Minister faces the sack for refusal to live in his manse

Published on Thursday 12 November 2009 08:34

A CHURCH minister is facing the threat of the sack for refusing to live in his Edinburgh manse.

The Rev John Munro, minister at Fairmilehead Parish Church, is accused of breaking Church of Scotland regulations by opting to live in his own house instead and will face a "trial" in front of Kirk officials tomorrow.

If the case goes against him, he could face censure, suspension or even end up being fired.

Mr Munro, 60, lived in the eight-room manse in Braid Crescent, Morningside, for five years but it is understood his wife never liked the house. After Mr Munro's mother died in 2005, they sold her house in Comely Bank in order to buy a property in the Braids about 500 yards from the manse.

Neither the church nor Mr Munro would comment ahead of the hearing, but one of Mr Munro's supporters, who asked not to be named, said: "This is about someone's human right to enjoy a family life and home.

"His wife doesn't want to live in the manse and he wants to be a good husband. The church authorities don't seem to grasp that."

The Munros' house is smaller but has a driveway, garage and a bigger garden. Mr Munro still uses the manse as an office, working there each day. An American assistant minister, appointed to Fairmilehead for a year, is living there as a guest.

The congregation is happy with Mr Munro's arrangements, but the Church of Scotland's Edinburgh presbytery has ordered him to move back into the manse.

Tomorrow, the Kirk's Commission of Assembly – a 100-strong body set up to deal with internal disputes on behalf of the General Assembly – will hear Mr Munro's case at a special meeting in St Cuthbert's Parish Church.

The argument is expected to centre on differing interpretations of the wording of the Kirk's regulations. They say: "A minister has the right to live in the manse and a corresponding duty to occupy it".

Mr Munro is expected to argue he does "occupy" the manse because he is the one who has possession of the property and he works there every day.

But the presbytery will quote legal opinion from the church's law expert that any definition of "living in", "residing in" or "occupying" must consider issues such as "number of nights spent in the house; where an individual keeps his clothes and other possessions; where he carries out the activities of daily living (eg bathing, laundry, cooking and eating)".

The row could become a test case.

A presbytery insider said the church provided manses so ministers could move parishes without having to worry about the cost or availability of housing.

He said ministers were not taxed on their manses because they were seen as part of their job and any change in that status could cost the church a fortune.