A former chaplain to one of the toughest prisons in Scotland has been
nominated as next Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of
Scotland.
The Rev David Arnott, who was chaplain at Barlinnie Prison in Glasgow
was named by the Committee to Nominate the
Moderator as Moderator-Designate. Mr Arnott will preside over the 2011
General Assembly of the Church of Scotland.
A regular presenter on BBC Radio Scotland’s Thought for the Day for
more than 35 years, he has also contributed to Radio 4’s Prayer for the
Day, Scottish Television and Grampian Television.
David Arnott was born in Dunfermline, Fife, and after a scholarship
year at Hamilton College in Clinton, New York, he was taught at the
University of St Andrews and the University of Edinburgh, graduating in
MA French and Spanish and a Bachelor of Divinity (Honours) New
Testament.
Mr Arnott and his wife Rosemary have three grown-up children and six grandchildren.
Following a probationary placement at St Ninian’s Parish Church in
Greenock in 1971, the Moderator-elect was ordained to Stobhill Parish
Church in Gorebridge.
The congregation had recently endured trying
times before he confidently led into a triple union in 1975 in the
renamed Gorebridge Parish Church.
Two years later he was called to Netherlee Parish Church in Glasgow.
During his time there he encouraged the wider mission of the
congregation by strengthening its ties to St Andrews Church in Colombo
and the wider community in Sri Lanka, making new links with a local UPA
(Urban Priority Area) congregation and establishing firm relationships
with a church and school and its wider community in Transylvania. The
links he forged still remain strong today.
During his time preaching in Glasgow, he spent two years as a
part-time chaplain at Barlinnie as well as serving on many committees in
Glasgow Presbytery and was Convenor of its Business Committee, during
which time he directed the restructuring of its committee system.
In 1996 he was inducted to his last charge at St Andrews: Hope Park
which was linked to Strathkinness Church in October 2005. While there
he served as a local hospital chaplain and chaplain to two primary
schools.
He also served as an honorary Church of Scotland chaplain at
the University of St Andrews.
During his time in St Andrews he was
Convenor of both the Ministry Committee and the Superintendence
Committee and was Moderator of the Presbytery in 2007.
Throughout his church career Mr Arnott has served on various Church
of Scotland boards and committees both at presbytery and national level.
He has been Convenor of the Education for the Board of Ministry.
Having been assessor at the then Selection Schools, he was invited to
join a small working party which remodelled the selection process for
applicants to ministry. From 2006 to 2009 he was Senior Director of the
Kirk’s new Assessment Conferences.
Whilst on the then Board of Practice and Procedure he was invited to
convene a commission for the General Assembly examining the future of
the Presbyteries of Europe and Jerusalem.
He was also the Convenor of
the General Assembly’s Arrangements Committee and also the General
Assembly’s Business Committee. For several years he asked to address an
annual conference for Church of Scotland candidates on preaching and
other subjects.
The General Assembly of the Church of Scotland is chaired by the
Moderator, who leads daily worship, keeps order, rules on points of
order and signs documents on behalf of the General Assembly.
The role is an honorary one and is held for 12 months. During the
Moderatorial year the post-holder generally travels as Church
representative in Scotland, Ireland and other parts of the United
Kingdom, as well as travelling overseas in an ambassadorial capacity.
Moderators carry out a series of visits to several Church of Scotland Presbyteries as well as international tours.
SIC: Ekklesia/UK