The Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland is an honorary role, held for 12 months.

Meetings of the The term general assembly can refer to The largest unit of organisation in the polity of a (national) Presbyterian church, containing several synods or presbyteries. The name of the legislature in several U.S. states The general assembly or landsgemeinde of all citizens used as an institution of direct democracy... General Assembly of the The Church of Scotland is the national (established) church in Scotland. (It does not regard itself as a state church, having fought for centuries to prevent government interference in its affairs.) It is commonly known as the Kirk (Scots for church). The Church of Scotland is Presbyterian, not Episcopalian, and... Church of Scotland, held in May each year, are chaired by the Moderator. He or she leads daily worship, keeps order, rules on points of order, and signs documents on behalf of the Assembly.

It should be noted that the Moderator is not the head of the Church, nor the leader of the Church of Scotland, or its spokesperson. When asked for an opinion on important issues, the Moderator is expected to have in mind the views of the General Assembly or the relevant Church board or committee.

After the Assembly, the Moderator spends much of the rest of his or her time in office travelling as a Church representative in Scotland, other parts of the UK, Ireland and overseas in an ambassadorial capacity. Every Moderator carries out a series of visits to several Church of Scotland presbyteries, as well as undertaking a number of international tours. Regular features on his/her itinerary are visits to one of the armed forces and a stay in London around St Andrew's Day (30 November), which includes a meeting in Downing Street is the world-famous street in central London which contains the buildings that have been, for over two hundred years, the official residences of two of the most senior British cabinet ministers, the First Lord of the Treasury, an office held by the Prime Minister of the United... Downing Street with the Alternative meaning: Prime Minister (band) A prime minister is the leading member of the cabinet of the top level government in a parliamentary system of government of a country, alternatively A prime minister is an official in a presidential system or semi-presidential system whose duty is to execute the... Prime Minister. The Moderator also visits the The Scottish Parliament (Pàrlamaid na h-Alba in Gaelic, Scots Pairlament in Scots) is the national legislature of Scotland. The original Scottish Parliament (or Estates of Scotland) was abolished by the Act of Union 1707 to form a Parliament of Great Britain. The current Parliament was established by the... Scottish Parliament.

The Moderator has two chaplains who assist him or her in preparing for the General Assembly and provide support throughout Assembly week.

Selecting a Moderator

Every year in October, a committee of the Assembly meets in Edinburgh to nominate the person who will be presented as Moderator Designate to the General Assembly the following May. The Moderator Designate for 2005 is the Rev David W. Lacy.

Dr Alison Elliot is the Church of Scotland's first woman Moderator. For the first time in the Kirk's history, both nominees for the role were female. There is no bar to the election of a female minister, or to a male or female elder or deacon. The last elder appointed to the role was around 500 years ago.

Once the nomination has been accepted on the opening day of the Assembly, the person concerned is elected Moderator of the General Assembly. If he or she is a minister, they are addressed as the Right Rev until his or her moderatorial year ends with the election of a successor. A former Moderator, who is a minister, is referred to as the Very Rev.

See also

• Stirling Castle has stood for centuries atop a volcanic crag defending the lowest ford of the River Forth. The fortification underwent numerous sieges. Humans have lived in Scotland since the end of the last glaciation, around 10,000 years ago. Of the stone, bronze, and iron age civilisations which occupied... History of Scotland
• Categories: Stub | Religion in the United Kingdom | Religion by country ... Religion in the United Kingdom

External link

• Official Church of Scotland website (http://www.churchofscotland.org.uk)