Russell Barr | |
|---|---|
| Moderator of the General Assembly | |
 Barr (right) with his wife in 2017 | |
| Church | Church of Scotland |
| In office | May 2016 – May 2017 |
| Predecessor | Angus Morrison |
| Successor | Derek Browning |
| Personal details | |
| Born | George Russell Barr 15 October 1953 |
| Nationality | Scottish |
| Denomination | Presbyterianism |
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. [1]
Barr was born on 15 October 1953 in Kilmarnock, Scotland. [2] His parents were George, a GP, and Isobel, a theatre sister. His schooling days were spent at Kilmarnock Academy. He was active in a local Boy's Brigade company. [3]
He left school with no qualifications, and a dream to become a professional golfer. He played off of scratch through his very regular playing, and he won many competitions as a teenager.
Through persuasion by his parents, he enrolled at Langside College in Glasgow. Through an inspirational history teacher, Bill Hodgson, he was able to pass exams. He made the choice to go to Edinburgh University, beginning in 1972. [4] Through the university, he studied a degree in History and Philosophy, graduating in 1975, as well an honours and masters degree in theology from New College. The latter was completed in 1993. [4] He won the divinity honours class prize and in 1978 was awarded the Sir Will Y Darling Memorial prize as student of the year. [5]
He received a doctorate of ministry from Princeton Theological Seminary in 2000. [6]
He once had a summer job freezing peas as Salvesen's near Granton. [4]
His probationary year was in Edgerston, near Jedburgh, in the Borders of Scotland. From there, he was called to Garthamlock and Craigend East, in the Easterhouse area of Glasgow from 1979 to 1988. He then served at Greenock St Luke's from 1988 to 1993. From 1993, he was the minister of Cramond Kirk in Edinburgh. [6] Russell Barr retired as minister of Cramond Kirk in October 2020, leading his last acts of worship as Minister on Sunday 25 October 2020. [7]
In 1999, he formed the charity, Fresh Start, [1] [6] which helps people who have been homeless establish themselves in their new home. [8]
In 2011, he was Moderator of the Presbytery of Edinburgh. [4]
In October 2015 he was nominated to succeed Right Rev Dr Angus Morrison as Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. [6] He took office in May 2016. [1] He was succeeded as Moderator by Dr Derek Browning in May 2017.
Barr is married to Margaret, a retired secondary school biology teacher. They met while studying at Edinburgh University. [4] They have one son, Robert, and a daughter, Lindsey. [6] They have three grandchildren: Eva, Caterina and Alessandro. [5] After retiring from Cramond Kirk, they now live in St Andrews. [7]
He enjoys playing golf for fun. [5]
David William Lacy DL is a minister of the Church of Scotland. He was the moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in 2005-6.
William Hamilton (1669–1732) was a Scottish Presbyterian theologian and minister of the Church of Scotland. He was professor of divinity at the University of Edinburgh from 1709 to 1732 and also principal of the university from 1730 to 1732.
James Smith (1681–1736) was a Church of Scotland minister in Cramond and the Principal of the University of Edinburgh from 1733 to 1736. He had been appointed professor of Divinity on 16 Feb 1732 and succeeded Dr William Hamilton in both offices. He was also twice Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland.
Sheilagh Kesting is a Scottish minister of the Church of Scotland. She served as Moderator of the General Assembly from May 2007 to May 2008. She was the first female minister to be elected Moderator; she was the second woman as a female elder, Alison Elliot, had been elected for the 2004/2005 session. Since 1993, she has been based at the Church of Scotland Offices in Edinburgh as the full-time Secretary of the Church of Scotland Committee on Ecumenical Relations. She retired in September 2016 and was created a Dame of the Order of St Gregory the Great by Pope Francis in November 2016 in recognition of her exceptional service to the Holy See, and as a result of her commitment to ecumenism in Scotland.
Finlay A. J. Macdonald is a retired minister of the Church of Scotland. He was Principal Clerk to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland 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.
Daniel Lamont (1870-1950) was a Church of Scotland Minister and academic. He was a Professor of Theology at New College, Edinburgh from 1927 to 1945; and Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland from 1936 to 1937.
William Currie Hewitt is a minister of the Church of Scotland and is a former Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland (2009–2010).
John White CH (1867–1951) was a minister of the Church of Scotland. He served as Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in 1925 and again at the reunion Assembly of 1929. White was one of the most influential figures in the Church of Scotland during the early decades of the 20th century, though his influence waned later in his life and he appeared increasingly isolated and anachronistic.
James A. Simpson was a minister of the Church of Scotland. He was Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in 1994–95 - the first from a Highland parish since James Gunn Matheson in 1975.
Elizabeth Lorna Hood, is a minister of the Church of Scotland. From 1979 to 2016, she was the minister of North Parish Church, Renfrew. From 2013 to 2014, she also served as Moderator of its General Assembly. She is an Extra Chaplain to the King in Scotland, appointed in September 2023.
Robert Leonard Small,, was a Scottish author, footballer, and senior Church of Scotland minister. He served as Moderator of the General Assembly from 1966 to 1967.
Robert Hamilton FRSE was Professor of Divinity at the University of Edinburgh. He served twice as Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland and was also a co-founder of the Royal Society of Edinburgh.
Derek Browning is a minister of the Church of Scotland, who was the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland from May 2017 to May 2018
James MacKnight (1721-1800) was a Scottish minister and theological author, serving at the Old Kirk of Edinburgh. He is remembered for his book Harmony of the Gospels and as Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in 1769.
Thomas Martin was a Scottish minister who served as Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in 1920.
Colin Sinclair is a minister of the Church of Scotland. He was Moderator of the General Assembly for the year from May 2019. He has served as the minister at Palmerston Place Church in Edinburgh since 1996.
James Henderson was a Scottish minister of the Free Church of Scotland who served as Moderator of the General Assembly to the Free Church 1855/56.
George David Henderson was a Scottish historian and a minister of the Church of Scotland.
Gilbert Hamilton (1715–1772) was a Scottish minister of the Church of Scotland who served as Moderator of the General Assembly in 1768, the highest position in the Scottish Church.