A shake-up of Lanarkshire churches could be set to take place.
Four places of worship in the Rutherglen and Cambuslang area are to pool their resources and form a cluster to develop a mission plan for their future amid "unprecedented change".
The group comprises Burnside Blairbeth, Stonelaw, Flemington Hallside and Cambuslang Parish Church, and the proposals will see a cut in the number of staff serving the four congregations, from five to three-and-a-half.
The Kirk in Scotland has been facing a decline in numbers for years now, as well as difficulties with the availability of ordained ministers.
An online post from Scott Hamilton, the session clerk at Cambuslang Parish Church, stated: "This has been a necessary step to try to address the significant changes in the church going population and the availability of ordained ministers and other centrally funded posts.
"Within our cluster we currently have equivalent five full time centrally funded posts. Under the proposed new plan this will be reduced to equivalent three-and-a-half full time posts.
"These changes will not happen overnight, and further discussion is still to be had as to how we as a cluster feel these posts can best be used within our cluster."
A Church of Scotland spokesman said: “The Presbytery of Glasgow, like all Church of Scotland presbyteries, is currently consulting on a draft mission plan to determine how limited resources should be allocated to congregations over a five-year period.
"It is a road map for a realistic new era of mission to ensure that the Church is fit for purpose and to help congregations focus on outreach opportunities and new ways of nurturing disciples.
"The number of ministers in the Church of Scotland is declining and therefore ministry resources available to all presbyteries in the years ahead has reduced.
"Churches in Glasgow are working together in clusters to determine how best to utilise resources in order to increase engagement and service to people in the area."
The spokesman added: "The mission plan is a work in progress and no final decisions have been made about how a reduction in ministry allocation will impact local congregations but the Presbytery of Glasgow expect this work to be completed towards the end of the year.
"Mission plans must be agreed by all presbyteries, the Faith Nurture Forum and the General Trustees of the Church of Scotland by the 31st of December, 2022."
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