WHO’S WHO Rt Rev Alan D. McDonald Alan McDonald was called to the ministry after studying law at Strathclyde University and working as a solicitor in Glasgow. After graduating in divinity from New College, he stayed in Edinburgh, first as assistant minister at Greenside and then as a community minister in Pilton. He then spent fifteen years at Holburn Central, Aberdeen, before moving in 1998 to St Andrews, where he is minister St Leonard’s , linked with the rural parish of Cameron. For several years Alan was a member of the Church and Nation committee of the church and served as its convener from 2000- 2004, during which time he played a significant part in the church’s engagement with issues such as domestic abuse, sectarianism and the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. He has also served the wider church as a delegate to the first European Ecumenical Assembly in Basle and as an International Church Peace Monitor at the first democratic elections in South Africa. Alan is a familiar voice on BBC Scotland’s Thought for the Day and also finds time for golf, running, music, Aberdeen FC and his wife Judith, a GP, - but definitely not in that order. Alan and Judith have two grown up children, Neil who is a lawyer in London, and Alison, who works for a women’s refuge in Liverpool. Adrian Plass Adrian Plass is a writer and speaker who has produced more than twenty books. Best known of these is the Sacred Diary of Adrian Plass, a gentle satire on the modern church, which has sold more than a million copies worldwide. In recent years Adrian had been in great demand as a speaker and his work also includes contributions to national and local radio and television. He also speaks in connection with World Vision, raising the profile of their AIDS related work in Africa. A bemused Anglican, Adrian lives with his wife Bridget, whom he met at the Bristol Old Vic drama school, and their daughter Kate in a small market town near the South Downs in East Sussex. Three grown-up sons have now left home. His motivation is his love of Jesus and his passion is to communicate the need for reality in faith, and a truth he learned during an extremely difficult stage in his life: God is nice and he likes me May Nicholson May Nicholson has been involved in Christian community work for over twenty years. She has served as a parish outreach worker in Ferguslie Park, Paisley and as a project leader in Mid-Craigie, Dundee. As an adult worker in Linthouse with Glasgow City Mission, she recognised the need to expand her vision for the community. May is now the Project Leader of the Preshal Trust, undertaking a range of community based initiatives in outreach and inclusion in the Linthouse / Govan area. The Edinburgh Signing Choir Our programme today is enriched by contributions from the Edinburgh Signing Choir, led by Mary McDevitt. New Scottish Orchestra, We welcome members of the New Scottish Orchestra leading our praise today under the direction of Esther McColl The Guild Team: Convener, Lesley McCorkindale and Vice Convener, Ann Bowie, have planned today’s programme with the help of retiring Conveners, Norah Summers, Helen-May Bayne, Ella Burns and Esme Duncan. Taking part are current Conveners, Eleanor Cowie, Helen Lamb, Kathleen MacPherson and Janet Whyte , together with staff members, Alison Twaddle (General Secretary) and Fiona Punton (Information Officer).