James Leslie Weatherhead (29 March 1931 – 20 May 2017) was a minister of the

Church of Scotland The Church of Scotland ( sco, The Kirk o Scotland; gd, Eaglais na h-Alba) is the national church in Scotland. The Church of Scotland was principally shaped by John Knox, in the Reformation of 1560, when it split from the Catholic Church ...

and the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland for 1993–1994.

Background and career

James Leslie Weatherhead was born in Dundee on 29 March 1931. He was the grandson of Rev Dr James Weatherhead of St Pauls UF Church in Dundee, and his wife, Margaret McDougall Kilpatrick. His grandfather was

Moderator of the General Assembly The moderator of the General Assembly is the chairperson of a General Assembly, the highest court of a Presbyterian or Reformed church. Kirk sessions and presbyteries may also style the chairperson as moderator. The Oxford Dictionary states t ...

of the

United Free Church of Scotland The United Free Church of Scotland (UF Church; gd, An Eaglais Shaor Aonaichte, sco, The Unitit Free Kirk o Scotland) is a Scottish Presbyterian denomination formed in 1900 by the union of the United Presbyterian Church of Scotland (or UP) and ...

in 1927. He was a graduate of the

University of Edinburgh The University of Edinburgh ( sco, University o Edinburgh, gd, Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in post-nominals) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Granted a royal charter by King James VI in 15 ...

, where he was President of the Students' Representative Council. He was minister at Trinity Church,

Rothesay Rothesay ( ; gd, Baile Bhòid ) is the principal town on the Isle of Bute, in the council area of Argyll and Bute, Scotland. It lies along the coast of the Firth of Clyde. It can be reached by ferry from Wemyss Bay, which offers an onward rail ...

Isle of Bute The Isle of Bute ( sco, Buit; gd, Eilean Bhòid or '), known as Bute (), is an island in the Firth of Clyde in Scotland, United Kingdom. It is divided into highland and lowland areas by the Highland Boundary Fault. Formerly a constituent is ...

until 1969, when he became minister at the Old Parish Church, Montrose. He demitted his charge in 1985 to become

Principal Clerk to the General Assembly The Church of Scotland maintains a presbyterian polity and is thus governed by a hierarchy of bodies known as church courts. Each of these courts has a moderator and a clerk. Moderators The moderator presides over the meeting of the court, much as ...

of the

, a post he held until his retirement in 1996. He was succeeded as Principal Clerk by the Reverend Dr Finlay Macdonald. During his Moderatorial year he sparked controversy over a sermon he gave in St Giles' Cathedral, Edinburgh, where spoke in support of Dr David Jenkins (the former

Bishop of Durham The Bishop of Durham is the Anglican bishop responsible for the Diocese of Durham in the Province of York. The diocese is one of the oldest in England and its bishop is a member of the House of Lords. Paul Butler has been the Bishop of Durham ...

) in his interpretation of the account of the virgin birth of Jesus Christ. He appointed a Chaplain to the Queen in 1991 and was appointed a

CBE The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

in the

1997 New Year Honours The New Year Honours 1997 were appointments by most of the Commonwealth realms of Queen Elizabeth II to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of those countries, and honorary ones to citizens of other countri ...

for ecumenical work and public service. Following the end of his Moderatorial year, his official title was the Very Reverend Dr James Leslie Weatherhead CBE MA

LLB Bachelor of Laws ( la, Legum Baccalaureus; LL.B.) is an undergraduate law degree in the United Kingdom and most common law jurisdictions. Bachelor of Laws is also the name of the law degree awarded by universities in the People's Republic of Chi ...

DD. He died on 20 May 2017.

References

External links

Letter by Dr Weatherhead to the ''Kirriemuir Herald'', 11 June 2008
{{DEFAULTSORT:Weatherhead, James 1931 births 2017 deaths People educated at the High School of Dundee Commanders of the Order of the British Empire 20th-century Ministers of the Church of Scotland Moderators of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland People from Dundee

Background and career

See also

References

External links