‘We need to alter,’ says incoming Church of Scotland Moderator

The Rev Gordon Kennedy has been appointed to be the subsequent Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. He will succeed the Rt Rev Rosie Frew.

Kennedy, 62, has been serving because the minister of Craiglockhart Parish Church in Edinburgh since 2012.

Speaking of his appointment, Kennedy said, “My first response was surprise, I had never considered being Moderator, it isn’t something that is been in my mind. During conversations with a friend, who beneficial me, and with my wife it became clear there was the likelihood that this was God’s call for this time.

“But I’m delighted and what it means to me is a chance for service.”

The role of Moderator entails presiding over and chairing the Church’s General Assembly in addition to acting as the general public face of the denomination and being its ambassador in dealings with other denominations, the state and public bodies.

Kennedy said he hoped his time within the position could be used to encourage odd churchgoers to follow Jesus’ teachings and to proclaim the gospel.

Although a minister in Edinburgh, Kennedy actually grew up in Glasgow. He has a level in civil engineering and worked for Strathclyde Regional Council roads department within the Nineteen Eighties before pursuing full-time ministry. He is married and has two adult sons.

Kennedy has spoken concerning the need for the Church to adapt its methods for the second quarter of the twenty first century.

“Somebody once described faith as not only standing at the sting of the cliff but leaning out over the sting with only the wind of God’s Spirit to carry you up. Not only is it frightening, it’s exciting. The way we have been doing church over the past 30 to 40 years was great for then, but it surely is not great for this moment in time,” he said. 

“We need to alter however the challenge is we’re not at all times sure about how we’d like to alter and in what direction we’d like to alter.

“If we’ll be disciples of Jesus, let’s be disciples of Jesus, let’s not hide that, let’s not be ashamed and we should always be confident and daring.

“We know Jesus as our Lord and Saviour so let’s walk in His way and that may lead us into paths of service in our community that are outward facing.”

Kennedy also spoke of the necessity for Christians to live a life that was about greater than just coming to church once every week.

He said, “It’s life transforming, it’s joining in on Jesus’s mission to renew and restore all things – justice, peace, mercy. The Gospel can address all of those and should you start following Jesus, you’ll have a chance to interact in God’s mission to renew and transform. 

“He is King and you may get to be a part of his mission of remodeling all creation, it isn’t a passive invitation, it’s an invite to motion.”

Kennedy encouraged Christians to point out non-believers the validity of Jesus and his teachings through their lives and to present the gospel in a way that they may understand and interact with.

“Share the Gospel, it is absolutely necessary, and the important thing message is ‘there may be hope and God loves you’. That message seems to me to be supremely relevant to each person that we are going to ever meet,” he said.