The Church of Scotland has chosen a former probationer from St Giles Cathedral, Rev Susan Brown who is now minister at Dornoch Cathedral, as the next Moderator Designate of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland.
Rev Brown (58) married Madonna and Guy Ritchie at Dornoch and she also baptised their son Rocco there. She marries around 30 or 40 couples a year, but they are probably still the most famous!
She said she is ‘deeply moved and honoured’ to be chosen as the Church’s ambassador for the year 2018-19.
Mrs Brown said: “Being Moderator will not be about what I can do, but about what God wants to do.
“I am conscious that it is both a great privilege and a great responsibility – one I can only undertake at God’s prompting.”
Although she is not the first woman moderator she will take up the role 50 years after the Church of Scotland ordained the first woman to the Ministry of Word and Sacrament.
Undeterred by her mother who felt she was too short to be a minister, Reverend Brown says her 93 year-old mother is now ‘extremely proud’. She grew up in Penicuik where her father was a miner at Bilston Glen colliery and with her twin and older sister she went to Penicuik High School.
When she was only 10 years old she met Derek Brown who is now her husband while attending Sunday School. Mr Brown is chaplain at Raigmore Hospital Inverness and lead chaplain for NHS Highland. The couple have two children Simon aged 30 who is a novelist and who just won a Scottish Book Trust New Writers Award and Hannah (27) who is a social anthropology graduate.
Rev Dr George Whyte, Principal Clerk of the Church of Scotland, welcomed Mrs Brown’s appointment.
He said: “I was delighted to hear of Susan’s nomination. She brings great personal qualities and a wide range of ministerial, community and family experience to the post. I look forward to working with her throughout the year.”
A keen lover of the outdoors who walks her black labrador Finnbar every day, Mrs Brown will bring her love of getting out and about to the role of Moderator.
“My theme during the year will be walking alongside people,” she said
“When you walk alongside people, you listen and you exchange stories.
“It gives us a chance to talk more deeply than when we are face to face.”
“Deliberately making the time to walk in our communities, praying as we go, talking with those we meet, listening to the stories of friends and strangers alike, seems to me to be following in Jesus’ footsteps.
“Your faith is supposed to be a whole body experience.
“It’s not just your head or your heart, it is every part of you.
“It’s body, mind and spirit.”
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