

The video has been designed to inspire "a new generation of leaders in the church", as the news release puts it. Perhaps, in light of dwindling numbers of visible followers, you might wonder why it has embarked on a programme that seems at first glance to over-gear its headcount costs relative to demand.

Indeed, were it not for an employment dilemma it shares with the construction sector, it would be all the more puzzling as The Kirk has already embraced simple economics by creating joint charge congregations, where the spectre of red ink on balance sheets necessitates urgent action at more marginal locations - at the same time temporarily easing its human resource problem.

The fact of the matter is that CoS has realised that in the next decade large numbers of knowledgeable, experienced parish ministers will be due to retire, leaving a void in the pool of available and appropriately-qualified talent.

But some may be surprised at the level of practical enterprise The Kirk is demonstrating in addressing the issue, delivering a seminal lesson to the construction industry's senior managers who have been bleating about growth strangulation resulting from skills shortages.

The latter wants more government assistance, while neatly sidestepping the fact that it did little on its own to combat the situation before a mini-crisis arose.

Those adhering to the school of thought that confines belief in a God to the realm of ethereal conjecture will be particularly startled at this sleeves-rolled-up approach.

Yet that ignores an often forgotten side to a minister's job.

Speaking personally, I have evolved from being a youngster who went - or more accurately, was sent - to Sunday School at two small village churches in the Carse of Gowrie, to become the atheist I am today. I haven't "lost my way", I just believe I am a biological occurrence here to party while the going's good.

But it was when I was organising the separate funerals of my parents some years ago, and in line with their wishes, that the breadth and useful depth of a minister's job description hit home.

Like many, I was unprepared for the worst. Funeral directors, registrars and Department of Work & Pensions representatives performed their own functional tasks with aplomb and unruffled dignity. However, the overarching font of all relevant knowledge and guide for the appropriate directions in which I might travel was the parish minister - two ministers in my case - to whom I remain indebted for their pragmatic counsel. In neither case was I treated as a captive audience for any arguably deeper messages.

The Tomorrow's Calling production has been assembled to capture the commitment of parish ministers serving their communities - in Scotland and beyond. The video challenges what the Kirk refers to as "outdated stereotypes" by featuring a selection of its 800 ministers, including one of the youngest - 26-year-old Rev Michael Mair, who serves at St David's, Broomhouse in Edinburgh.

"Being a minister is a phenomenal role to play in the community. You get to journey with people through the highs and lows of life," he says. "There's nothing else like it."

Incoming Moderator, Rev Dr Angus Morrison clearly has high hopes for the recruitment move. "It's a bold step which is vital for the future of our national Church," he insists. "We need leaders who will champion our work. Our 400,000 members are the backbone of their communities, providing millions of hours of voluntary service in social clubs for young and old, helping run foodbanks and innovative projects such as supporting those suffering dementia. Our parish ministers bring imagination, creativity and the love of Christ to those who need it."

The Kirk notes that these portions of a minister's job have rarely been publicised at careers fairs or within recruitment pages.

I'm sure the views of this non-believer, no matter how supportive of the utility of a minister's role, will fail to correct that situation to the entire satisfaction of Church members among the current 1,400 Church of Scotland congregations.

But based entirely on its worth to a large slice of society, I genuinely hope this is one job that evolves with its day-to-day impact still in alignment with ongoing practical need.