View source for Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland

{{short description|Official in the Church of Scotland}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox official post
| post = Moderator of the General Assembly
| body = the Church of Scotland
| native_name = 
| insignia = 
| insigniasize = 
| insigniacaption = 
| flag = Flag of the Church of Scotland.svg
| flagsize = 
| flagborder = 
| flagcaption = Flag of the [[Church of Scotland]] 
| 
| alt = 
| 
| incumbent = [[The Rt Revd]] [[Rosemary Frew]]
| acting = 
| incumbentsince = {{start date|df=y|2025|05|17}}
| department = 
| style = ''[[The Right Reverend]]''
| type = 
| status = 
| abbreviation = 
| member_of = [[Church of Scotland|Standing Committee of the Church of Scotland]] 
| reports_to = Standing Committee of the Church of Scotland
| residence = 2 Rothesay Terrace, [[Edinburgh]] 
| seat = 
| nominator = [[Church of Scotland|Committee of the Church of Scotland]] 
| appointer = 
| appointer_qualified = 
| termlength = 1 year
| termlength_qualified = 
| constituting_instrument = 
| precursor = 
| formation = {{start date and age|1562}}
| first = [[John Knox]]
| last = 
| abolished = 
| succession = 
| unofficial_names = 
| deputy = 
| salary = 
| website = 
}}

The '''moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland''' is the [[ministers and elders of the Church of Scotland|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. 

As the Church of Scotland is Scotland's national church, and as a [[presbyterian church]] has no [[bishop]]s, 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.

==Office==
===Background===
The [[Moderator of the General Assembly|moderator]] can be any minister, deacon or elder, within the Church of Scotland.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Scotland |first=The Church of |date=2021-07-16 |title=Nominate the 2022-23 Moderator of the General Assembly |url=https://www.churchofscotland.org.uk/news-and-events/news-new/archive/2021/nominate-the-2022-23-moderator-of-the-general-assembly |access-date=2023-12-08 |website=The Church of Scotland |language=en}}</ref> Whoever is selected as moderator is often 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 twelve people elected annually - comprising eleven ministers and elders, and one deacon. 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.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://www.churchofscotland.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0006/95991/all-regulations-2023-updated-to-may-2023.pdf |title=Regulations of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland |year=2023 |pages=61 |language=English |chapter=NOMINATION OF THE MODERATOR OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULATIONS (REGS I 2013) (AS AMENDED BY REGS I 2020 AND REGS I 2023) }}</ref> A new moderator is elected each year, and usually announced in October.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Scotland |first=The Church of |date=2019-05-20 |title=The Moderator |url=https://www.churchofscotland.org.uk/about-us/our-structure/moderator |access-date=2023-12-08 |website=The Church of Scotland |language=en}}</ref>

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. In total, there have been five female moderators.

Moderators who also serve as a minister are 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 [[West End, Edinburgh|Edinburgh's West End]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/12336739.365000-townhouse-for-moderator/|title=#365,000 townhouse for moderator|website=HeraldScotland|date=8 October 1998 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Stewart |first=Ian |date=January 25, 2017 |title=A past to be proud of in a world which will always need good journalism |url=https://www.pressreader.com/uk/the-scotsman/20170125/281663959722969 |via=PressReader}}</ref>

===Role in coronations===
The Moderator first took part in the [[Coronation of the British monarch]] [[Coronation of Elizabeth II|in 1953]]. The then-Moderator, [[James Pitt-Watson]], presented a Bible to [[Queen Elizabeth II]], saying: <blockquote>"Here is wisdom; This is the royal law; These are the lively Oracles of God."<ref>{{Cite book|title=The Music with the Form and Order of the Service to be performed at the Coronation of Her Most Excellent Majesty Queen Elizabeth II|publisher=[[Novello & Co]]|year=1953|location=London|pages=15|chapter=V. The Presenting of the Holy Bible}}</ref></blockquote>

During the [[Coronation of Charles III and Camilla|Coronation of Charles III]] in 2023, the then-Moderator, [[Iain Greenshields]] once again presented a Bible to The King, saying:
<blockquote>"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 has to offer. Here is Wisdom; this is the royal Law; these are the lively Oracles of God."</blockquote>

==Coat of arms==
[[File:Maud and Cassiopea as supporters.jpg|thumb|150px|Coat of Arms of Iain R. Torrance, former Moderator, illustrating the Geneva bonnet and the crozier of [[St. Fillan]]]]
[[File:Arms of the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland.svg|thumb|150px|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 in Scotland|Order of Precedence]] established by King [[Edward VII of the United Kingdom|Edward VII]] the Moderator ranks immediately after a sheriff principal in the sheriff principal's own [[sheriffdom]].

{{start box}}
{{s-prec|sc}}
{{succession box | title=[[Order of precedence in Scotland|United Kingdom Order of Precedence<br />in Scotland]]<br />(gentlemen)| before=[[Sheriff Principal]] of that [[Sheriffdom]] | after=[[Great Seal of Scotland|Keeper of the Great Seal of Scotland]] | years=}}
{{end box}}

==List of moderators==
{{main|List of moderators of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland}}

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

* 2010: [[John Christie (minister)|John Christie]] 
* 2011: [[David Arnott (minister)|A. David K. Arnott]] 
* 2012: [[Albert Bogle]] 
* 2013: [[Lorna Hood|E. Lorna Hood]] 
* ''2014: [[Angus Morrison (minister)|Angus Morrison]]; initially nominated but withdrew on health grounds''
* 2014: [[John Chalmers (moderator)|John Chalmers]]
* 2015: [[Angus Morrison (minister)|Angus Morrison]] 
* 2016: [[Russell Barr]] 
* 2017: [[Derek Browning]]<ref name="BBCDerek">{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-37617607| title=Kirk announces Dr Derek Browning as next Moderator | date=12 October 2016 |publisher=[[BBC News]] |access-date=27 September 2021}}</ref>
* 2018: [[Susan Brown (minister)|Susan M. Brown]]<ref name="BBCBrown">{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-41551526| title=Madonna minister appointed as Church of Scotland Moderator | date=9 October 2017 |publisher=[[BBC News]] |access-date=27 September 2021}}</ref>
* 2019: [[Colin Sinclair (minister)|Colin Sinclair]]<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.churchofscotland.org.uk/about_us/how_we_are_organised/moderator/current_moderator | title=The current Moderator| date=2019-05-01}}</ref>
* 2020: [[Martin Fair]]<ref name="BBC"/><ref name="Grampian"/>
* 2021: [[Jim Wallace, Baron Wallace of Tankerness]]<ref name="BBCNews27102020">{{cite news |title=Former deputy first minister to be Church of Scotland moderator |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-54703841 |access-date=29 October 2020 |work=BBC News |date=27 October 2020}}</ref><ref name="Grampian">{{cite web|url=https://www.grampianonline.co.uk/news/lord-wallace-inducted-as-moderator-of-the-general-assembly-o-239161/ |title=Lord Wallace inducted as Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland |date=23 May 2021 |publisher=Grampian Online |access-date=27 September 2021}}</ref><ref name="BBC">{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-57212592| title=Former deputy first minister Jim Wallace is new Kirk moderator | date=22 May 2021 |publisher=[[BBC News]] |access-date=27 September 2021}}</ref>
* 2022: [[Iain Greenshields]]
* 2023: [[Sally Foster-Fulton]]<ref>{{cite web | url=https://churchofscotland.org.uk/news-and-events/news/2022/articles/charity-chief-will-become-the-moderator-of-the-2023-24-general-assembly | title=Charity chief named as Moderator of the 2023-24 General Assembly | date=28 October 2022 }}</ref>
* 2024: [[Shaw Paterson]]<ref>{{cite web | url=https://premierchristian.news/us/news/article/minister-says-he-owes-family-everything-as-he-s-elected-moderator-of-church-of-scotland | title=Minister says he owes family everything as he's elected Moderator of Church of Scotland | date=18 May 2024}}</ref>
* 2025 [[Rosemary Frew]]<ref> {{cite web | url=https://www.churchofscotland.org.uk/news-and-events/news/articles/excitement-and-trepidation-as-new-moderator-takes-on-key-kirk-role | title=Minister says he owes family everything as he's elected Moderator of Church of Scotland | date=17 May 2025}}</ref>

==See also==
*[[Moderator of the General Assembly]]

==References==
<references />

==External links==
*[http://www.churchofscotland.org.uk Church of Scotland official website]

[[Category:Church of Scotland]]
[[Category:Ecclesiastical titles]]