John Cairns Christie (born 9 July 1947) 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 ...

. He was Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland for 2010-2011.

Early life and education

Christie was born in

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 ...

on 9 July 1947 and lived in

Helensburgh Helensburgh (; gd, Baile Eilidh) is an affluent coastal town on the north side of the Firth of Clyde in Scotland, situated at the mouth of the Gareloch. Historically in Dunbartonshire, it became part of Argyll and Bute following local gove ...

as a child. He was educated at Hermitage Academy, Helensburgh (1959-1966), 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 ...

, Paisley College and 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 early career was as a scientific assistant at Royal Ordnance Factory Bishopton in the late 1960s,The Rev "John Cairns Christie nominated as Moderator of the Kirk"
''

The Times ''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper '' The Sunday Times'' (f ...

'', 28 October 2009. Retrieved on 4 November 2009. then as a school teacher at Albert Secondary School,

Springburn Springburn ( gd, Allt an Fhuairainn) is an inner-city district in the north of the Scottish city of Glasgow, made up of generally working-class households. Springburn developed from a rural hamlet at the beginning of the 19th century. Its ind ...

, Glasgow (in Biology and Chemistry) in the mid-1970s, eventually becoming principal teacher of science at Tiree High School in 1978 before moving to Inverness in 1984. Whilst on the island of

Tiree Tiree (; gd, Tiriodh, ) is the most westerly island in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. The low-lying island, southwest of Coll, has an area of and a population of around 650. The land is highly fertile, and crofting, alongside tourism, an ...

Mr Christie was ordained an elder of the

.Press release from the Church of Scotland
/ref>

Ordained ministry

In 1989 he graduated with a degree of Bachelor of Divinity (BD) degree from 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 , ...

and was licensed as a Probationer for the Ministry. He served as a Probationer at Mosspark Parish Church, Glasgow. In 1990, Mr Christie was ordained and inducted as minister at

Hyndland Hyndland is a residential area in the West End of the city of Glasgow, Scotland. Description Bordering Broomhill, Dowanhill, Kelvinside and Partickhill, it is an upper-middle-class neighbourhood populated mainly by professionals (many emp ...

Parish Church in the

Presbytery of Glasgow The Presbytery of Glasgow is one of the 46 Presbyteries 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 ...

where he served for 14 years. Christie was called to Interim Ministry in 2004 — a specialist ministry helping congregations that have faced difficulties. As of 2009 he is serving at St Andrew's Parish Church,

West Kilbride West Kilbride ( gd, Cille Bhrìghde an Iar) is a village and historic parish in North Ayrshire, Scotland, on the west coast by the Firth of Clyde, looking across the Firth of Clyde to Goat Fell and the Isle of Arran. West Kilbride and adjoinin ...

and also visits the Scots Kirk, Lausanne in the Church of Scotland's

Presbytery of Europe The International Presbytery (officially, the Presbytery of International Charges) covers the Church of Scotland's congregations in continental Europe, Sri Lanka and the Caribbean. Until 2016 it was called the Presbytery of Europe. In October 2014 ...

. Christie has also served as Convener of four Church of Scotland General Assembly Boards and Committees (the Safeguarding Committee, the Board of Parish Education, the Joint Boards Committee on the Safety & Protection of Children and the Forgiveness & Proportionality Working Group). Mr Christie also served as Vice Convener of the Kirk's Board of World Mission's Middle East and North Africa Committee.

Moderator

The shortlist of nominees for the role of Moderator were made public in early October 2009. Alongside Christie, William D. Brown, of Murrayfield, John L. McPake from Mossneuk in East Kilbride, and C. Peter White, of Sandyford, Glasgow were nominated. Christie's selection as the final nominee was announced on 27 October 2009. Christie formally took up his appointment on 20 May 2010."The General Assembly 2010—Real time tracker postings archive: Session I Thursday 20 May"
Record of first day of 2010 General Assembly. Upon becoming Moderator his full title became the Right Reverend John Cairns Christie BSc BD.

Personal life

In 1972 Christie married Elizabeth and they had a daughter, Margaret. Elizabeth died in 1993. In 1995 Mr Christie married Annette, a Scottish Indoor Bowling Internationalist.

References

External links

"Former science teacher is next Moderator"
''

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 ...

'', 28 October 2009.
"Top role for Rev"
'' Evening Times'', 28 October 2009.
"The Kirk Needs a Captain—A year is not long enough for a Church of Scotland moderator to make a mark"
28 October 2009.
"Kirk announces its new moderator"
BBC Scotland, 27 October 2009.
"Moderator's ring of office is stolen"
BBC Scotland, 24 December 2010. {{DEFAULTSORT:Christie, John Moderators of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland Living people 20th-century Ministers of the Church of Scotland Clergy from Glasgow People from Helensburgh Alumni of the University of Strathclyde Alumni of the University of the West of Scotland Alumni of the University of Glasgow Scottish schoolteachers Elders of the Church of Scotland 1947 births 21st-century Ministers of the Church of Scotland People educated at Hermitage Academy