1.
Church of Scotland
–
The Church of Scotland, known informally by its Scots language name, the Kirk, is the national church of Scotland. Protestant and Presbyterian, its decision to respect liberty of opinion in points which do not enter into the substance of the Faith. Means it is tolerant of a variety of theological positions, including those who would term themselves conservative and liberal in their doctrine, ethics. The Church of Scotland traces its roots back to the beginnings of Christianity in Scotland, while the Church of Scotland traces its roots back to the earliest Christians in Scotland, its identity was principally shaped by the Scottish Reformation of 1560. At that point, many in the church in Scotland broke with Rome, in a process of Protestant reform led, among others. It reformed its doctrines and government, drawing on the principles of John Calvin which Knox had been exposed to living in Geneva. The 1560 Reformation Settlement was not ratified by the crown, as the monarch, Mary, Queen of Scots, a Catholic, refused to do so, and the question of church government also remained unresolved. In 1572 the acts of 1560 were finally approved by the young King James VI, the son of Queen Mary, melville and his supporters enjoyed some temporary successes—most notably in the Golden Act of 1592, which gave parliamentary approval to Presbyterian courts. By the time he died in 1625, the Church of Scotland had a panel of bishops and archbishops. General Assemblies met only at times and places approved by the Crown, Charles I inherited a settlement in Scotland based on a balanced compromise between Calvinist doctrine and episcopal practice. Lacking the political judgement of his father, he began to upset this by moving into dangerous areas. Disapproving of the plainness of the Scottish service he, together with his Archbishop of Canterbury, William Laud, the centrepiece of this new strategy was the Prayer Book of 1637, a slightly modified version of the Anglican Book of Common Prayer. Although this was devised by a panel of Scottish bishops, Charles insistence that it be drawn up in secret, when the Prayer Book was finally introduced at St Giles Cathedral in Edinburgh in mid-1637 it caused an outbreak of rioting, which spread across Scotland. In November 1638, the General Assembly in Glasgow, the first to meet for twenty years, not only declared the Prayer Book unlawful, the Church of Scotland was then established on a Presbyterian basis. Charles attempt at resistance to these developments led to the outbreak of the Bishops Wars, in the ensuing civil wars, the Scots Covenanters at one point made common cause with the English parliamentarians—resulting in the Westminster Confession of Faith being agreed by both. This document remains the standard of the Church of Scotland. Episcopacy was reintroduced to Scotland after the Restoration, the cause of discontent, especially in the south-west of the country. To reduce their influence the Scots Parliament guaranteed Presbyterian governance of the Church by law, controversy still surrounded the relationship between the Church of Scotlands independence and the civil law of Scotland
Church of Scotland
–
John Knox, who in 1559 returned from ministering in
Geneva to lead the Reformation in Scotland.
Church of Scotland
–
Modern logo of the Church of Scotland
Church of Scotland
–
Stained glass showing the burning bush and the motto "nec tamen consumebatur",
St. Mungo's Cathedral, Glasgow.
Church of Scotland
–
The
Burning Bush emblem of the Church of Scotland, above the entrance to the
Church Offices in Edinburgh
2.
Presbyterianism
–
Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism which traces its origins to the British Isles, particularly Scotland. Presbyterian churches derive their name from the form of church government. Presbyterian theology typically emphasizes the sovereignty of God, the authority of the Scriptures, Presbyterian church government was ensured in Scotland by the Acts of Union in 1707 which created the Kingdom of Great Britain. In fact, most Presbyterians found in England can trace a Scottish connection, the Presbyterian denominations in Scotland hold to the theology of John Calvin and his immediate successors, although there are a range of theological views within contemporary Presbyterianism. The roots of Presbyterianism lie in the Protestant Reformation of the 16th century, most Reformed churches which trace their history back to Scotland are either presbyterian or congregationalist in government. In the twentieth century, some Presbyterians played an important role in the ecumenical movement, many Presbyterian denominations have found ways of working together with other Reformed denominations and Christians of other traditions, especially in the World Communion of Reformed Churches. Some Presbyterian churches have entered into unions with other churches, such as Congregationalists, Lutherans, Anglicans, Presbyterian history is part of the history of Christianity, but the beginning of Presbyterianism as a distinct movement occurred during the 16th-century Protestant Reformation. As the Catholic Church resisted the reformers, several different theological movements splintered from the Church, the Presbyterian church traces its ancestry back primarily to England and Scotland. In August 1560 the Parliament of Scotland adopted the Scots Confession as the creed of the Scottish Kingdom, Presbyterians distinguish themselves from other denominations by doctrine, institutional organization and worship, often using a Book of Order to regulate common practice and order. The origins of the Presbyterian churches are in Calvinism, many branches of Presbyterianism are remnants of previous splits from larger groups. Presbyterians place great importance upon education and lifelong learning, Presbyterian government is by councils of elders. Teaching and ruling elders are ordained and convene in the lowest council known as a session or consistory responsible for the discipline, nurture, teaching elders have responsibility for teaching, worship, and performing sacraments. Pastors are called by individual congregations, a congregation issues a call for the pastors service, but this call must be ratified by the local presbytery. Ruling elders are usually laymen who are elected by the congregation and ordained to serve with the elders, assuming responsibility for nurture. Often, especially in larger congregations, the elders delegate the practicalities of buildings, finance and this group may variously be known as a Deacon Board, Board of Deacons Diaconate, or Deacons Court. These are sometimes known as presbyters to the full congregation, above the sessions exist presbyteries, which have area responsibilities. These are composed of teaching elders and ruling elders from each of the constituent congregations, the presbytery sends representatives to a broader regional or national assembly, generally known as the General Assembly, although an intermediate level of a synod sometimes exists. The Church of Scotland abolished the Synod in 1993, Presbyterian governance is practised by Presbyterian denominations and also by many other Reformed churches
Presbyterianism
–
John Knox
Presbyterianism
–
Symbol used by the
Presbyterian Church in Ireland. The
burning bush is a common symbol used by Presbyterian churches.
Presbyterianism
–
The Ordination of Elders in a Scottish Kirk, by
John Henry Lorimer, 1891.
National Gallery of Scotland.
Presbyterianism
–
Presbyterian
catechising, 19th century
3.
Kilmarnock
–
Kilmarnock is a large burgh in East Ayrshire, Scotland with a population of 46,350, making it the 15th most populated place in Scotland and the second largest town in Ayrshire. The River Irvine runs through its eastern section, and the Kilmarnock Water passes through it, Kilmarnock is often shortened to Killie, especially when it is referenced in a footballing situation. The first collection of work by Scottish poet Robert Burns, Poems, chiefly in the Scottish dialect, was published here in 1786, the internationally distributed whisky brand Johnnie Walker originated in the town in the 19th century. Protest and backing from the Scottish Government took place in 2009, after Diageo, in recent years, Kilmarnock has been used for musical acts and film locations. Rock band Biffy Clyro were formed in the town in a school in the mid-1990s. The 2001 film, Pyaar Ishq Aur Mohabbat was shot in the town as was Manhunt, the name Kilmarnock comes from the Gaelic cill, and the name of Saint Marnoch or Mernoc who is also remembered in the name of Portmarnock in Ireland and Inchmarnock. It may come from the three Gaelic elements mo, my, Ernán and the diminutive ag, giving Church of My Little Ernán, according to tradition, the saint founded a church there in the 7th century. There are 12 Church of Scotland congregations in the town, plus other denominations, in 2005, the Reverend David W. Lacy, minister of the towns Henderson Church, was elected Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. In 1668 the town was destroyed by an accidental fire. About 120 families lost most of their possessions and were forced to live destitute in the surrounding the town. These tradespeople had no way of making a living and had already been driven to the edge of poverty by having troops stationed with them as part of the anti-Covenanter measures. Parish churches throughout Scotland collected money for the relief of these homeless citizens, added later was John Finnie Street, which is regarded as one of the finest Victorian planned streets in Scotland. The Sandbed Street Bridge is the oldest known surviving bridge in the area, the Member of Parliament for the Kilmarnock and Loudoun constituency area in the Westminster parliament is Kilmarnock-born Alan Brown. Brown defeated Labour candidate Cathy Jamieson with a majority with Brown receiving 30,000 votes with Jamieson only receiving 16,363. The member of the Scottish Parliament for Kilmarnock is Willie Coffey, Kilmarnock is the home of the East Ayrshire Council Chambers and offices situated on the London Road, thus making Kilmarnock the main town within East Ayrshire. In local council elections, Kilmarnock comprises four wards, Kilmarnock North, Kilmarnock East and Hurlford, Kilmarnock West and Crosshouse, the leader in East Ayrshire is Douglas Reid of the SNP party, who has been leader since 2007. The chief executive is Fiona Lees, following the East Ayrshire Council election,2012, the SNP and the Scottish Conservative parties formed a coalition government for East Ayrshire, following the result of a hung council. At present, the Scottish Labour party is the opposition in the East Ayrshire parliament with their leader, kilmarnocks traditional industries were based around textiles and heavy engineering such as locomotives from 1837, and valves, which are still in production
Kilmarnock
–
Clockwise from top-left: HMP Kilmarnock,
Dean Castle, RBS Building on King Street,
Kilmarnock Railway Viaduct and
Kilmarnock Railway Station Clock.
Kilmarnock
–
Kilmarnock Cross in 1849.
Kilmarnock
–
Alan Brown and
Willie Coffey, current Members of the UK Parliament and Scottish Parliament for Kilmarnock respectively
Kilmarnock
4.
Princeton Theological Seminary
–
Princeton Theological Seminary is an independent school of theology in Princeton, New Jersey and the largest of ten seminaries associated with the Presbyterian Church. Princeton Seminary has long been influential in theological scholarship, with many leading scholars, theologians. It houses one of the largest theological seminaries in the world and hosts a number of special collections, Today, the seminary enrolls approximately 500 students. The institution also has a relationship with the Center of Theological Inquiry. The plan to establish a seminary in Princeton was in the interests of advancing and extending the theological curriculum. The educational intention was to go beyond the arts course by setting up a postgraduate. The Seminary remains an institution of the Presbyterian Church, being the largest of the ten theological seminaries affiliated with the 1. 6-million-member denomination, in 1812, the Seminary boasted three students and the Reverend Dr. Archibald Alexander as its first professor. By 1815 the number of students had increased and work began on a building, Alexander Hall was designed by John McComb, Jr. a New York architect. The original cupola was added in 1827, but it burned in 1913 and was replaced in 1926, the building was simply called Seminary until 1893, when it was officially named Alexander Hall. Some of the institutions active in this movement included Charles Hodge, B. B. Warfield, J. Gresham Machen. The college was later the center of the Fundamentalist-Modernist Controversy of the 1920s and 1930s, the library has over 1,252,503 bound volumes, pamphlets, and microfilms. It currently receives about 2,100 journals, annual reports of bodies and learned societies, bulletins, transactions, and periodically issued indices, abstracts. The Libraries are, Princeton Theological Seminary Library was opened in 2013, ashbel Green, Dr. William Buell Sprague, Prof. Joseph Addison Alexander, Dr. Alexander Balloch Grosart, Prof. William Henry Green, Prof. Samuel Miller, and Prof. B. B. Speer Library, opened in 1957 and named in honor of the missionary statesman Robert E. Speer. It was closed in late 2010 and was replaced by the new library, Henry Luce III Library, dedicated in 1994 and named in honor of a distinguished trustee, Henry Luce III,350,000 volumes and 250 readers. This library was closed for renovation in 2013, in 2015, the U. S. News & World Report placed Princeton Seminary among the top 50 graduate programs for the field of history in the United States. Built in 1834, Princetons chapel was named to honor Samuel Miller and it was designed in the Greek Revival style by Charles Steadman, who also designed the nearby Nassau Presbyterian Church. Originally located beside Alexander Hall, it was moved in 1933 toward the center of the campus, Miller Chapel underwent a complete renovation in 2000, with the addition of the Joe R. Engle Organ
Princeton Theological Seminary
–
Princeton Theological Seminary
Princeton Theological Seminary
–
Princeton Seminary in the 1800s
Princeton Theological Seminary
–
Miller Chapel
Princeton Theological Seminary
–
Areas
5.
Cramond
–
Cramond is a village and suburb in the north-west of Edinburgh, Scotland, at the mouth of the River Almond where it enters the Firth of Forth. The Cramond area has a history, with evidence of Mesolithic, Bronze Age. In modern times, it was the birthplace of the Scottish economist John Law, Cramond was incorporated into the City of Edinburgh by Act of Parliament in 1920. It was once believed that Cramond Roman Fort was known to the Romans as Alaterva, a stone altar was dug up in the grounds of Cramond House dedicated To the Alatervan Mothers and the Mothers of the Parade-ground. In the centuries that followed the end of the Roman occupation, Cramond passed into the hands of the Votadini, who spoke Cumbric, a Brythonic Celtic language, and gave the settlement its name. Cramond is derived from the compound Caer Amon, meaning fort on the river, archaeological excavations at Cramond have uncovered evidence of habitation dating to around 8500 BC, making it, for a time, the earliest known site of human settlement in Scotland. The inhabitants of the Mesolithic camp-site were nomadic hunter-gatherers who moved around their territories according to the season of the year, although no bones survived the acid soil, waste pits and stakeholes that would have supported shelters or windbreaks were excavated. Numerous discarded hazelnut shells, the product of the inhabitants staple food, were found in the pits. It is thought the site was chosen for its location near the junction of the Firth of Forth and the River Almond, many microlith stone tools manufactured at the site were found, and pre-date finds of similar style in England. Around 142, Roman forces arrived at Cramond by order of Emperor Antoninus Pius and this fort would guard the eastern flank of the frontier that the Romans had established across Scotland. Nearly five hundred men worked on the site, building a fort that covered six acres. However, the fort was inhabited for a short time, perhaps fifteen years. Pottery and coins of later date indicate that the fort and harbour were reinhabited and used as a base for the army and navy of the Emperor Septimius Severus, the medieval parish church of Cramond parish, was built within the Roman fort. Though knowledge of the Roman presence at Cramond was recorded afterwards, substantial archaeological research was carried out upon its discovery to build up a reasonably accurate picture of the site in Roman times. The fort was rectangular in shape, with walls fifteen feet high on all sides, a gatehouse was set in every wall, allowing access in all four directions. Inside, there were barracks, workshops, granaries, headquarters, later excavations revealed other constructions outside the boundary of the fort, including a bath-house, further industrial workshops and a native settlement. After conservation, the statue was displayed in the Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh and it is one of the most ambitious pieces of Roman sculpture to have survived in Scotland. After the departure of the Romans, little is known about the state of Cramond for several centuries and it was made structurally sound and converted to a private dwelling in the 1980s
Cramond
–
Cramond Harbour
Cramond
–
The inscription on the Roman altar dedicated to the Alatervan Mothers and the Mothers of the Parade-ground.
Cramond
–
Cramond Lioness
Cramond
–
A map showing the parish of Cramond in 1794.
6.
Edinburgh
–
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 local government council areas. Located in Lothian on the Firth of Forths southern shore, it is Scotlands second most populous city and the seventh most populous in the United Kingdom. The 2014 official population estimates are 464,990 for the city of Edinburgh,492,680 for the authority area. Recognised as the capital of Scotland since at least the 15th century, Edinburgh is home to the Scottish Parliament and it is the largest financial centre in the UK after London. Historically part of Midlothian, the city has long been a centre of education, particularly in the fields of medicine, Scots law, literature, the sciences and engineering. The University of Edinburgh, founded in 1582 and now one of four in the city, was placed 17th in the QS World University Rankings in 2013 and 2014. The city is famous for the Edinburgh International Festival and the Fringe. The citys historical and cultural attractions have made it the United Kingdoms second most popular tourist destination after London, attracting over one million overseas visitors each year. Historic sites in Edinburgh include Edinburgh Castle, Holyrood Palace, the churches of St. Giles, Greyfriars and the Canongate, Edinburghs Old Town and New Town together are listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which has been managed by Edinburgh World Heritage since 1999. It appears to derive from the place name Eidyn mentioned in the Old Welsh epic poem Y Gododdin, the poem names Din Eidyn as a hill fort in the territory of the Gododdin. The Celtic element din was dropped and replaced by the Old English burh, the first documentary evidence of the medieval burgh is a royal charter, c. 1124–1127, by King David I granting a toft in burgo meo de Edenesburg to the Priory of Dunfermline. In modern Gaelic, the city is called Dùn Èideann, the earliest known human habitation in the Edinburgh area was at Cramond, where evidence was found of a Mesolithic camp site dated to c.8500 BC. Traces of later Bronze Age and Iron Age settlements have found on Castle Rock, Arthurs Seat, Craiglockhart Hill. When the Romans arrived in Lothian at the end of the 1st century AD, at some point before the 7th century AD, the Gododdin, who were presumably descendants of the Votadini, built the hill fort of Din Eidyn or Etin. Although its location has not been identified, it likely they would have chosen a commanding position like the Castle Rock, Arthurs Seat. In 638, the Gododdin stronghold was besieged by forces loyal to King Oswald of Northumbria and it thenceforth remained under their jurisdiction. The royal burgh was founded by King David I in the early 12th century on land belonging to the Crown, in 1638, King Charles Is attempt to introduce Anglican church forms in Scotland encountered stiff Presbyterian opposition culminating in the conflicts of the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. In the 17th century, Edinburghs boundaries were defined by the citys defensive town walls
Edinburgh
–
Clockwise from top-left: View from
Calton Hill,
Old College,
Old Town from Princes Street,
Edinburgh Castle,
Princes Street from Calton Hill
Edinburgh
–
Edinburgh, showing Arthur's Seat, one of the earliest known sites of human habitation in the area
Edinburgh
–
Edinburgh in the 17th century
Edinburgh
–
A painting showing Edinburgh characters (based on
John Kay 's caricatures) behind
St Giles' Cathedral in the late 18th century
7.
General Assembly of the Church of Scotland
–
The General Assembly of the Church of Scotland is the sovereign and highest court of the Church of Scotland, and is thus the Churchs governing body. It generally meets each year and is chaired by a Moderator elected at the start of the Assembly, as a Presbyterian church, the Church of Scotland is governed by courts of elders rather than by bishops. At the bottom of the hierarchy of courts is the Kirk Session, the court of the parish, representatives of Kirk Sessions form the Presbytery, formerly there were also Synods at regional level, with authority over a group of presbyteries, but these have been abolished. At national level, the General Assembly stands at the top of this structure, the General Assembly usually meets for a week of intensive deliberation once a year in May. Ministers, elders and deacons are eligible to be Commissioners to the General Assembly, typically a parish minister would attend the Assembly once every four years, accompanied by an elder from that congregation. The Assembly also has representatives and a few officials. Prior to each Assembly, a minister or elder is nominated to serve as Moderator for that year, at the start of the Assembly the Moderator is duly elected, although the election is considered a formality. Meetings are usually held in the Assembly Hall on the Mound and this was built for the Free Church in the 19th century and became the Assembly Hall for the reunited Church of Scotland after the union of 1929. The Moderator presides from the Moderators chair, alongside him/her, the clerks to the Assembly and other officials are seated. The General Assembly can also meet elsewhere, a meeting of the Assembly was held in Glasgow to mark the citys status as European City of Culture. When the Scottish Parliament was instituted in 1999, the Assembly Hall was used by the Parliament until the new building at Holyrood was completed in 2004, the General Assembly has its own Standing Orders. One particular example is Standing Order 54, which any proposal requiring additional expenditure to have been first considered by the Assemblys Stewardship. The General Assembly has three functions, legislative, deliberative and judicial. The ongoing administration is delegated to councils and committees, which have to report annually to the Assembly, the Assembly decides the Law of the Church. Thus each Assembly may amend the Law of previous Assemblies, each Presbytery has to nominate Commissioners annually and these are chosen in rotation from the ministers and elders in the Presbyterys area. Elders who are commissioned need not be members of the Presbytery, in addition each Presbytery may appoint youth representatives who are young people in the congregations of the presbytery. Youth representatives are appointed by the Youth Assembly. Youth representatives have the status of corresponding members of the Assembly and those elders who have, in the past, served as Moderators of the General Assembly are generally commissioned by their presbyteries in addition to the normal number of commissioners
General Assembly of the Church of Scotland
–
Entrance to the Assembly Hall from New College
General Assembly of the Church of Scotland
–
Statue of John Knox outside the Assembly Hall
General Assembly of the Church of Scotland
–
The General Assembly meeting in
Edinburgh in 1787
8.
United Free Church of Scotland
–
The majority of the United Free Church of Scotland united with the Church of Scotland in 1929. The Free Church of Scotland seceded from the Church of Scotland in the Disruption of 1843, the United Presbyterian Church was formed in 1847 by a union of the United Secession and Relief Churches, both of which had split from the Church of Scotland. The two denominations united in 1900 to form the United Free Church, the minority of the Free Church, which had refused to join the union, quickly tested its legality. However, the case was lost in the Court of Session, an appeal to House of Lords, reversed the Court of Session’s decision, and found the minority entitled to the assets of the Free Church. It was held that, by adopting new standards of doctrine, the judgement had huge implications, seemingly it deprived the Free Church element of the UF Church of all assets—churches, manses, colleges, missions, and even provision for elderly clergy. It handed large amounts of property to the remnant, more than it could make use of. A conference, held in September 1904, between representatives of the UF and the Free Church, to come to some working arrangement, found that no basis for agreement could be found. A convocation of the UF Church, held on December 15, decided that the union should proceed, as a result, the intervention of Parliament was sought. A parliamentary commission was appointed, consisting of Lords Elgin, Kinnear, the question of interim possession was referred to Sir John Cheyne. The commission sat in public, and after hearing both sides, issued their report in April 1905 and they stated that the feelings of both parties towards the other had made their work difficult. The Churches Act 1905, which gave effect to these recommendations, was passed in August, the commissioners appointed were those on whose report the act was formed, plus two others. The allocation of churches and manses was a business. After having held its Assembly in university class-rooms for two years, and in another hall in 1905, in 1906 the UF Church again occupied the buildings of the Free Church. All the foreign missions and all the stations were also adjudged to the United Free Church. The United Free Church was during its short existence the second largest Presbyterian church in Scotland. The Free Church brought into the union 1,068 congregations, combined they had a membership of some half a million Scots. The revenue of the former amounted to £706,546, of the latter to £361,743, the UFC was broadly liberal Evangelical in its approach to theology and practical issues. It combined an acceptance of the findings of science
United Free Church of Scotland
–
Timeline showing the evolution of the churches of Scotland from 1560
9.
Hugh Mackintosh
–
Prof Hugh Ross Mackintosh was a Scottish theologian, and parish minister. He was born in Paisley, where his father held the Free Church Gaelic charge and he attended Edinburgh University, before proceeding to New College, Edinburgh to study divinity. He also took sessions at Freiburg, Halle and Marburg, where he became a friend of Wilhelm Herrmann. His major theological work was his major study addressing the Person of Christ and he arrived at a kenotic doctrine of incarnation following his fellow Scot P. T. Forsyth. His other influential work was the Christian Experience of Forgiveness which attempted to restate the Protestant doctrines of justification. He argued that justification was forgiveness and that the cross was the cost of forgiveness to God and he also taught T. F. Torrance dogmatics -. He was a Free Church minister at Tayport and Beechgrove, Aberdeen, the Church of Scotland and the United Free Church of Scotland united in 1929. Mackintosh was elected Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in 1932 and he is buried with his wife, Jessie Air, in Morningside Cemetery, Edinburgh, towards the south-east. Dictionary of Scottish Church History and Theology, pp. 693–698, T & T Clark, Edinburgh 1993. ISBN 0-567-09650-5 List of Moderators of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland Works by or about Hugh Mackintosh at Internet Archive Works by Hugh Mackintosh at LibriVox
Hugh Mackintosh
–
The grave of Hugh Ross Mackintosh, Morningside Cemetery, Edinburgh
10.
Daniel Lamont
–
The Very Rev Professor Daniel Lamont DD, MA was an eminent Church of Scotland Minister and academic. He was a Professor of Theology at New College, Edinburgh from 1927 to 1945 and he was born in Bute and educated at Hutchesons Grammar School and Glasgow University. He was Minister at the New Laigh Kirk in Kilmarnock from 1900 to 1904, and also served in Edinburgh, Glasgow and he served as a Professor at New College, Edinburgh teaching Apologetics and Pastoral Theology. His students included Thomas F. Torrance who also served as Moderator. He is buried in Morningside Cemetery, Edinburgh towards the south-east, see Studies in the Johannine Writings Fifty Two Sermons by the Rev William Howels
Daniel Lamont
–
The grave of the Very Rev Daniel Lamont, Morningside Cemetery, Edinburgh
11.
James Cockburn (minister)
–
James Hutchison Cockburn was a Scottish scholar and Church of Scotland clergyman. Born in Paisley on 29 October 1882, he was the son of a schoolmaster, after receiving his school education in Paisley, he studied at the University of Glasgow, graduating in Arts and Divinity. In 1908 he was ordained in Mearns parish, in 1914 he was translated to Battlefield parish and he married Amy Macloy, daughter of another minister, in 1912, who would in time bear him a son and daughter. During World War I he was a British army chaplain, serving in France, Egypt, after the war, he returned to Scotland, where on 8 May 1918, he became minister at Dunblane Cathedral. During World War II, Cockburn served as Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, in 1944, he became a Chaplain to King George VI, and retained such a position after the accession of his daughter Elizabeth II in 1952. When he died in 1973, he was Senior Extra-Chaplain to the Queen, Cockburn departed Dunblane in 1945 for Geneva, taking the position of Director of the Department of Reconstruction and Inter-Church Aid of the World Council of Churches. From 1952 until 1954 he was a member of the Royal Commission on Scottish Affairs, from 1931 until 1934 Cockburn was a Lecturer on Pastoral Theology at St Marys College, St Andrews. He was the William Belden Noble Lecturer at Harvard University in 1942, in 1951 he was Otts Lecturer at Davidson College, North Carolina. In 1930, he was one of the founders of the Society of Friends of Dunblane Cathedral and he created a museum for the church in the Deans House, and used his connections to acquire material to fill it. Cockburn contributed many articles for this journal
James Cockburn (minister)
–
Dunblane Cathedral, the church (no longer technically a "
cathedral ") where Cockburn served for many years.
12.
Ronnie Selby Wright
–
Ronald William Vernon Selby Wright CVO TD JP FRSE FSAScot was a Church of Scotland minister. Selby Wright - always known as Ronnie - was born in Glasgow in 1908 and he became one of the best known Church of Scotland ministers of his generation and served as Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in 1972. When he was three years old, Wrights family moved to Edinburgh and he was educated at Edinburgh Academy, Melville College and the University of Edinburgh. He studied divinity at New College, Edinburgh and he was probationer assistant at Glasgow Cathedral in 1936, prior to becoming minister at Canongate Kirk in Edinburgh in January 1937. His only ministerial charge, he remained at Canongate until he retired in 1977 and he turned down numerous offers, including the Chair in Practical Theology at the University of St Andrews and the Chaplaincy of the University of Aberdeen. His ministry at Canongate Kirk was notable for his concern, liturgical interest. His social concern was particularly reflected in the establishment of the Canongate Boys’ Club, during his ministry the Canongate parish was one of the most run-down areas of Edinburgh, with considerable poverty — despite the presence of the Palace of Holyroodhouse in the parish. He would also serve as chaplain to a number of Edinburgh schools and edited some books for teenagers. His social concern would also see him become involved in a wide range of activities in Edinburgh. He was a man, the author of many books. Before World War II he had been a Territorial Army Chaplain and he managed to evade capture by the German Army and was evacuated from Dunkirk in 1940. During his military service the Revd George MacLeod served as locum at Canongate Kirk, back in Scotland, Ronald Selby Wright was recruited by the BBC to give a series of broadcasts. His direct, conversational style won deep appreciation and he acquired the nickname “The Radio Padre”, in 1942 he was appointed Senior Chaplain to the 52nd Division of the British Army, serving in Italy, the Mediterranean and the Middle East. Following the war, Ronald Selby Wright played a role in renewing interest in liturgy in the Church of Scotland. From 1946 he lived at 17 Regent Terrace in Edinburgh, a truly huge and he valued the church’s connections with the state and in 1963 became a Chaplain to The Queen. The Queen worships in Canongate Kirk when in residence at the Palace of Holyroodhouse and he was made a Commander of the Royal Victorian Order in 1986, Doctor of Divinity by the University of Edinburgh in 1956 and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh in 1973. However, Tam Dalyell, writing in the Independent, said, there seemed to be little question and certainly no evidence. He never married but one source claimed he had a relationship with a nurse who fell in love with him
Ronnie Selby Wright
–
The grave of Ronald Selby Wright, Canongate Kirkyard
Ronnie Selby Wright
–
17 Regent Terrace, Edinburgh
13.
Finlay Macdonald (minister)
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Finlay A. J. Macdonald is a retired minister of the Church of Scotland. He was Principal Clerk to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland from 1996 until 2010, born in 1945 in Watford, England, his family returned to Scotland in 1949, settling in Dundee. His father, John - from the Hebrides - was also a Church of Scotland minister and his grandfather, Finlay Macdonald attended the High School of Dundee, one of Scotlands leading independent schools. At age 16, Macdonald began his career in the ministry when he joined Camperdown Parish Church as an organist. At age 18, Macdonald left the High School of Dundee with the intention of becoming a lawyer, in 1963, Macdonald matriculated at the University of St Andrews, the oldest university in Scotland and third oldest in the English-speaking world. In his first year of university, Macdonald combined law studies at the citys Queens College with arts subjects in St Andrews, Macdonald subsequently took up the study of philosophy and received his Master of Arts degree in philosophy in 1968. He graduated with a Bachelor of Divinity degree in 1970, Macdonald married Elma, a primary school teacher, and produced two sons, one a doctor in Perth, Western Australia, the other an architect in Edinburgh. After finishing his studies, Macdonald became assistant minister at Boness Old Kirk, at age 26 in 1971, Macdonald was ordained and inducted at Menstrie Parish Church in Menstrie, Clackmannanshire by the presbytery of Stirling and Dunblane. In 1977, Macdonald moved to Jordanhill Parish Church, in the west end of Glasgow, in 1988, Macdonald was elevated to governor of Jordanhill College of Education. In that same year, the school attached to the teacher training college, known as Jordanhill College School. At Jordanhill College, Macdonald chaired the PTA Action Committee, which campaigned successfully for the schools survival as a primary and secondary within the public sector. In 1993 the college merged into the University of Strathclyde with the Jordanhill campus subsequently serving as home of the Education Faculty. With the merger, Macdonald left his position as president, during this same period of time, Macdonald was convener of the General Assemblys Board of Practice and Procedure and of the Assemblys Business Committee. In 1983 he completed his Ph. D. thesis entitled Law, from 1993 until 1996, Macdonald was a lay member of Strathclyde University Court, chairing the education faculty advisory committee. During this same period, Macdonald combined his ministry at Jordanhill with the role of Depute Clerk to the General Assembly, in 1996, Macdonald succeeded the Very Rev Dr James Weatherhead as the Principal Clerk to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. As Principal Clerk, Macdonald helped bring about the culture of change which produced the Church Without Walls report, the City of Glasgow was well represented by this nomination as Macdonald, Neilson and Blount all had ties to Glasgow. Moreover, the outgoing moderator John Miller was from Glasgow, Macdonald had an advantage over the other three candidates. In general, most holders of the office of Principal Clerk have become Moderator, Macdonald had become well-known and widely respected in the Church of Scotland
Finlay Macdonald (minister)
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High School of Dundee
Finlay Macdonald (minister)
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Jordanhill College
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Iain Torrance
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Iain Richard Torrance, TD is a Church of Scotland minister, theologian and academic. He is a former Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland and he is married to Morag Ann, whom he met while they were students at the University of St Andrews, and they have a son, Hew, and a daughter, Robyn. Torrance was born in Aberdeen, Scotland and he is the younger son of Thomas Forsyth Torrance, Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in 1976. He was educated at the Edinburgh Academy and at Monkton Combe School in Bath, England, then graduated MA, BD, DPhil. His doctoral thesis was entitled A translation of the letters between Severus of Antioch and Sergius the Grammarian, with an introduction, and was supervised by Sebastian Brock. Following Oxford, Torrance was ordained on 23 January 1982 by the Church of Scotlands Presbytery of Shetland as minister at Northmavine Parish Church in the Shetland Islands. Northmavine is the most northerly parish on the island of the Shetland archipelago. He was also commissioned as a Territorial Army chaplain serving with 2/51 Highland, after serving for four years in Northmavine, in 1985 Torrance moved to The Queens College, Birmingham, an ecumenical theological college with strong links to the University of Birmingham. There, he taught New Testament studies, in 1989 he moved to a lectureship in Patristics and New Testament at the University of Birmingham. He was invited to become a member of the International Dialogue between The World Alliance of Reformed Churches and the Orthodox Church in 1992, becoming co-chair in 1995. In 1993, he moved to the University of Aberdeen, subsequently being promoted to a chair and becoming Dean of the Faculty of Arts. In 2001 he was appointed a Chaplain-in-Ordinary to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in Scotland and he served as Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, 2003–2004. In 2005 he represented the Church of Scotland and the WARC at the installation of Pope Benedict XVI, in 2008, he represented the WARC at the Lambeth Conference. Torrance appears as himself in Alexander McCall Smith’s Edinburgh novels, The Comforts of a Muddy Saturday, in July 2013 The Queen appointed Torrance Dean of the Chapel Royal in Scotland, and in July 2014 she appointed him Dean of the Order of the Thistle. The context was the nomination of Canon Jeffrey John as Bishop of Reading, Torrance subsequently used a Christmas sermon as a platform to challenge homophobia within his own church. The Reverend David W. Lacy, one of Torrances successors as Moderator, publicly opposed this stance, there is room for both, and a lively Church needs both those who are zealous in upholding tradition and those who probe its boundaries. Furthermore, Nelson Mandela had also called for the support of the Western Christian Churches in what the South African lawyer considered a miscarriage of justice. Torrance made representation to the British Prime Minister Tony Blair on behalf of Megrahi pointing out the deep unease in Scotland, during his year in office, Torrance travelled widely on behalf of the Church, being the first Moderator to visit the churches in China
Iain Torrance
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On the Star Ferry in Hong Kong, June 2009
