Monthly Archives: April 2014

New Moderator Designate Of The Church Of Scotland 2014 General Assembly

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This post needs to be prefaced with the reminder that the Rev. Dr. Angus Morrison, who was chosen as the Moderator Designate last November, was forced to withdraw about a month ago due to health problems. Our prayers continue to be with Dr. Morrison and we wish him the best in the midst of his medical treatment.

About two weeks ago today the Committee to Nominate the Moderator of the General Assembly met, as the press release puts it, “in extraordinary circumstances” and presented the name of the Rev. John Chalmers as the new nominee for Moderator Designate of the General Assembly 2014 of the Church of Scotland.

Rev. Chalmers should be familiar to GA Junkies as he currently serves a the Principal Clerk of the General Assembly, a role that will make his transition to the Moderator’s seat a bit easier to accomplish with the short lead time.

Rev. Chalmers originally attended Strathclyde University to become a chemical engineer before shifting focus to divinity and transferring to Glasgow University. Early in his career he was the pastor at Renton Trinity Parish in West Dunbartonshire and later at Palmerston Place Church in Edinburgh. He had worked in the General Assembly offices before his selection as the Principal Clerk late in 2009 and confirmed by the 2010 Assembly.

Rev. Chalmers is quoted in the press release as saying:

I will want to tell the story of a Church which cares about the
values by which Scotland lives, which cares about the conditions in
which people live and which puts its money where its faith is, in the
work it does amongst the most vulnerable and marginalised.

Personally, he has been touched by, and involved with, those with special needs including a sister with Down’s Syndrome and a son injured in combat in Afghanistan while serving with the Royal Marines. He has supported the work of organizations that work with those with special needs throughout his career and hopes to bring attention to such organizations during his moderatorial year.

Including his son John-James who served with the Royal Marines, Rev. Chalmers and his wife Liz have three children and three grandchildren.

Speaking of his nomination Rev. Chalmers says,

It is an unexpected privilege and a real honour to be entrusted
with this role at this time. If the Assembly supports my nomination, I
will seek above all else to hold the people of the Church of Scotland
together in peace and unity.”

In the press release he continues on also saying

My focus will be on those things that unite us. Within the Church
we have to learn to live with our differences. We have an urgent need to
recruit women and men to train to be ministers and it’s time to let
society know that there is something very meaningful about living the
life of faith.”

Press coverage of his nomination includes articles from the BBC News, The Courier and The Scotsman.

Our prayers for Rev. Chalmers at this time as he assumes a new role with the Assembly and our best wishes for his moderatorial year.

Moderator Nominee Of The Presbyterian Church In Canada 140th General Assembly 2014

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I am running a bit late on this, but almost two weeks ago the Presbyterian Church in Canada announced the results of balloting for the Moderator Nominee for the 140th General Assembly 2014. From a slate of three candidates the presbyters of the church have selected the Rev. Dr. Stephen C. Farris to lead the upcoming GA.

Rev. Farris has spent the last decade at the University of British Columbia as the Dean of the Presbyterian theological college there, St. Andrew’s Hall. The college is also associated with the Vancouver School of Theology where Rev. Farris is the Professor of Homiletics.

He has had a long career in academia, having previously served for 17 years as the Professor of Preaching and Worship at Knox College, Toronto. He preaches regularly around Canada and began his career as the pastor of Trinity Church, Amherstview, Ontario.

His training is international with degrees from the University of Toronto, Union Theological Seminary, Virginia (now Union Presbyterian Seminary) and earning his Ph.D. from the University of Cambridge.

The press release notes work in two significant international posts. For the now merged World Alliance of Reformed Churches, he served on the Executive Committee and “helped negotiate the repudiation of apartheid by the Dutch Reformed Church of South Africa.” He has also served as the president of the Academy of Homiletics.

We are also told that Rev. Farris and his wife Patricia have two sons and two wonderful grandchildren.

The 140th General Assembly will convene on Friday 30 May at 1 p.m. at Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo. The formal election of Rev. Dr. Farris as Moderator will occur later that day. Our prayers and best wishes for him during the Assembly and his whole moderatorial year.

[Ed. note: I see that the Academy of Homiletics will be meeting in San Diego in November. So. Cal. friends keep an eye out for where he might be preaching on Nov. 23 after the meeting. Or if he would like to preach in So. Cal. and does not have arrangements yet I am sure I can find a congregation that would welcome him.]