Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland

The Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland is the minister or elder chosen to moderate (chair) the annual General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, which is held for a week in Edinburgh every year. After chairing the Assembly, the Moderator then spends the following year representing the Church of Scotland at civic events, and visiting congregations and projects in Scotland and beyond. Because the Church of Scotland is Scotland's national church, and a presbyterian church has no bishops, the Moderator is – arguably alongside the Lord High Commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland – the most prominent figure in the life of Church of Scotland adherents.

Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland
Incumbent
The Rt Revd Sally Foster-Fulton
since 20 May 2023 (2023-05-20)
StyleThe Right Reverend
Residence2 Rothesay Terrace
Term length1 year
Formation1562 (1562)
First holderJohn Knox

Office

The moderator is normally a minister or elder of considerable experience and held in high esteem in the Church of Scotland. The moderator is nominated by the "Committee to Nominate the Moderator", which consists of fifteen people elected annually by the General Assembly. The moderator must, however, also be formally elected by the commissioners (i.e. all representatives) at the start of the General Assembly – this is in practice a formality.

The office is held for one year only. Following the week of the General Assembly, the moderator effectively acts as an ambassador for the Church of Scotland, frequently being invited to represent the Church at official events or at special services for congregations.

In 2004 Alison Elliot became the first woman (and first elder for approximately 400 years) to be elected Moderator. Three years later Sheilagh M. Kesting became the first woman minister to be elected to the office.

If the moderator is a minister, he or she is styled the Right Reverend during the term of office and the Very Reverend thereafter. This gives no further status beyond that of teaching elder.

Official residence

The Moderator has an official residence at Number 2 Rothesay Terrace in Edinburgh's West End.[1][2]

Role in coronations

The Moderator first took part in the Coronation of the British monarch in 1953. The then-Moderator, James Pitt-Watson, presented a Bible to Queen Elizabeth II, saying:

"Here is wisdom; This is the royal law; These are the lively Oracles of God."[3]

During the Coronation of Charles III in 2023, the then-Moderator, Dr Iain Greenshields once again presented a bible to The King, saying:

"Sir, to keep you ever mindful of the law and the Gospel of God as the Rule for the whole life and government of Christian Princes, receive this Book, the most valuable thing that this world affords. Here is Wisdom; this is the royal Law; these are the lively Oracles of God."

Coat of arms
Coat of Arms of Iain R. Torrance, former Moderator, illustrating the Geneva bonnet and the crozier of St. Fillan
Arms of office shown without crozier of St. Fillan and with the tassels of a presbyter

The Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland has an official coat of arms awarded by the Lord Lyon King of Arms. It includes a shield showing the burning bush, plus the Quigrich - the crozier of St Fillan - behind the shield (with the curved head of the Quigrich visible above the shield). The shield is surmounted by a black Geneva bonnet - closely associated with John Knox. Similar to the coat of arms of an archbishop, there are the addition of twenty blue tassels arranged with ten on each side.

Order of precedence

By virtue of an Order of Precedence established by King Edward VII the Moderator ranks immediately after a sheriff principal in the sheriff principal's own sheriffdom.

List of Moderators
Main article: List of Moderators of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland

Since 2010, the following have been elected to the position of Moderator:

See also

References
  1. "#365,000 townhouse for moderator". HeraldScotland.
  2. https://www.pressreader.com/uk/the-scotsman/20170125/281663959722969
  3. "V. The Presenting of the Holy Bible". The Music with the Form and Order of the Service to be performed at the Coronation of Her Most Excellent Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. London: Novello & Co. 1953. p. 15.
  4. "Kirk announces Dr Derek Browning as next Moderator". BBC News. 12 October 2016. Retrieved 27 September 2021.
  5. "Madonna minister appointed as Church of Scotland Moderator". BBC News. 9 October 2017. Retrieved 27 September 2021.
  6. "The current Moderator". 1 May 2019.
  7. "Former deputy first minister Jim Wallace is new Kirk moderator". BBC News. 22 May 2021. Retrieved 27 September 2021.
  8. "Lord Wallace inducted as Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland". Grampian Online. 23 May 2021. Retrieved 27 September 2021.
  9. "Former deputy first minister to be Church of Scotland moderator". BBC News. 27 October 2020. Retrieved 29 October 2020.
  10. https://churchofscotland.org.uk/news-and-events/news/2022/articles/charity-chief-will-become-the-moderator-of-the-2023-24-general-assembly
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