Finlay A. J. Macdonald is a retired 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 ...

. He was Principal Clerk to the General Assembly of the

from 1996 until 2010. In addition to his rapid rise up the ranks of the Church of Scotland, Macdonald is known for fostering co-operation between the various boards and committees which administer the Church and for steering the Church smoothly through its annual business meetings.

Biography

Early life

Born in 1945 in

Watford Watford () is a town and borough in Hertfordshire, England, 15 miles northwest of Central London, on the River Colne. Initially a small market town, the Grand Junction Canal encouraged the construction of paper-making mills, print works, and ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...

, his family returned to

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to ...

in 1949, settling in

Dundee Dundee (; sco, Dundee; gd, Dùn Dè or ) is Scotland's fourth-largest city and the 51st-most-populous built-up area in the United Kingdom. The mid-year population estimate for 2016 was , giving Dundee a population density of 2,478/km2 or ...

.Bew, Geoffrey. (22 May 2002).

Press and Journal (Scotland) ''The Press and Journal'' is a daily regional newspaper serving northern and highland Scotland including the cities of Aberdeen and Inverness. Established in 1747, it is Scotland's oldest daily newspaper, and one of the longest-running newspap ...

. ''Moderator Designate expresses aim to show Church still relevant.'' Pg. 7 His father, John - from the

Hebrides The Hebrides (; gd, Innse Gall, ; non, Suðreyjar, "southern isles") are an archipelago off the west coast of the Scottish mainland. The islands fall into two main groups, based on their proximity to the mainland: the Inner and Outer Hebri ...

- was also a Church of Scotland minister and his grandfather, also John, was a missionary. Finlay Macdonald attended the High School of Dundee, one of Scotland's leading independent schools (and the only such school in Dundee).Robertson, Lynne. (31 October 2006).

The Herald (Glasgow) ''The Herald'' is a Scottish broadsheet newspaper founded in 1783. ''The Herald'' is the longest running national newspaper in the world and is the eighth oldest daily paper in the world. The title was simplified from ''The Glasgow Herald'' in ...

. ''Kirk sticks to years of tradition with male moderator.'' At age 16, Macdonald began his lifelong career in the ministry when he joined Camperdown Parish Church as an

organist An organist is a musician who plays any type of organ. An organist may play solo organ works, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers or instrumental soloists. In addition, an organist may accompany congregational ...

.Media, Beattie. (June 2002). University of St Andrews.
Honorary Degrees 11 Jun 2002.
'' Obtained 3 November 2006. At age 18, Macdonald left the High School of Dundee with the intention of becoming a

lawyer A lawyer is a person who practices law. The role of a lawyer varies greatly across different legal jurisdictions. A lawyer can be classified as an advocate, attorney, barrister, canon lawyer, civil law notary, counsel, counselor, solicit ...

.Denholm, Andrew. (21 May 2002).

The Scotsman ''The Scotsman'' is a Scottish compact newspaper and daily news website headquartered in Edinburgh. First established as a radical political paper in 1817, it began daily publication in 1855 and remained a broadsheet until August 2004. Its pare ...

. ''Kirk has to turn tide of history.'' Pg. 4.

Education

In 1963, Macdonald matriculated at 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 ...

, 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 city's Queen's College (then part of St Andrews University) with arts subjects in St Andrews. Macdonald subsequently took up the study of

philosophy Philosophy (from , ) is the systematized study of general and fundamental questions, such as those about existence, reason, knowledge, values, mind, and language. Such questions are often posed as problems to be studied or resolved. ...

and received his

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. Tho ...

(M.A.) degree in philosophy in 1968. At some point during Macdonald's questioning and creation of theories about the nature of reality, the call to be a lawyer for God had taken hold and Macdonald entered St Mary's College in 1968 with the goal of becoming a minister. He graduated with a Bachelor of Divinity (Hons) degree in 1970. Macdonald married Elma, a primary school teacher, and produced two sons, one a doctor in

Perth, Western Australia Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth is ...

, the other an architect in

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

.Chamberlain, Gethin. (31 October 2001).

. ''Women snubbed as male gets top Kirk job.''

Evening Times The ''Glasgow Times'' is an evening tabloid newspaper published Monday to Saturday in the city of Glasgow, Scotland. Called ''The Evening Times'' from 1876, it was rebranded as the ''Glasgow Times'' on 4 December 2019.Bo'ness Old Kirk, but within two months he found himself in sole charge. At age 26 in 1971, Macdonald was

ordained Ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart and elevated from the laity class to the clergy, who are thus then authorized (usually by the denominational hierarchy composed of other clergy) to perform ...

and inducted at Menstrie Parish Church in Menstrie,

Clackmannanshire Clackmannanshire (; sco, Clackmannanshire; gd, Siorrachd Chlach Mhannainn) is a historic county, council area, registration county and Lieutenancy area in Scotland, bordering the council areas of Stirling, Fife, and Perth & Kinross and the ...

by the presbytery of

Stirling Stirling (; sco, Stirlin; gd, Sruighlea ) is a city in central Scotland, northeast of Glasgow and north-west of Edinburgh. The market town, surrounded by rich farmland, grew up connecting the royal citadel, the medieval old town with its me ...

and

Dunblane Dunblane (, gd, Dùn Bhlàthain) is a small town in the council area of Stirling in central Scotland, and inside the historic boundaries of the county of Perthshire. It is a commuter town, with many residents making use of good transport links ...

. It was at Menstrie Parish Church where Macdonald began serving his first charge as minister Macdonald became involved in the administration of the presbytery, serving for four years as junior clerk and treasurer. In 1977, Macdonald moved to Jordanhill Parish Church, in the west end of Glasgow, where served as minister for nineteen years, from 1977 to 1996. In 1988, Macdonald was elevated to governor of

Jordanhill College of Education Jordanhill Campus is an historic estate within the boundaries of Jordanhill, Glasgow, Scotland, which developed as a country estate. It is best known and most recently used as the home to the Faculty of Education of the University of Strath ...

. In that same year, the demonstration school attached to the teacher training college, known as Jordanhill College School, separated from the college to form Jordanhill School. At Jordanhill College, Macdonald chaired the PTA Action Committee, which campaigned successfully for the school's survival as a local primary and secondary within the public sector. In 1993 the college itself merged into the

University of Strathclyde The University of Strathclyde ( gd, Oilthigh Shrath Chluaidh) is a public research university located in Glasgow, Scotland. Founded in 1796 as the Andersonian Institute, it is Glasgow's second-oldest university, having received its royal chart ...

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 (1988 to 1992), Macdonald was

convener The chairperson, also chairman, chairwoman or chair, is the presiding officer of an organized group such as a board, committee, or deliberative assembly. The person holding the office, who is typically elected or appointed by members of the grou ...

of the General Assembly's Board of Practice and Procedure and of the Assembly's Business Committee. In 1983 he completed his

PhD PHD or PhD may refer to: * Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), an academic qualification Entertainment * '' PhD: Phantasy Degree'', a Korean comic series * '' Piled Higher and Deeper'', a web comic * Ph.D. (band), a 1980s British group ** Ph.D. (Ph.D. al ...

thesis entitled ''"Law and Doctrine in the Church of Scotland with particular reference to Confessions of Faith".'' From 1993 until 1996, Macdonald was a lay member of Strathclyde University Court, chairing the education faculty advisory committee. During this same period (1993 to 1996), Macdonald combined his ministry at

Jordanhill Jordanhill ( sco, Jordanhull, gd, Cnoc Iòrdain)
is an ...

with the role of Depute Clerk to the General Assembly. In 1996, Macdonald succeeded the Very Rev Dr

James Weatherhead James Leslie Weatherhead (29 March 1931 – 20 May 2017) was a minister of the Church of Scotland and the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland for 1993–1994. Background and career James Leslie Weatherhead was born in ...

as the Principal Clerk to the General Assembly of the

. As Principal Clerk, Macdonald helped bring about the culture of change which produced the Church Without Walls report.Macdonald, Finlay A. J. (May 2001). Deliverances of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland: Special Commission Anent Review and Reform in the Church.
A Church Without Walls.
'

Moderator of the General Assembly

In September 2001, four ministers were shortlisted as moderator: Macdonald, Peter Neilson of St Cuthbert's Church in Edinburgh, Sheila Blount of

Falkirk Falkirk ( gd, An Eaglais Bhreac, sco, Fawkirk) is a large town in the Central Lowlands of Scotland, historically within the county of Stirlingshire. It lies in the Forth Valley, northwest of Edinburgh and northeast of Glasgow. Falkirk had ...

, and Margaret Forrester of St Michael's Church in Edinburgh. 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.

Evening Times The ''Glasgow Times'' is an evening tabloid newspaper published Monday to Saturday in the city of Glasgow, Scotland. Called ''The Evening Times'' from 1876, it was rebranded as the ''Glasgow Times'' on 4 December 2019.the Queen will act as her own Lord High Commissioner next year, a safe pair of hands is needed. The current edition of Life and Work contains an article by Finlay Macdonald on the need to share out leadership responsibilities. Good timing or coincidence? Although classifiable as Old Kirk moderate, the current PC is PC on the subject of women in the ministry. When a parish minister in Jordanhill, he once demanded that a minister with fundamentalist views on women elders be required to pledge he would not veto women if he was inducted to another Glasgow parish.Lamont, Stewart. (2 October 2001)

. ''From a fascinating quartet of names, my tip as next Moderator.'' There was a 75% chance that the 2002 Moderator would have 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 popu ...

connection.

Evening Times The ''Glasgow Times'' is an evening tabloid newspaper published Monday to Saturday in the city of Glasgow, Scotland. Called ''The Evening Times'' from 1876, it was rebranded as the ''Glasgow Times'' on 4 December 2019.Moderator Designate on 20 October 2001, ending speculation that The Kirk was ready to appoint its first female moderator.

Evening Times The ''Glasgow Times'' is an evening tabloid newspaper published Monday to Saturday in the city of Glasgow, Scotland. Called ''The Evening Times'' from 1876, it was rebranded as the ''Glasgow Times'' on 4 December 2019. most believe that the proper choice had been made. Macdonald himself was gracious and understanding of the importance of gender and the Moderator position saying, ''"Clearly I don't know what considerations swayed the nomination committee today. I am just very honoured. I would be delighted to see a woman as moderator and hope that will happen."'' In December 2001, Macdonald was appointed a

Chaplain A chaplain is, traditionally, a cleric (such as a minister, priest, pastor, rabbi, purohit, or imam), or a lay representative of a religious tradition, attached to a secular institution (such as a hospital, prison, military unit, intelligence ...

to the Queen in Scotland.

Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland The Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland is the minister or elder chosen to moderate (chair) the annual General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, which is held for a week in Edinburgh every year. After chairing the Ass ...

on Saturday, 25 May 2002. The Queen did not install Macdonald as the Moderator, but only observed the ceremony. At the time Macdonald took up the office of Moderator, the total population of the Church had fallen steadily from 5.21 million in 1971 to 5.11 million in 2002. As the new Moderator, Macdonald saw the primary task for the Church of Scotland as becoming more appealing to a younger audience to turn this tide of more than 30 years of falling congregations. In June 2002, Macdonald received an honorary

Doctor of Divinity A Doctor of Divinity (D.D. or DDiv; la, Doctor Divinitatis) is the holder of an advanced academic degree in divinity. In the United Kingdom, it is considered an advanced doctoral degree. At the University of Oxford, doctors of divinity are ran ...

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 ...

. During his speech, Macdonald rejected the idea of creating more faith, church and culture-based schools in favor of existing schools educating pupils within a moral and spiritual framework.

Edinburgh Evening News The ''Edinburgh Evening News'' is a daily newspaper and website based in Edinburgh, Scotland. It was founded by John Wilson (1844–1909) and first published in 1873. It is printed daily, except on Sundays. It is owned by JPIMedia, which als ...

. (27 June 2002). '' Moderator rejects calls for Kirk-run primaries.'' Pg. 22.

Post Moderator

The moderatorship is for one year only; Macdonald was succeeded by Professor Iain R. Torrance in May 2003. Macdonald returned to his role as Principal Clerk to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland and as an honorary Chaplain to the Queen in Scotland. He is an active member of ACTS ( Action of Churches Together in Scotland), CTBI (

Churches Together in Britain and Ireland Churches Together in Britain and Ireland (CTBI) is an ecumenical organisation. The members include most of the major churches in England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland. CTBI is registered at Companies House with number 05661787. Its office is in Cen ...

). He was also formerly a member of EECCS ( European Ecumenical Commission on Church and Society). His formal title (following the end of his Moderatorial year) is the Very Reverend Dr Finlay Macdonald. He retired in 2010 and was succeeded as Principal Clerk by the Rev John Chalmers.

Footnotes and references

(Note: Most references archived a
Church of Scotland Extranet search.
Obtained 3 November 2006.

Publications

*Macdonald, Finlay A. J. (May 2001). Deliverances of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland: Special Commission Anent Review and Reform in the Church.

' *Children at the Table. (1982) David G. Hamilton (Editor); Finlay J. Macdonald (Editor). Publisher: Church of Scotland Date Published: *Luke Paul. (2012); Finlay J. Macdonald. Publisher: Shoving Leopard Productions Date Published:

External links

Council of Assembly
{{DEFAULTSORT:Macdonald, Finlay Moderators of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland People educated at the High School of Dundee Alumni of the University of St Andrews Living people 1945 births People associated with Dundee 20th-century Ministers of the Church of Scotland 21st-century Ministers of the Church of Scotland