An Angus church will close next year unless it has an average congregation of more than 25 people.
In June the Kirk Session of the Glens and Kirriemuir Old Parish identified three churches to close in light of falling attendance number – Cortachy Church, Prosen Kirk and Memus Church.
However, the Kirk Session subsequently received letters and emails asking for Cortachy Church to remain.
A decision has now been taken to defer Cortachy’s closure until next June so the community can prove that it is still well used.
An average of 25 people – excluding the minister and organist – must attend each monthly service in order for the closure decision to be reconsidered.
Services will take place on the first Sunday of each month, except November. The church will be temporarily closed between February and March, before reopening in April.
Cortachy Church was built by the 7th Earl of Airlie, the sole heritor, in 1828 on the site of a previous church which overlooks the River South Esk, next to the gates of Cortachy Castle.
A Church of Scotland spokesman said: “The Kirk Session of the Glens and Kirriemuir Old Parish decided in June that in the light of falling attendance numbers Cortachy Church, Prosen Kirk and Memus Churches should close.
“Subsequently a number of letters and emails were received asking that Cortachy Church should be retained.
“The Kirk Session met last week and decided to defer the decision to close Cortachy until 30th June, 2017.
“Until that date there will be one service each month, on the first Sunday, after the end of August, 2016, with the exception of November 2016 and January, February, March 2017 when the Church will be regarded as closed and the heating system drained off.
“If the average attendance at the monthly morning service is 25 or more, excluding the minister and organist, the Kirk Session will review the decision.”
Requests for weddings at Cortachy after June 2017 will be granted on the understanding that an alternative venue will be offered if the church is closed.
In the event of the congregation exceeding 25 as a result of a baptism being conducted during one of the monthly services the attendance that day, for the purpose of computing the average attendance will be regarded as 25.
Designed by architect David Patterson, its exterior an elaborate Gothic Revival exercise in red sandstone and it has a seating capacity of 300.
Inside there are memorials to the 9th and 12th Earls and against the east gable is the Burial Aisle of the Airlie family.
There are currently no dates for the closure of Prosen Kirk and Memus Church. The decision will be taken by Presbytery in due course.
