In a rare move by the Church of Scotland, the congregation of Renfrew Old Parish Church is to be dissolved.
A meeting of Greenock and Paisley Presbytery has ratified the move, first revealed by the Evening Times earlier this month.
Ministers and church elders met in Bishopton to debate plans which will see the number of ministries in the area cut from 52 to 41 to save money.
But Renfrew Old Parish Church, which celebrates its 150th anniversary this year is the only church to be dissolved.
It is earmarked to close for good by 2018 when its current minister the Rev Lilly Easton retires.
The Rev Easton still has a glimmer of hope for her congregation, who have been left devastated by the news.
She said: "The congregation are bound to feel a sense of loss, and it is a difficult time,it's too early to say what's going to happen."
Renfrew Old Parish Church, in the town's High Street, is known for its 170ft steeple. The building needs in excess of £1 million worth of repairs, which is why it has been chosen for closure. There are two other Church of Scotland churches in the town.
The church has a pew where Queen Victoria used to worship on her visits to local MP Lord Blythswood and it sits on a site which has been used for religious worship since the 12th Century.
Among a list of other proposals also agreed by presbytery were the merging or linking of some parishes and changes to boundaries for others.
It follows a call from the Church of Scotland's General Assembly last year to cut 1200 ministry posts in a bid to save money.
During an extended presbytery session, the debate turned to the Church's financial situation.
Rev James Munro, of Hamilton-Bardrainney Parish Church in Port Glasgow, asked "whether this proposed plan is financially driven or alive and inspired from Mission."
In response, Rev Andrew MacLean, convener of the committee who came up with the plan, said: "With my hand on my heart I cannot say that the presbytery planning process doesn't have a financial motivation.
"Everybody in this room knows that the Ministeries Council is hemorrhaging money, and that the council is supporting more ministeries than it can afford."
However, Mr MacLean said the Presbytery faced an "absolute instruction" from the General Assembly to reduce the number of ministeries in the area, and that as a result difficult decisions had to be taken.
After the meeting, Mr Munro said the agreed plan was going to "sadly curtail" church activity in areas of social deprivation.
He added: "The rich churches will continue on their sweet way but if you are set in an area of social deprivation your opportunity for mission to that needful community can be sadly curtailed. Remarkably few ministers feel called to such needful areas ."
The plan agreed by Presbytery now has to be approved by the Church of Scotland Minsiteries Council.
ewan.fergus@ heraldandtimes.co.uk
