No, its not those election results.  For us GA Junkies there is a more interesting election tonight, the selection of the next Moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland.

This is the most interesting of Moderator selection systems, at least to me, because the 21 presbyteries meet, all at the same time, and each votes for their choice.  It gets phoned into Church House in Belfast and the Moderator Designee is…

The Rev. Dr. Donald Patton, minister of Old Church, Randalstown.  Rev. Patton received the nominations of 11 of the 21 presbyteries.  He was selected from a group of seven candidates, all ministers, from whom the presbyteries chose.

Rev. Patton is a parish minister, having served at Randalstown for the last six years.  He was ordained in 1975 and has served his entire career in parishes.  He has all three of his degrees from Queens University, Belfast.  Of himself he says that he is “a warm evangelical teacher and pastor intent on reaching out with the
Gospel to the wider community on issues that are relevant to them.”

More details are available in the news story from the Presbyterian Church in Ireland.

And a recognition to William Crawley, a BBC Northern Ireland broadcaster who accurately handicapped this election in his blog on Irish religion “Will and Testament.”  He posted his analysis before the meetings today, as well as his wrap-up afterward.

There may be more tomorrow as the Moderator Designee traditionally holds a press conference the next day.