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The Very Reverend

Lorna Hood

OBE QHC
The Very Reverend; Lorna Hood; OBE QHC
Moderator of the General Assembly
Church	Church of Scotland
Elected	18 May 2013
In office	2013 to 2014
Predecessor	Albert Bogle
Successor	John Chalmers
Other post(s)	Minister of North Parish Church, Renfrew (1979–2016)
Orders
Ordination	1978
Personal details
Born	Elizabeth Lorna Hood; 21 April 1953 (age 71)
Nationality	Scottish
Denomination	Presbyterianism
Spouse	Peter (m. 1979)
Children	Two
Education	Kilmarnock Academy
Alma mater	University of Glasgow

Elizabeth Lorna Hood, OBE, QHC (born 21 April 1953) is a minister of the Church of Scotland. From 1979 to 2016, she was the minister of North Parish Church, Renfrew. From 2013 to 2014, she also served as Moderator of its General Assembly. She is an Extra Chaplain to the King in Scotland, appointed in September 2023.

Early life and education

Hood was born in Irvine, Ayrshire on 21 April 1953.^[1] She was educated at Kilmarnock Academy. She studied at the University of Glasgow, graduating with an undergraduate Master of Arts (MA (Hons)) degree in 1974 and a Bachelor of Divinity (BD) degree in 1977.^[2]

Ordained ministry

She was ordained by the Church of Scotland's Presbytery of Edinburgh in 1978 whilst serving as Assistant Minister at St Ninian's Church in Corstorphine, Edinburgh. She was inducted to her charge of the North Parish Church in Renfrew in June 1979.^[3]

Hood retired from full-time ministry in October 2016. Having led Renfrew North Parish Church for 37 years, she holds the record as the "longest-serving woman parish minister".^[2]

In 2008 she was appointed to be one of ten Chaplains to Queen Elizabeth II in Scotland.^[4]^[5] She was appointed an Extra Chaplain to King Charles III in Scotland in September 2023.^[6]

Moderator

On 30 October 2012, Hood was nominated to be Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland for 2013/2014; she was duly formally elected as moderator on 18 May 2013 – the first day of the General Assembly's week-long annual session.^[7]

Hood was to have been succeeded as moderator by Angus Morrison. On 18 March 2014 the Church of Scotland announced that Morrison had withdrawn his nomination on grounds of ill health.^[8] On 2 April it was announced that she was to be succeeded by John Chalmers, the Principal Clerk to the General Assembly.

Personal life

In 1979, the then Lorna Mitchell married Peter Hood.^[1] They have two grown up children.^[2]

Honours

In February 2013 she was assessed as one of the 100 most powerful women in the United Kingdom by Woman's Hour on BBC Radio 4.^[9]

In 2013 Lorna Hood accepted Honorary Membership of the Irvine Burns Club offered in recognition of her achievements, links with Ayrshire and her interest in the life and legacy of Robert Burns.

In December 2014 she was awarded an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Divinity by the University of Glasgow.

In the 2017 Birthday Honours, Hood was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) "for services to the Church of Scotland and charity".^[10]^[11]

Styles

1978–2013: The Reverend Lorna Hood
2013–2014: The Right Reverend Lorna Hood
2014–present: The Very Reverend Dr Lorna Hood

References

^ ^a ^b 'HOOD, Very Rev. (Elizabeth) Lorna', Who's Who 2017, A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc, 2017; online edn, Oxford University Press, 2016; online edn, Nov 2016 accessed 9 Aug 2017
^ ^a ^b ^c "Very Rev Dr Lorna Hood retires from ministry after 37 years at Renfrew North". Church of Scotland. 4 October 2016. Retrieved 9 August 2017.
^ Fasti Ecclesiæ Scoticanæ, Volume XI (page 125), T&T Clark Ltd, Edinburgh, 2000, ISBN 0-567-08750-6
^ Appendix to the Court Circular, 29 May 2008
^ "Paisley News - Latest news updates, pictures, video, reaction - Daily Record". Paisleydailyexpress.co.uk. Retrieved 21 August 2017.
^ Appendix to the Court Circular, 22 September 2023
^ Queen's Chaplain to be next moderator churchofscotland.org.uk
^ Scotland, The Church of. "Moderator-Designate withdraws due to ill health". Churchofscotland.org.uk. Archived from the original on 19 June 2018. Retrieved 21 August 2017.
^ "Woman's Hour - The Power List 2013 - BBC Radio 4". BBC. Retrieved 21 August 2017.
^ "Mundell congratulates Scots recognised in Queen's Birthday Honours". GOV.UK. Scotland Office. 16 June 2017. Retrieved 9 August 2017.
^ "No. 61962". The London Gazette (Supplement). 16 June 2017. p. B12.