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]
1606
James Nicolson (
Meigle, later Bishop of Dunkeld) elected as "Constant Moderator" in election against
Patrick Simson but the concept was dropped[3]
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.
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)
1844
John Lee (Principal, University of Edinburgh)
1845
Alexander Hill (Professor of Divinity, University of Glasgow)
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.
1929
John White (Glasgow: The Barony)(also served in 1925)
2003
Iain Torrance (Professor, University of Aberdeen)
2004
Alison Elliot OBE (
Elder,
Session Clerk at Edinburgh:
Greyfriars Tolbooth & Highland Kirk, Associate Secretary of the Centre for Theology & Public Issues at the University of Edinburgh, first woman to be Moderator and first non-minister to be Moderator since the 16th century)
2014
John Chalmers (Principal Clerk to the General Assembly) (
Angus Morrison (Orwell and Portmoak) was initially nominated but withdrew on health grounds)
Church of Scotland Yearbook 1908 edition, 1933 edition, 1966 edition and 2003-04 edition
ISBN0-86153-353-4. The 1908 yearbook entries (1560-1908) were compiled by the late Rev Dr Robert W. Weir.
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]
1606
James Nicolson (
Meigle, later Bishop of Dunkeld) elected as "Constant Moderator" in election against
Patrick Simson but the concept was dropped[3]
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.
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)
1844
John Lee (Principal, University of Edinburgh)
1845
Alexander Hill (Professor of Divinity, University of Glasgow)
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.
1929
John White (Glasgow: The Barony)(also served in 1925)
2003
Iain Torrance (Professor, University of Aberdeen)
2004
Alison Elliot OBE (
Elder,
Session Clerk at Edinburgh:
Greyfriars Tolbooth & Highland Kirk, Associate Secretary of the Centre for Theology & Public Issues at the University of Edinburgh, first woman to be Moderator and first non-minister to be Moderator since the 16th century)
2014
John Chalmers (Principal Clerk to the General Assembly) (
Angus Morrison (Orwell and Portmoak) was initially nominated but withdrew on health grounds)
Church of Scotland Yearbook 1908 edition, 1933 edition, 1966 edition and 2003-04 edition
ISBN0-86153-353-4. The 1908 yearbook entries (1560-1908) were compiled by the late Rev Dr Robert W. Weir.