Organisation
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THE MODERATOR
On this page you can find information about the annual
appointment of Moderator of the General Assembly of
the Church of Scotland, including:
Roles and duties
Moderator 2008 to 2009: biography
Selecting a Moderator
Historic appointment
Role and duties
Meetings of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland
are chaired by the Moderator of the General Assembly.
He or she leads daily worship, keeps order, rules on points
of order, and signs documents on behalf of the Assembly.
The role is an honorary one, held for 12 months.
After the Assembly, the Moderator spends much of the rest of his or her time
in office travelling as a Church representative in Scotland,
other parts of the UK, Ireland and overseas in an ambassadorial
capacity. Every Moderator carries out a series of visits
to several Church of Scotland presbyteries, as well
as undertaking a number of international tours.
Regular features on his/her itinerary are visits to
one of the armed forces and a stay in London around
St Andrew's Day (30 November), which includes a meeting
in Downing Street with the Prime Minister. The Moderator
also visits the Scottish Parliament. The Moderator has
two chaplains who assist him or her in preparing for
the General Assembly and provide support throughout
Assembly week. Where possible, the Moderator's spouse
often invited to accompany him or her on official visits.
For more information about the Moderator's engagements
over the coming weeks, click
here to visit our news pages where you can read
his diary.
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Moderator of the
General Assembly
2008 to 2009
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The Moderator for 2008 to 2009 is the Right Rev
David Lunan, Clerk to the Presbytery of Glasgow.
Mr Lunan's biography is available to read
here .
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David Lunan
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Selecting a Moderator
Every year in October, a committee of the Assembly meets
in Edinburgh to nominate the person who will be presented
as Moderator Designate to the General Assembly the following
May. Once the nomination has been accepted on the opening
day of the Assembly, the person concerned is elected Moderator
of the General Assembly.
If he or she is a minister, they are addressed as the
Right Rev until his or her moderatorial year ends
with the election of a successor. A former Moderator,
who is a minister, is referred to as the
Very Rev.
Please note:
- The correct title is Moderator
of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland,
or Moderator of the General
Assembly- not
'Moderator of the Church of Scotland'.
- The Moderator is not
the head of the Church: the Church of Scotland holds
that Jesus Christ is 'the King and Head of the Church'".
- The Moderator is not
the leader of the Church of Scotland, or its spokesperson.
When asked for an opinion on important issues, the
Moderator is expected to have in mind the views of
the General Assembly or the relevant Church board
or committee.
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Historic appointment
Dr Elliot
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In 2005, for the first time in the
Kirk's history, both nominees for the role were
female. There is no bar to the election of a female
minister, or to a male or female elder or deacon.
The last elder appointed to the role was around
500 years ago. Click here
to read more about women in the Kirk. |
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