James Maciver (born 1954) is a

Free Church of Scotland Free Church of Scotland may refer to: * Free Church of Scotland (1843–1900), seceded in 1843 from the Church of Scotland. The majority merged in 1900 into the United Free Church of Scotland; historical * Free Church of Scotland (since 1900), rema ...

minister who served as Moderator of the General Assembly in 2011.

Life

Reverend James Maciver was born in

Stornoway Stornoway (; gd, Steòrnabhagh; sco, Stornowa) is the main town of the Western Isles and the capital of Lewis and Harris in Scotland. The town's population is around 6,953, making it by far the largest town in the Outer Hebrides, as well a ...

, Isle of Lewis, in 1954. He was educated at Tong Primary School and The Nicolson Institute before going on to study agriculture at the North of Scotland College of Agriculture, Aberdeen, following which he worked in agricultural management near Inverurie. He began training for the Free Church of Scotland pastoral ministry at the University of Glasgow, in 1981, graduating MA, in Biblical Hebrew and Medieval History, in 1984. He then proceeded to the Free Church College (now Edinburgh Theological Seminary), graduating with a Diploma in Theology in June 1987. While at College James also obtained his Bachelor of Divinity degree, in Biblical Texts, Church History, and Christian Doctrine, from London University, graduating in June 1987. In September 1987 James Maciver was ordained and inducted to the Free Church congregation at East Kilbride, South Lanarkshire, where he served for 10 years. In 1997 he accepted a call from the congregation of Knock Free Church (now Garrabost Free Church), in the Isle of Lewis, where he served for 19 years. In early 2016, Maciver accepted a call from Stornoway Free Church, where he currently serves. James is proficient in both

Gaelic Gaelic is an adjective that means "pertaining to the Gaels". As a noun it refers to the group of languages spoken by the Gaels, or to any one of the languages individually. Gaelic languages are spoken in Ireland, Scotland, the Isle of Man, and Ca ...

and English and uses both languages in his preaching and pastoral ministry. He served as Principal Clerk to the Free Church General Assembly from 2000 to 2017 and was elected Moderator of the Free Church General Assembly in May 2011.

Family

James Maciver is married to Donna Maciver and they have three children and nine grandchildren

References

1954 births People from the Isle of Lewis Alumni of the University of Glasgow Alumni of the University of London 20th-century Ministers of the Free Church of Scotland 21st-century Ministers of the Free Church of Scotland Living people {{Scotland-reli-bio-stub Free Church of Scotland people Free Church of Scotland Scottish Christian hymns