List of Moderators of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland

List of Moderators of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland is a complete list of Moderators of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland from the Reformation to the present day. The location of the parish or other post during the Moderator's year in office is listed in brackets.

Since 1714 the General Assembly has normally been held annually every May. Moderators-designate are nominated in the October of the previous year; a formal vote is taken at start of the General Assembly in May, then the new Moderator takes the chair. They holds office for one year; their final act is to formally open the following year's General Assembly and preside over the formal election of a successor.

The Moderator of the current year, while serving their term as Moderator, is styled "The Right Reverend", while past Moderators are styled "The Very Reverend".[1]

16th century

17th century

No General Assembly until 1638

  • 1638, 1641 and 1643 Alexander Henderson (Leuchars, later Edinburgh)
  • 1639, 1652 and (?)1653 David Dickson (Irvine, Ayrshire)
  • 1640 Andrew Ramsay (Edinburgh)
  • 1642, 1645, 1647, 1649, 1651 Robert Douglas (Edinburgh)
  • 1644 James Bonar (Maybole, Ayrshire)
  • 1646 Robert Blair (St Andrews)
  • 1647 Robert Douglas (Edinburgh)
  • 1648 George Gillespie (Edinburgh)
  • 1650 Andrew Cant (Aberdeen)
  • 1651 Robert Douglas
  • 1652 Gabriel Cunningham (Dunlop, Irvine) (or David Dickson?[4])

No General Assembly after 1653 until the restoration of Presbyterianism in 1690. From 1662 to 1673 Walter Bruce of Inverkeithing was "Constant Moderator.[5] Patrick Sympson was Constant Moderator from an unknown date to Spring 1690.[6] Gabriel Cunningham acted as Interim Moderator in 1690 (as though there had been no gap) until Kennedie was chosen to succeed him.

18th century

19th century

  • 1801 William Ritchie (Kilwinning)
  • 1802 James Finlayson (Edinburgh: High Church, also Professor of Logic at the University of Edinburgh)
  • 1803 Gilbert Gerard (Professor of Divinity, University of Aberdeen)
  • 1804 John Inglis (Greyfriars Kirk, Edinburgh)
  • 1805 George Hamilton (Gladsmuir) Following William McQuhae's rejection of the role[9][3]
  • 1806 William Taylor (St Enoch's, Glasgow)
  • 1807 James Sherriffs (Aberdeen)
  • 1808 Andrew Grant (Kilmarnock)
  • 1809 Francis Nicoll (Mains and Strathmartine east of Dundee - later Principal of St Leonard's College, St Andrews)
  • 1810 Hugh Meiklejohn (Abercorn, also Professor of Church History at the University of Edinburgh)
  • 1811 Alexander Ranken (St David's (Ramshorn) Church, Glasgow)
  • 1812 William MacMorine (Caerlaverock) instead of Robert Dickson of South Leith Parish Church who declined Moderatorship[3]
  • 1813 Andrew Brown (Edinburgh: Old Church, also Professor of Rhetoric at the University of Edinburgh)
  • 1814 David Ritchie FRSE (Edinburgh: St Andrew's, also Professor of Logic at the University of Edinburgh)
  • 1815 Lewis Gordon (Drainie)
  • 1816 John Cook (of Kilmany then Professor of Hebrew, then Biblical Criticism at St Andrews)
  • 1817 Gavin Gibb (Glasgow: St Andrew's, also Professor of Hebrew, University of Glasgow)
  • 1818 John Campbell (Tolbooth parish, Edinburgh)
  • 1819 and 1843 Duncan Macfarlan (Drymen, later Principal of the University of Glasgow)
  • 1820 Thomas MacKnight FRSE (Edinburgh: Old Church)
  • 1821 Duncan Mearns (Professor of Divinity, University of Aberdeen)
  • 1822 David Lamont (Kirkpatrick Durham)
  • 1823 Alexander Brunton (Edinburgh: Tron Kirk, also Professor of Oriental Languages, University of Edinburgh)
  • 1824 Andrew Duncan (Ratho)
  • 1825 George Cook FRSE (Laurencekirk)
  • 1826 Thomas Taylor (Tibbermore)
  • 1827 Robert Haldane (Principal, St Mary's College, University of St Andrews)
  • 1828 Stevenson McGill (Professor of Divinity, University of Glasgow)
  • 1829 Patrick Forbes (Oldmachar)
  • 1830 William Singer (Kirkpatrick-Juxta)
  • 1831 James Wallace (Whitekirk)
  • 1832 Thomas Chalmers (Professor of Divinity, University of Edinburgh)
  • 1833 John Stirling (Craigie, South Ayrshire)
  • 1834 Patrick MacFarlan (West Kirk Greenock)
  • 1835 William Aird Thomson (Perth)
  • 1836 Norman Macleod (The Highlanders' Friend) (Glasgow: St Columba)
  • 1837 Matthew Gardiner (Bothwell)
  • 1838 William Muir (Edinburgh: St Stephen's)
  • 1839 Henry Duncan (Ruthwell)
  • 1840 Angus Makellar (Pencaitland)
  • 1841 Robert Gordon (Edinburgh: High Church)
  • 1842 David Welsh (Professor of Church History, University of Edinburgh)

Post Disruption

The "Disruption" in the Church of Scotland took place in 1843, with approximately one-third of the ministers leaving to form the Free Church of Scotland. The Moderator in this critical year was Duncan Macfarlan (High Church of Glasgow)

20th century

The union of the Church of Scotland and the United Free Church of Scotland occurred in 1929, the newly reunited church henceforth being known as the Church of Scotland.

21st century

Moderators who were later Moderators of the Free Church

See also

References

  1. ^ www.debretts.com Archived 2015-09-23 at the Wayback Machine
  2. ^ "GARDYNE, Gilbert of Boath, Minister of Fordyce parish, Reverend Mr".
  3. ^ a b c d Fasti Ecclesiae Scoticanae by Hew Scott
  4. ^ "Fasti ecclesiae scoticanae : The succession of ministers in the Church of Scotland from the reformation". 1915.
  5. ^ Fasti Ecclesiae Scoticanae
  6. ^ "Acts: 1690 | British History Online".
  7. ^ Scott, Hew (1915). Fasti ecclesiae scoticanae; the succession of ministers in the Church of Scotland from the reformation. Vol. 1. Edinburgh: Oliver and Boyd. p. 370.
  8. ^ Warrick, John (1913). The moderators of the Church of Scotland from 1690 to 1740. Edinburgh, London: Oliphant, Anderson & Ferrier. pp. 213-224.
  9. ^ "MINISTERS - Ayr: St Quivox Parish Church".
  10. ^ Fasti Ecclesiae Scoticanae; p. 384
  11. ^ "Kirk announces Dr Derek Browning as next Moderator". BBC News. 12 October 2016. Retrieved 27 September 2021.
  12. ^ "Madonna minister appointed as Church of Scotland Moderator". BBC News. 9 October 2017. Retrieved 27 September 2021.
  13. ^ "Rev Dr Martin Fair is Moderator Designate for 2020-21". Church of Scotland. 21 October 2019.
  14. ^ "Former deputy first minister to be Church of Scotland moderator". BBC News. 27 October 2020. Retrieved 29 October 2020.
  15. ^ "Lord Wallace inducted as Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland". Grampian Online. 23 May 2021. Retrieved 27 September 2021.
  16. ^ "Former deputy first minister Jim Wallace is new Kirk moderator". BBC News. 22 May 2021. Retrieved 27 September 2021.
  17. ^ Church of Scotland news release, 25 October 2021
  18. ^ "Charity chief named as Moderator of the 2023-24 General Assembly". 28 October 2022.
  19. ^ Church of Scotland website, 26 October 2023

Sources

  • Church of Scotland Yearbook 1908 edition, 1933 edition, 1966 edition and 2003-04 edition ISBN 0-86153-353-4. The 1908 yearbook entries (1560-1908) were compiled by the late Rev Dr Robert W. Weir.

Note

External links

  • www.churchofscotland.org.uk
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Moderators of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland
Since reunification with the United Free Church of Scotland in 1929
1929–1950
1950–19751975–2000
Since 2000