CONGREGATIONS should consider selling the land given to them free of charge for their minister's horse or cow, the Church of Scotland's General Assembly was told.
Kirk commissioners at the annual gathering in Edinburgh were told this year that communities should consider selling land that brings back little or no return.
Much like the tradition of the manse, glebe land was for the minister to sustain his family and to help provide pastoral care.
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While good farmland can sell for around £10,000 per acre, the chairman of the trustees was pointing to less valuable tracts of land.
Land and buildings sales first must be approved by presbytery, a system which ensures correct scrutiny.
However, the ownership could be significant.
In 2014 a metal detector enthusiast in south west Scotland found the Galloway Viking Hoard on Church land, although the final value and the future of the find is not yet known.
Iain Douglas, chairman of the General Trustees of the Church of Scotland, said: "You may know that historically ministers, particularly in rural charges, were provided with a glebe - a field in which they could keep a horse, or graze a cow.
"Not many ministers do that today.
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"In total the Church holds about 12,500 acres of glebe land.
"Some glebes provide useful income to the consolidated stipend fund for congregations, but there are other glebes which yield only a very small return."
He said: "Consideration should be given to disposal of some of these glebes because if the proceeds of sale were invested in the Consolidated Stipend Fund the return to congregations would be better than the income generated from rental.
"Any glebes which are bringing in little or no income should be investigated by Kirk Sessions and discussed with our Glebes Committee.
"In some cases consideration should be given to disposal and investment of proceeds."
There are about 35 people, elders or ministers, from a wide variety of backgrounds and professions on the board of trustees.
They are appointed by the assembly to help congregations look after their property and include architects, surveyors, engineers, construction managers, project managers, farmers, land agents, accountants and solicitors.
They hold legal title to the majority of church properties, but it is presbyteries and not the trustees which decide which buildings are necessary and which buildings are not required.
Mr Douglas said: Over the years the administrative responsibilities of the General Trustees have increased and today we act on behalf of the General Assembly in various areas, which include authorising sales and lets of property, approving alterations to buildings, assisting local congregations with maintenance and improvement work and giving financial assistance in a number of ways."
He added: "Where glebes have potential development value it is important to be aware of this so that Kirk Sessions may give appropriate and timeous consideration to development options.
"There is some concern about glebes presently let under the 1991 Agricultural Holdings Act and how these may be affected by the Land Reform Bill Act currently going through passed by the Scottish Parliament on March 17 but yet to come into force.
"Details of the legislation are not yet clear but The General Trustees are continuing to monitoring this."
There are also 800 manses around Scotland that need maintained, the trustees said during the last day of the week-long Kirk gathering.
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