Derek Browning (born 24 May 1962) is 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 ...

, who was the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland from May 2017 to May 2018

Early life and education

Derek Browning was born on 24 May 1962 in

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian on the southern shore of t ...

, Scotland. He was educated at

North Berwick High School North Berwick High School is a non-denominational state secondary school in North Berwick North Berwick (; gd, Bearaig a Tuath) is a seaside town and former royal burgh in East Lothian, Scotland. It is situated on the south shore of the F ...

, a state secondary school in

North Berwick North Berwick (; gd, Bearaig a Tuath) is a seaside town and former royal burgh in East Lothian, Scotland. It is situated on the south shore of the Firth of Forth, approximately east-northeast of Edinburgh. North Berwick became a fashionable ...

, East Lothian. He read history at

Corpus Christi College, Oxford Corpus Christi College (formally, Corpus Christi College in the University of Oxford; informally abbreviated as Corpus or CCC) is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1517, it is the 12t ...

, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree; as per tradition, his BA was promoted to a

Master of Arts A Master of Arts ( la, Magister Artium or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA, M.A., AM, or A.M.) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Th ...

(MA Oxon) degree. He trained for ordained ministry at

St Mary's College, St Andrews (In the Beginning was the Word) , established = , type = College , endowment = , staff = , faculty = , rector = , chancellor = , principal = Oliver D. Crisp , free_label = Teaching staff , free = 20 , ...

, and graduated with a Bachelor of Divinity (BD) degree from the

University of St Andrews (Aien aristeuein) , motto_lang = grc , mottoeng = Ever to ExcelorEver to be the Best , established = , type = Public research university Ancient university , endowment ...

specialising in ecclesiastical history. He later studied at

Princeton Theological Seminary Princeton Theological Seminary (PTSem), officially The Theological Seminary of the Presbyterian Church, is a private school of theology in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1812 under the auspices of Archibald Alexander, the General Assembly of t ...

, graduating with a

Doctor of Ministry The Doctor of Ministry (abbreviated DMin or D.Min.) is a professional doctorate, often including a research component, that may be earned by a minister of religion while concurrently engaged in some form of ministry. It is categorized as an advance ...

(DMin) degree in 1997: he was the first Church of Scotland minister to graduate from

with a Doctor of Ministry degree. His thesis was on the roles of leadership and the management of change within the Church.

Ordained ministry

Derek Browning served as Probationer Minister at Troon St Meddans in 1986–1987. He was minister at Cupar Old Parish Church, in

Cupar Cupar ( ; gd, Cùbar) is a town, former royal burgh and parish in Fife, Scotland. It lies between Dundee and Glenrothes. According to a 2011 population estimate, Cupar had a population around 9,000, making it the ninth-largest settlement in Fi ...

, Fife (1987 to 2001) and thereafter minister at Morningside Parish Church in

. He was Moderator of the Church of Scotland's Presbytery of St Andrews for 1996/1997, Convener of the Prayer and Devotion Committee of the Church of Scotland's Panel on Worship from 2000 to 2004, and Convener of the Church of Scotland's Assembly Arrangements Committee and General Assembly Business Committee. At the 2019 General Assembly he was appointed convener of the Special Commission on the Effectiveness of the Presbyterian Form of Church Government. Browning was Moderator of the Presbytery of Edinburgh, 2021-2022.

Moderator

In October 2016, Browning was nominated to succeed

Russell Barr Russell Barr (born 15 October 1953) is a minister of the Church of Scotland, who was nominated in late 2015 to be the next Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. Early life and education Barr was born on 15 October 1953 in ...

as Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. He took office in May 2017. On 4 September 2017, Browning blessed the new Queensferry Crossing on the River Forth before the Bridge was formally opened by Queen Elizabeth II. In October 2017, Browning visited Rome where he had a private audience with Pope Francis. Later in October he represented the Church of Scotland at the 500th Anniversary of the German Reformation held in Wittenberg. In January 2018 he visited Israel, Palestine and Jordan, spending time in Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Ramallah, Gaza and Galilee. He rededicated the refurbished St Andrew's Church in Tiberias. In Jordan, he visited the Baptismal Site of Jesus, invited by Prince Ghazi bin Muhammad. Browning also had an audience with King Abdullah II in Amman. In February 2018 Browning preached in Dunfermline Abbey at the 200th anniversary of the finding of the bones of King Robert the Bruce. In May 2018 Browning preached at the Liberation Day service on Guernsey.

Personal life

Derek Browning enjoys reading, cooking and playing croquet. He is a member of the New Club, Edinburgh.

References

*''Who's Who in Scotland 2015, published by Carrick Media, ''

Early life and education

Ordained ministry

Moderator

Personal life

References

See also