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.
The moderator can be any minister, deacon or elder, within the Church of Scotland.[1] 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.[2] A new moderator is elected each year, and usually announced in October.[3]
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.
"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."
Coat of arms
Coat of Arms of Iain R. Torrance, former Moderator, illustrating the Geneva bonnet and the crozier of St. FillanArms 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.
^"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.
