SRT General Report to 2004 General Assembly

Church of Scotland General Assembly 2004

General Report of the Society Religion and Technology Project

Board of National Mission

1.SRT Overview : Mission and Resourcing

The SRT Project is the Kirk's mission to the world of science, technology and the environment, addressing some of the most far reaching issues of our times. On GM crops, for example, SRT presents a special report to this Assembly in an Appendix, based on its engagement in a series of major recent developments, including the crop trials and a national debate. Indeed, our two main focuses of biotechnology and the environment seem to raise more questions of belief and morals than almost any other area in contemporary society. These are not often expressed in theological language, but it may be that secular society is now more openly and widely discussing theological questions in the context of technology than in the churches – questions about human nature, fallibility, sin, greed, our intervention in creation, material and spiritual life, the nature of human endeavour, the distortion of human potential, perfection, suffering, redemption and eternity. In engaging with technology as a Christian voice on top policy issues like cloning and GM crops, we are finding an open door to talk about deeper spiritual issues.

SRT also helps to guide, educate and resource the church and the people of Scotland in their communities. Currently, this is most clearly demonstrated in the Eco-Congregation Programme in Scotland, which SRT runs jointly, on behalf of the Scottish churches, with Keep Scotland Beautiful. In 2003 this partnership won substantial funding from the Scottish Executive's Sustainable Action Grants. Here too we are finding that getting our churches in 'green' order is a significant witness to a secular world which admits that it struggles to motivate people to change their lifestyles into more sustainable ways. SRT proposes a Church of Scotland Environmental Policy in a second Appendix.

2.SRT Moves to Edinburgh Science Campus

This year saw a major upheaval in SRT's work when it moved in October to temporary new premises of the Scottish Agricultural College (SAC) on the Edinburgh University Science campus at Kings Buildings, which it is leasing until March 2005. The move was prompted by the closure of during the Netherbow rebuilding. In 1991 the SRT Project moved from 121 George Street to as a strategic and visionary move out into the world, and placing the Kirk's mission to the sciences alongside its work in the arts world. It is hoped that SRT will be able to move back to in 2005, to take new opportunities for outreach and collaboration in this central location, including with the Scottish Churches Parliamentary Office. In the meantime our temporary location at the heart of one of Britain's top science research campuses is creating openings for SRT with the university and deepens existing links with SAC. SRT Director Dr Donald Bruce was recently made a Senior Honorary Fellow of SAC in recognition of a number of years work as ethical advisor to the College and a member of its council committees.

3.SRT's work in Biotechnology

SRT continues to have opportunities to engage at high levels nationally and internationally in policy issues including GM, the future of agriculture, cloning, stem cells, human genetics, science policy and public participation. For example, the Director was invited to address the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) on its role as a regulator, at its annual review conference for embryo research projects and fertility clinics. While expressing concern over how its broad remit on embryo stem cell research should be interpreted, he commended HFEA for its high international respect for fair and strict regulation and its response to public concerns in ruling that sex selection should only be done for medical reasons. This agrees with General Assembly motions of 2003 and 1996. At a European level, Dr Bruce addressed MEP's in Strasbourg, giving a Protestant view on the stem cells debate, in the context of the European Parliament's controversy with the EC on this hot issue. He gave the diversity within the Church of Scotland as an illustration of the variety of views held across Europe. SRT works ecumenically with other European churches in a bioethics working group of the Conference of European Churches (CEC), and presented the group's work on cloning and stem cells, genetic testing and predictive medicine to delegates at the July CEC General Assembly in Trondheim, and at a special conference on bioethics in Strasbourg for European church leaders. SRT look forward to continuing work with this ecumenical group, with its vital contacts with the European institutions and collaborations across the churches.

4.Partnerships

For years SRT was often a lone voice in the ethical and social implications of technology. Now it is a major growth area in the secular world. SRT increasingly sees the strategic value of partnership projects. In addition to gaining Eco-Congregation funding from the Scottish Executive, SRT is exploring collaborations with Edinburgh University's Innogen Centre for social science research in genomics. SRT has also been playing an important part in a pioneering initiative with the New Economics Foundation to develop new methods of participative democracy on technological issues, known as Democs, DEliberative Meetings Of CitizenS. It uses the method of a card game to give people the chance to work out and share their express on public policy issues, and to feed these into policy making bodies. It is designed to be used among friends in their own setting, say round the kitchen table or in the pub. A St Andrews theology class has used Democs to examine GM food issues; church groups in Corstorphine and Falkland have looked at stem cells. SRT was instrumental in creating a Democs game which was used as part of the national public consultation on GM crops. Democs has attracted considerable interest from Government departments as a new way to engage people whose voices do not tend to get heard. SRT is seeking to work with the Department of Environment and the Scottish Executive to develop a possible game for use in a forthcoming UK-wide consultation process on radioactive waste disposal.

5.Eco-Congregation

Congregational Involvement and Award-winning Churches

The past year has seen a real upsurge in congregations engaging with environmental issues through the Eco-Congregation Programme. Thirty-four Scottish congregations (31 of them Church of Scotland) are now officially registered and hundreds more have requested introductory materials. Eight congregations have gone on to receive Eco-Congregation Awards in recognition of their achievements, having increased their understanding of environmental issues in the context of Christian faith and taken practical actions to care for God's creation. These Churches represent the whole spectrum from large to small, urban to rural, isles to central belt, well-to-do areas to housing estates. Westray Church in Orkney is to be particularly commended for achieving complete self-sufficiency in renewable energy, through a combination of small-scale wind turbine, ground-source heat pump and a biodiesel generator. It is exciting to see the potential of renewable energy being realised in the churches.

Partnership Funding

Eco-Congregation Scotland is supported through a partnership between the Society, Religion and Technology Project and Keep Scotland Beautiful (KSB) and is coordinated jointly by Victoria Beale, the SRT Assistant Director, and Margaret Warnock, working for KSB. In April 2003 Eco-Congregation Scotland was awarded a three year grant from the Scottish Executive's Sustainable Action Fund. This is a real affirmation that the churches' role in practical environmental action is seen as making a significant contribution to sustainability in Scotland. It has made it possible for us to enhance our support to churches already involved and expand our series of regional workshops. This grant offsets half of the Board of National Mission's financial support for the SRT Assistant Director post.

Promotion and Support

Fourteen regional workshops have already taken place, helping churches to get started. Eco-Congregation has also been presented at three 'Church Without Walls' conferences, the Guild Conveners' Conference and to various smaller groups. Victoria has run a training session with the Stewardship Advisors on "Stewardship of Creation" and addressed theology students at the University of St Andrews. The new website includes all the necessary information and resource material and is working well both as a promotional tool and in supporting churches already involved. Many local authorities have recognized the value of the programme and offered support. Some are actively encouraging churches in their constituency to get involved. At the Scottish Sustainable Development Forum, Eco-Congregation was held up as an excellent example of engagement with a sector of Scottish society on sustainability issues. SRT will continue to contribute to the Forum through its working groups.

Why not get your church involved?

Many churches which have committed to caring for God's creation have discovered unexpected benefits. In some cases it has brought the church family closer together and renewed a sense of wonder and joy in worship. For others, it has given young people a role which they see as relevant to their own concerns. Nearly always it has been a positive witness to the wider community, sparking off renewed interest in the church. SRT encourages every church to become involved.

An Environmental Policy for the Church of Scotland

SRT works ecumenically on environmental issues through the Environmental Issues Network of CTBI and through the "Church and Society Network" of ACTS. Across the UK, denominations are now being encouraged to formulate their own environmental policy statements. Drawing together the reports and deliverances of General Assemblies of 25 years, SRT proposes a Church of Scotland Environmental Policy in a second Appendix.

7.Ecumenical Environmental Policy Work in Europe

In June, Victoria joined delegates from northern European churches in an ecumenical initiative to find ways to tackle North Sea environmental issues including fishing, sea-farming, oil and gas extraction, climate change, the petroleum industry, shipping and marine biodiversity. The resulting 'Geiranger Declaration' (www.kirken.no/english) challenges governments and churches to play their part in protecting both vulnerable ecosystems and coastal communities of the North Sea. Victoria is also the webmaster of the European Christian Environmental Network, which helps European churches work together on environmental issues. The Church of Scotland has endorsed a new World Council of Churches' campaign to raise with governments the impact of climate change, especially on the poor of the world. UK churches have also encouraged Christian Ecology Link's Operation Noah campaign for personal action and signing a climate covenant.

8.SRT Resourcing the Churches

In addition to Eco-Congregation, SRT is seeking to extend the dissemination of its overall work and its congregational contacts both within the Church of Scotland and with other Scottish churches. The SRT website continues to be a primary resource of information and insights on numerous issues. We are extending our range of the popular SRT information sheets available to congregations, and we are exploring other educational materials for both schools and church use. SRT contributed a talk on "Can we Trust Science - Genetics and our Human Future" for the National Mission apologetics audio tape Facing the Issues 2.

The SRT Associates scheme enables people to be kept more closely in touch with SRT's ongoing work via regular mailings of our reports, papers, talks, etc. In January 2004 SRT ran a Day Conference for its Associates. This included leading speakers on climate change and GM crops, a discussion on SRT's current and planned work, and a workshop to resource Associates to speak about SRT and the Eco-Congregation Programme.

From its inception, SRT has seen great importance in the ecumenical dimension both in Scotland and further afield. SRT's steering committee has always been ecumenical, and we actively seek to foster good relations with other churches. ACTS continues to see SRT as an important resource for the churches in Scotland. Many UK churches expressed their gratitude to SRT for its lead on issues like GM and cloning. Three smaller Scottish denominations together contribute financially to SRT about £2500 per year. One of these, the Scottish Episcopal Church has recently asked SRT to play more of a role in its work, and we are exploring how we may do so.

9.Conclusion

SRT's mission is to a crucial area of contemporary life whose challenges are currently presenting, perhaps more than almost any other area, open doors for presenting a Christian voice in the market place of world ideas. We believe the Society Religion and Technology Project is one of the most effective means of contemporary outreach of the Church of Scotland, working at the cutting edge of mission in a complex, post-modern, technological world.

10.Proposed Deliverance

1. Encourage the SRT Project in continuing its work of mission and witness nationally and internationally especially in issues of biotechnology, biomedicine and the environment.

Genetically Modified Food

2. Receive the report.

3. Urge HM Government not to allow the growing of herbicide tolerant GM oil seed rape, sugar beet or maize in the UK, and to focus GM research on products with immediate benefits to consumers or to developing countries.

4. Urge HM Government to comply speedily with the EC Directive requiring the labelling of foods of GM origin.

Eco-Congregation

5. Commend the SRT Project for gaining Scottish Executive funding to support the Eco-Congregation Programme, urge congregations to join the Programme and use its website, and urge those which have received introductory materials to register officially.

6. Congratulate the eight Eco-Congregation Award winning churches, particularly commend Westray Church for achieving complete self-sufficiency in renewable energy.

7. Encourage congregations to celebrate a period of "Creation Time" or "Creation Sunday" each year and urge that it be included in the Church of Scotland calendar.

Church of Scotland Environmental Policy

8. Adopt the Environmental policy 'Caring for the Earth', and endorse its policy objectives

9. Instruct members, congregations, presbyteries, employees and office managers to become aware of the objectives of the Environmental policy and integrate them both into the ongoing life of the Church.