Photo above – Rev Dr Martin Fair, the minister of St Andrews Parish Church in Arbroath, is the Moderator-Designate for 2020-21
This Saturday, 16 May, you are invited to watch the special service to install the next Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland.
The 2020 General Assembly was cancelled because of the COVID-19 health crisis, but a unique service of installation will be streamed live here on the Church of Scotland website and also on the Church Facebook page, starting at 11am. Watch the service of installation here
[[] https://stream1.churchofscotland.org.uk/about_us/general_assembly/ ]
Rev Dr Martin Fair will officially succeed Rt Rev Colin Sinclair as the Kirk’s ambassador at home and abroad, taking up his new role in the General Assembly Hall in the traditional ceremony.
Challenging times
The familiar service will include hymns, prayers, readings and a Benediction. What is different this year is that instead of taking place before an audience of around 800 commissioners and spectators, the service will include only five people, a BSL interpreter and a skeleton camera crew, all of them following strict social distancing guidelines to prevent the potential spread of Covid-19.
The outgoing Moderator, Rt Rev Colin Sinclair, will open the service and will reflect on his year and offer some words of advice to the new Moderator.
The Principal Clerk, Rev Dr George Whyte will ensure correct process is followed, and will read a passage from the Bible as he would have done at the opening of the General Assembly.
Dr Fair’s wife Elaine and Mr Sinclair’s wife Ruth will be in attendance.
The Moderator’s cross and ring will be placed in a box on a table and Dr Fair will be invited to put them on.
He will then address the Church and nation as he looks forward to the year ahead.
Rev Rosie Addis will offer British Sign Language interpretation. Those who tune in to the event on the church website can choose the stream that includes her interpretation.
Church elder Susan Pym will introduce the event with a pre-recorded introduction in her role as vice convener of the Assembly Business committee. Other guests will take part from a distance through pre-recorded videos.
Dr Whyte said: “This is not how we planned things but we are thrilled that the service can go ahead and be shared widely through the website.
“Martin Fair is just the right person to offer us leadership and inspiration in these challenging times.”
Speaking ahead of the service which comes at a time when church buildings are closed and spiritual nourishment is catching fire online, the Moderator Designate said: “Taking on the role was always going to be a challenge.
“But at least I had many others to follow and there was an established pattern.
“But no one has been this way before so I’m going to have to step out into new territory without a map.
“So for me, trusting in God to lead is where I’m at personally.
“And that perfectly mirrors the place of the Church as it looks toward a yet unknown future.
“I guess that’s what my year is going to be about, not what was planned.
“But I’m ready to embrace it and go forward in faith.”
Mr Fair will adopt the title “Rt Rev Dr” and continue in his role as minister of St Andrew’s Parish Church in Arbroath for now and carry out Moderatorial duties when appropriate.
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