SCOTS KIRK PARIS – Church Profile
Bonjour! The Scots Kirk Paris is the only congregation of the Church of Scotland in France. It has been in Paris for over 150 years and is located in the very heart of the city.
Under the International Presbytery’s Mission Plan, the Scots Kirk (SKP) is in a deferred linking with Scots International Church, Rotterdam. SKP is now looking for a part-time associate minister, at a stipend of 0.6 of the FTE (full-time equivalent) of the Church of Scotland stipend scale. The Kirk Session of SKP has chosen to depart from the Church of Scotland’s traditional position on same-sex relationships.
The new minister will build on a solid foundation and help the church expand its reach into this beautiful, vibrant and diverse city at the heart of Europe yet only 90 minutes from London.
The church has a history of witness – it features in “The Tartan Pimpernel”, Donald Caskie’s autobiography, and it is where Eric Liddell famously preached, instead of competing for a gold medal during the 1924 Paris Olympics, which inspired the film “Chariots of Fire”
The church is situated in a modern building in the very heart of Paris – a two minute walk from the Champs-Elysées. We are looking to become a key presence in the Christian community in the Paris area while rising to the challenges of being a city centre church.
Our strengths
Worship and Congregation
Worship is weekly on Sundays at 11am and typically lasts for an hour. We celebrate Holy Communion on the first Sunday of every month, as well as during the main Christian festivals.
We have a congregation of approximately 80 people, the average attendance being between 20 and 30, and up to 50 on special Sundays. Those who attend come from different nationalities, demographics, denominations and backgrounds, and the successful candidate must demonstrate experience in communicating and engaging with such a diverse congregation.
Generally speaking, there are three distinct groups:
The church aims to be a place where new arrivals to Paris can find a special welcome as big cities can be lonely and daunting at first. We attach particular importance to this “welcoming” aspect of our church life – especially as we, ourselves, were all newcomers at one point.
The majority of regular members live some distance from the church (45-60 mins drive) and many have a longer working day than in Britain, or travel frequently with work. These factors can make it difficult for them to come in from the suburbs to central Paris for weekday/evening meetings and this requires an entirely different way of engagement and communication compared to many Scottish parishes. It means too that the Sunday morning service is the focal point of our congregational life and makes it important that worship is a meaningful and relevant experience.
There are seven elders on Kirk Session, and an active Board of 11 members which meets regularly to deal with the administration of the Kirk. There is some overlap in membership, and the Session and Board work well together. Since COVID, our meetings have been held on ZOOM. This makes it easier to have more regular meetings, especially as most elders and Board members live far from the church, making it difficult to come into Paris on weekdays. However, some meetings still do take place at the church to discuss special issues that are better covered when we meet together in person.
We have a small number of children of school age who attend regularly and would welcome a weekly Sunday School, although it can be difficult to have continuity in the numbers. There is currently no Sunday school. Regular All-Age services have partly compensated for this but there are opportunities to explore ways of involving children more in the services – a minister who knows how to engage with children will find an appreciative audience. Crèche toys are available in the church hall before and during the service for the pre-school age.
Our Korean pianist is passionate about making use of the excellent piano. There is no choir or vocal group but a musical minister may be able to round up some volunteers, and this is something we would welcome!
Our congregation is committed to the care of God’s creation and makes every effort to ensure increased interest in our approach to ecological matters. We are registered as a Church of Scotland Eco Congregation.
What we are looking for - The Minister
The church has been in vacancy since February 2022 with worship led by a series of locums from Scotland and the USA. We currently have a small core of active members but we need to increase both numbers and involvement.
We are looking for someone with vision who can communicate their belief and inspire others through their understanding of faith in the modern world and its relevance to modern life and current events as seen from a French perspective. We need somebody with good people skills who can connect and relate to the diverse congregation, visitors and other groups, and feel at ease preaching to people of different backgrounds, nationalities and ages (including young people and children), for many of whom English may not be their first or even second language.
The new Minister should be comfortable and at ease with technology/audio-visual systems in worship services but also outwith Sunday services, as a means of reaching out to those not in church, particularly the younger generation. The church has a Facebook and X (Twitter) account through which regular members and visitors are kept updated, but we are conscious that young people are increasingly using other platforms, and we recognize that we need to continue to evolve to connect with them in the ways they prefer. In the past, services were uploaded on YouTube, and it is hoped that this medium can be used again.
Outreach
We are committed to the Five Marks of Mission. The church is located in a very prosperous area of the city centre, but there are pockets of extreme need as in any major city.
There is a major English-speaking community in Paris and the surrounding area. There are a number of English-speaking congregations (Church of England, Roman Catholic and American Episcopalian), however, the Scots Kirk is the only one to offer Reformed Presbyterian worship in English.
There are fewer weddings and funerals than might be the case in a traditional parish.
Because the congregation is small and there are very few mid-week “obligations”, the new minister will find lots of time for outreach and engagement with other groups. There is significant opportunity for outreach to the anglophone community.
The church also supports a number of projects by raising funds or making donations, projects such as:
Activities in the church
During the summer months we have barbecues on the patio after Sunday worship; Bring-and-Share “pot luck” lunches are held after the service on special occasions but could become more regular.
The church premises are used by many different groups, including:
Donations from these groups go to church funds and contribute significantly to our running costs. Apart from sharing the building, there is little other connection with these groups and there may be an opportunity to start to engage more with the various groups that use the church for their activities.
Church building
Our accessible church building is part of a modern complex, with a sanctuary designed to accommodate 100 people at basement level, and a hall looking onto a patio at ground level. The hall can be divided into two separate, soundproof units for smaller meetings. The building is purpose-built but DIY skills come in handy!
There is also a church office, kitchen, toilets and storage areas and the church has a lift.
Manse
The manse is a spacious, furnished apartment on the third floor of a traditional French “Haussman” building in the 9th arrondissement of Paris, in a very lively area well served by local shops and schools. The area can be seen on Google Maps by clicking here
The church is easily accessible by métro and bus and just a short drive away by car. The manse is also within walking distance of the Gare du Nord railway station, which provides good access to Charles de Gaulle airport by direct RER train service. Gare du Nord station is also well connected to London/Brussels/Amsterdam and the rest of Europe through the Eurostar and Thalys high speed trains which run from there.
The manse consists of:
The congregation meets the costs of the manse upkeep, property taxes, and local utilities (gas, electricity and water).
Car running expenses would be paid by the church.
Stipend and benefits
Congregations in the International Presbytery are required to be completely self-sufficient, meaning that the Minister's stipend will be paid entirely by local church funds. The congregation pays all local ministry costs including Social Security, top up medical insurance (“mutuelle”) to give extended cover, car expenses and reasonable running costs of the manse.
The Minister will contribute to and be covered by French Social Security (under a specific scheme for clergy of all denominations), providing basic old age pension, graduated pension and health benefits, which are recognised by the British Social Security for retirement benefit purposes. The stipend will be equivalent to approximately 0.6 FTE of the Church of Scotland stipend scale for a Full Time minister, taking into account that this is a part-time job in a different country so direct comparisons are difficult. The minister will be locally employed by the Kirk Session on a French employment contract. The legal French working week is 35 hours, so 0.6 FTE corresponds to 21 hours, although the minister should expect to be flexible at times according to need. A copy of the full Terms and Conditions of Service for ministers in charges in the International Presbytery can be provided on request.
The fact that the International Presbytery has given SKP permission to call a part-time, associate minister reflects the need and the opportunity in Paris. Whilst we have been granted permission to call, the Kirk in Paris is facing the same challenges, not least financial, as many congregations in the Church of Scotland and elsewhere.
French language and education system
All services at the Scots Kirk are in English. However, as the role of the new minister will be to represent us within the community at all levels, it is important that he/she should have a good knowledge of French (B2 level) to facilitate communication with local people and other churches. It is sometimes necessary to conduct baptismal, wedding or funeral services partly in French. It goes without saying that it will make life in Paris far easier and far more enjoyable if the minister has a reasonable knowledge of French.
Education in the French state school system is free and in French. English-language schools are mainly situated outside Paris and are rather expensive. Experience shows that young children adapt well to nursery and primary school education, learning French quickly and with seeming ease.
In Summary
This is a unique opportunity for the right person who feels called to Paris. We are looking for a minister who can build on a strong foundation and reach out in Paris and beyond. In order to do that, we wish to appoint a minister with energy, faith and vision, who will be able to embrace this challenge and move ahead with us in this new chapter in our church life. The challenging times we live in mean that church life and support are even more in demand.
NOTE TO APPLICANTS
Potential applicants who are not registered Church of Scotland ministers should in the first instance contact the Clerk of the International Presbytery of the Church of Scotland, Rev Derek Lawson ([email protected]) to confirm whether they are eligible or to find out what they would be required to do to become eligible.
Under the International Presbytery’s Mission Plan, the Scots Kirk (SKP) is in a deferred linking with Scots International Church, Rotterdam. SKP is now looking for a part-time associate minister, at a stipend of 0.6 of the FTE (full-time equivalent) of the Church of Scotland stipend scale. The Kirk Session of SKP has chosen to depart from the Church of Scotland’s traditional position on same-sex relationships.
The new minister will build on a solid foundation and help the church expand its reach into this beautiful, vibrant and diverse city at the heart of Europe yet only 90 minutes from London.
The church has a history of witness – it features in “The Tartan Pimpernel”, Donald Caskie’s autobiography, and it is where Eric Liddell famously preached, instead of competing for a gold medal during the 1924 Paris Olympics, which inspired the film “Chariots of Fire”
The church is situated in a modern building in the very heart of Paris – a two minute walk from the Champs-Elysées. We are looking to become a key presence in the Christian community in the Paris area while rising to the challenges of being a city centre church.
Our strengths
- Exciting location at the heart of Europe
- Diverse and multi-cultural congregation built around a solid core
- Modern church building and a central Paris manse
- Many opportunities for outreach and impact
- Involving children and non-regular members or those living at a distance
- Ensuring a solid financial footing for the future
Worship and Congregation
Worship is weekly on Sundays at 11am and typically lasts for an hour. We celebrate Holy Communion on the first Sunday of every month, as well as during the main Christian festivals.
We have a congregation of approximately 80 people, the average attendance being between 20 and 30, and up to 50 on special Sundays. Those who attend come from different nationalities, demographics, denominations and backgrounds, and the successful candidate must demonstrate experience in communicating and engaging with such a diverse congregation.
Generally speaking, there are three distinct groups:
- long term members who have settled in Paris
- those who have come for short periods ranging from a few months to several years, to study (including a number of PhD candidates) or to work with international companies/organisations
- a large number of visitors and holiday-makers to Paris, some of whom return regularly and who consider the SKP as “their church”
The church aims to be a place where new arrivals to Paris can find a special welcome as big cities can be lonely and daunting at first. We attach particular importance to this “welcoming” aspect of our church life – especially as we, ourselves, were all newcomers at one point.
The majority of regular members live some distance from the church (45-60 mins drive) and many have a longer working day than in Britain, or travel frequently with work. These factors can make it difficult for them to come in from the suburbs to central Paris for weekday/evening meetings and this requires an entirely different way of engagement and communication compared to many Scottish parishes. It means too that the Sunday morning service is the focal point of our congregational life and makes it important that worship is a meaningful and relevant experience.
There are seven elders on Kirk Session, and an active Board of 11 members which meets regularly to deal with the administration of the Kirk. There is some overlap in membership, and the Session and Board work well together. Since COVID, our meetings have been held on ZOOM. This makes it easier to have more regular meetings, especially as most elders and Board members live far from the church, making it difficult to come into Paris on weekdays. However, some meetings still do take place at the church to discuss special issues that are better covered when we meet together in person.
We have a small number of children of school age who attend regularly and would welcome a weekly Sunday School, although it can be difficult to have continuity in the numbers. There is currently no Sunday school. Regular All-Age services have partly compensated for this but there are opportunities to explore ways of involving children more in the services – a minister who knows how to engage with children will find an appreciative audience. Crèche toys are available in the church hall before and during the service for the pre-school age.
Our Korean pianist is passionate about making use of the excellent piano. There is no choir or vocal group but a musical minister may be able to round up some volunteers, and this is something we would welcome!
Our congregation is committed to the care of God’s creation and makes every effort to ensure increased interest in our approach to ecological matters. We are registered as a Church of Scotland Eco Congregation.
What we are looking for - The Minister
The church has been in vacancy since February 2022 with worship led by a series of locums from Scotland and the USA. We currently have a small core of active members but we need to increase both numbers and involvement.
We are looking for someone with vision who can communicate their belief and inspire others through their understanding of faith in the modern world and its relevance to modern life and current events as seen from a French perspective. We need somebody with good people skills who can connect and relate to the diverse congregation, visitors and other groups, and feel at ease preaching to people of different backgrounds, nationalities and ages (including young people and children), for many of whom English may not be their first or even second language.
The new Minister should be comfortable and at ease with technology/audio-visual systems in worship services but also outwith Sunday services, as a means of reaching out to those not in church, particularly the younger generation. The church has a Facebook and X (Twitter) account through which regular members and visitors are kept updated, but we are conscious that young people are increasingly using other platforms, and we recognize that we need to continue to evolve to connect with them in the ways they prefer. In the past, services were uploaded on YouTube, and it is hoped that this medium can be used again.
Outreach
We are committed to the Five Marks of Mission. The church is located in a very prosperous area of the city centre, but there are pockets of extreme need as in any major city.
There is a major English-speaking community in Paris and the surrounding area. There are a number of English-speaking congregations (Church of England, Roman Catholic and American Episcopalian), however, the Scots Kirk is the only one to offer Reformed Presbyterian worship in English.
There are fewer weddings and funerals than might be the case in a traditional parish.
Because the congregation is small and there are very few mid-week “obligations”, the new minister will find lots of time for outreach and engagement with other groups. There is significant opportunity for outreach to the anglophone community.
The church also supports a number of projects by raising funds or making donations, projects such as:
- a hostel for homeless men here in Paris, run by the “Missionnaires de la Charité”, which the church has been supporting for many years
- International Presbytery mission projects, selected annually by the Presbytery’s Mission and Creation Care committee
Activities in the church
During the summer months we have barbecues on the patio after Sunday worship; Bring-and-Share “pot luck” lunches are held after the service on special occasions but could become more regular.
The church premises are used by many different groups, including:
- a Korean Methodist congregation, on Sunday afternoons,
- two Sri Lankan congregations, also on Sundays – one early in the morning, before our own service and the other in the afternoon
- two AA groups, two Alanon groups, a French-speaking choir and an English-speaking Parents’ Support Group. These groups meet during the week and on Saturdays.
- Groups of musicians who hold classical concert series throughout the year, concerts are performed regularly in the sanctuary by both local and international musicians.
Donations from these groups go to church funds and contribute significantly to our running costs. Apart from sharing the building, there is little other connection with these groups and there may be an opportunity to start to engage more with the various groups that use the church for their activities.
Church building
Our accessible church building is part of a modern complex, with a sanctuary designed to accommodate 100 people at basement level, and a hall looking onto a patio at ground level. The hall can be divided into two separate, soundproof units for smaller meetings. The building is purpose-built but DIY skills come in handy!
There is also a church office, kitchen, toilets and storage areas and the church has a lift.
Manse
The manse is a spacious, furnished apartment on the third floor of a traditional French “Haussman” building in the 9th arrondissement of Paris, in a very lively area well served by local shops and schools. The area can be seen on Google Maps by clicking here
The church is easily accessible by métro and bus and just a short drive away by car. The manse is also within walking distance of the Gare du Nord railway station, which provides good access to Charles de Gaulle airport by direct RER train service. Gare du Nord station is also well connected to London/Brussels/Amsterdam and the rest of Europe through the Eurostar and Thalys high speed trains which run from there.
The manse consists of:
- Sitting room, dining room, and study
- 2 bedrooms (one with “en-suite” bathroom)
- Kitchen
- Laundry/shower room with separate toilet
The congregation meets the costs of the manse upkeep, property taxes, and local utilities (gas, electricity and water).
Car running expenses would be paid by the church.
Stipend and benefits
Congregations in the International Presbytery are required to be completely self-sufficient, meaning that the Minister's stipend will be paid entirely by local church funds. The congregation pays all local ministry costs including Social Security, top up medical insurance (“mutuelle”) to give extended cover, car expenses and reasonable running costs of the manse.
The Minister will contribute to and be covered by French Social Security (under a specific scheme for clergy of all denominations), providing basic old age pension, graduated pension and health benefits, which are recognised by the British Social Security for retirement benefit purposes. The stipend will be equivalent to approximately 0.6 FTE of the Church of Scotland stipend scale for a Full Time minister, taking into account that this is a part-time job in a different country so direct comparisons are difficult. The minister will be locally employed by the Kirk Session on a French employment contract. The legal French working week is 35 hours, so 0.6 FTE corresponds to 21 hours, although the minister should expect to be flexible at times according to need. A copy of the full Terms and Conditions of Service for ministers in charges in the International Presbytery can be provided on request.
The fact that the International Presbytery has given SKP permission to call a part-time, associate minister reflects the need and the opportunity in Paris. Whilst we have been granted permission to call, the Kirk in Paris is facing the same challenges, not least financial, as many congregations in the Church of Scotland and elsewhere.
French language and education system
All services at the Scots Kirk are in English. However, as the role of the new minister will be to represent us within the community at all levels, it is important that he/she should have a good knowledge of French (B2 level) to facilitate communication with local people and other churches. It is sometimes necessary to conduct baptismal, wedding or funeral services partly in French. It goes without saying that it will make life in Paris far easier and far more enjoyable if the minister has a reasonable knowledge of French.
Education in the French state school system is free and in French. English-language schools are mainly situated outside Paris and are rather expensive. Experience shows that young children adapt well to nursery and primary school education, learning French quickly and with seeming ease.
In Summary
This is a unique opportunity for the right person who feels called to Paris. We are looking for a minister who can build on a strong foundation and reach out in Paris and beyond. In order to do that, we wish to appoint a minister with energy, faith and vision, who will be able to embrace this challenge and move ahead with us in this new chapter in our church life. The challenging times we live in mean that church life and support are even more in demand.
NOTE TO APPLICANTS
Potential applicants who are not registered Church of Scotland ministers should in the first instance contact the Clerk of the International Presbytery of the Church of Scotland, Rev Derek Lawson ([email protected]) to confirm whether they are eligible or to find out what they would be required to do to become eligible.