Iain MacLeod Greenshields is a

Kirk minister A Church of Scotland congregation is led by its minister and elders. Both of these terms are also used in other Christian denominations: see Minister (Christianity) and Elder (Christianity). This article discusses the specific understanding ...

, serving as

Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland The Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland is the ministers and elders of the Church of Scotland, minister or elder chosen to moderate (chair) the annual General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, which is held for a week i ...

since 2022. He was ordained in 1984, and previously served as minister of St Margaret's Parish Church in

Dunfermline, Fife Dunfermline (; sco, Dunfaurlin, gd, Dùn Phàrlain) is a city, parish and former Royal Burgh, in Fife, Scotland, on high ground from the northern shore of the Firth of Forth. The city currently has an estimated population of 58,508. Acco ...

. His wife Linda is a teacher of

Religious, Moral and Philosophical Studies Religious, Moral and Philosophical Studies (RMPS) is a national qualification subject offered by the Scottish Qualifications Authority. RMPS is offered at different levels and the course varies at each level. Higher Higher RMPS, like all High ...

Levenmouth Academy Levenmouth Academy is a six-year comprehensive school in Buckhaven, Scotland that serves the population in the Levenmouth area. In June 2012, Fife Council proposed that the neighbouring Kirkland and Buckhaven schools should close and their catc ...

, Buckhaven.

Education and early career

The son of a

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...

police officer, Greenshields grew up in

and studied

theology Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the ...

at the

University of Glasgow , image = UofG Coat of Arms.png , image_size = 150px , caption = Coat of arms Flag , latin_name = Universitas Glasguensis , motto = la, Via, Veritas, Vita , ...

. His first parish ordination was in

Cranhill Cranhill is an inner city district and housing scheme in the north east of Glasgow, Scotland. Cranhill was developed from public funding in the early 1950s and was originally, chiefly composed of four-storey tenement blocks surrounding a patch ...

. In 1993, he moved on to Larkhall, Lanarkshire. During this time, he became involved with ministry to offenders, as chaplain of Shotts prison and the Longriggend Young Offenders Institute. He moved to

Kensaleyre Kensaleyre ( gd, Ceann Sàil Eighre) is a scattered crofting township, part of a group of settlements clustered around the A87 road on the shore of Loch Snizort Beag on the Trotternish peninsula of the island of Skye in the Highlands and Island ...

in 2002, where he remained until 2007. It was then that he transferred to St Margaret's Community Church of

Dunfermline Dunfermline (; sco, Dunfaurlin, gd, Dùn Phàrlain) is a city, parish and former Royal Burgh, in Fife, Scotland, on high ground from the northern shore of the Firth of Forth. The city currently has an estimated population of 58,508. Accord ...

Political views

Greenshields has publicly attacked the deportation policies of the United Kingdom. He has a keen interest in addiction issues, arguing that drug possession should be decriminalized.

Family life

Greenshields and his wife have six children, three of whom have been adopted from China. Their names are Eilidh, Siona, and Siusaidh.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Greenshields, Iain Moderators of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland Year of birth missing (living people) Living people