Tributes paid to ‘humble Christian servant Lord Wallace at Orkney funeral service

Rt Hon Lord Wallace of Tankerness KC (Jim Wallace) has been remembered as a "thoughtful, prayerful, humble Christian servant" who became the public face of the Church of Scotland during one of its most challenging years.

His funeral service was held at St Magnus Cathedral in Kirkwall, Orkney this morning – 10 February - following his sudden death at the end of January aged 71.

A Liberal Democrat life peer and former Deputy First Minister of Scotland, Lord Wallace was the Moderator to the General Assembly in 2021-2022 as the Kirk faced the challenges of COVID-19 and major structural reform.

His funeral was led by Rev Dr Marjory MacLean, who served as one of his chaplains in his moderatorial year during which he encouraged ministers and congregations and spoke out on issues important to the Church and its mission to follow and proclaim the example of Jesus Christ.

Delivering a homily, she said: "If I were permitted only one sentence to sum up Jim Wallace's lifelong service in the Church of Scotland, it might be ‘in the middle of the pandemic, and consequently designing a unique and rather tricky General Assembly, the Church of Scotland nominated, as its Moderator, a politician'.

"You couldn't make it up, could you?

"Jim's appointment as Moderator was the most visible year of a life of Church involvement as a member, elder, commissioner to the General Assembly long before he chaired it, member of various church choirs including somehow at the time of his death simultaneous membership of choirs in two cathedrals, here and in Dunblane.

"And to the pinnacle-task, the moderatorship, he brought his wealth of knowledge of public life, all the contacts and instincts and understandings garnered over years at the heart of the dynamic of modern Scotland, but also a wealth of knowledge of Scotland's spiritual life from the perspective of a thoughtful, prayerful, humble Christian servant."

Lord Wallace was only the second elder in modern times to take up the role as Moderator of the General Assembly.

He grew up in a Christian family – a so-called "cradle Presbyterian" – and his late father John was an elder at Annan Old Parish Church in Annan, Dumfries and Galloway for 64 years.

In his youth, Lord Wallace was a member of the Boys Brigade, involved with Scripture Union and was confirmed in the faith while a law student at Cambridge University in 1973.

Ordained as an elder in what was St Bernard's Church in Stockbridge, Edinburgh in 1981, he became a member of the Session of St Magnus Cathedral in 1990.

Dr MacLean said: "It seemed to me that Jim's moderatorial year had two particular markers.

"One was that ability to draw people together to achieve good things, and it was striking how often he and (his wife) Rosie would visit a congregation or parish and have some connection in the area, some pre-existing knowledge of the community assets and energies there were.

"The other marker was a stubborn refusal ever quite to believe that he could preach and lead worship as well as a minister, when in fact he did so better than many.

"For preach he certainly could, with a gentle firmness and open-minded clarity that brought both comfort, and if necessary discomfort, to ears all around the Church, not least here in St Magnus where he has contributed to the online worship and meditations in recent times.

"I think though that today we naturally celebrate the Christian example he gave in the integration of faith and life, of theology and political principle, of worship and the bearing of the responsibilities of state. That was him."

Lord Wallace was the leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats from 1992-2005 and served as Deputy First Minister in the Scottish Executive from 1999-2005.

He was acting First Minister following the death of Donald Dewar in 2000 and resignation of Henry McLeish in 2001.

Lord Wallace took up his seat in the House of Lords in 2007 and served as the Advocate General for Scotland in the coalition UK Government 2010-15.

Dr MacLean said: "The Gospel of Jesus Christ we asked Jim to represent as Moderator is often referred to as the Gospel of Grace.

"A pocket-sized definition of ‘grace' might be ‘the spiritual quality of the person who treats others better than self and better than they deserve'.

"So, a politician of grace, regardless of nation served or party affiliation, is one who leads with generosity, not judgement, is one who wishes to be useful, not great,

"Is one who would confess moral error as soon as he or she realised it, rather than wait for nearly twenty years hoping not to be caught.

"Is one who tries to find kinder ways to include people, not more efficient ways to exclude them.

"And a politician of Christian grace, regardless of party affiliation, is one who does not resent being confronted by the more difficult questions the Gospel asks him or her, and, above all, trusts in the promise that, after the worst of mistakes and foul-ups, Christ will lift us back onto our feet, so that there's never anything to lose by trying.

"I'm working on the instinct that Jim would want me to commend the Christian faith to those who have gathered in this Cathedral or online to celebrate all that he was.

"I can only commend it, Jim Wallace lived it, thanks be to God."

The current Moderator of the General Assembly, Rt Rev Rosie Frew, was unable to attend the service and was represented by one of her predecessors in the role, Professor Sir Iain Torrance.

He joined friends, family and former Scottish Liberal Democrat colleagues who had made the journey to Orkney to join Lord Wallace's wife, their daughters Helen and Clare and their families for the funeral service.

Lord Wallace's mother Grace, who still lives in Annan, was among those around the world who watched the service online, via a livestream.

In addition to Dr MacLean's homily, there were eulogies from Lord Wallace's brother Neil and his political colleagues and friends, Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, and Alistair Carmichael, MP for Orkney and Shetland.

Lord Wallace held both seats in the Scottish Parliament and the House of Commons before they were elected to replace him.

The funeral service was followed by a private interment at St Andrew's Cemetery in Tankerness, the area of Orkney from which he took his title as Lord Wallace of Tankerness.