Thursday October 16th 2025
Next Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, Rev Gordon Kennedy
Written by Midlothian View Reporter, Liam Eunson
An Edinburgh minister has been named as the next Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland after serving Craiglockhart Parish Church since 2012, expressing that the church ‘needs to change’.
Rev Gordon Kennedy, 62, has been chosen to moderate the annual General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, which is held for a week in Edinburgh every year, this role chairs the General Assembly and examines the work and laws of the Church alongside making decisions for the future.
During the next 12 months, he will act as the Church’s ambassador, meeting with ecumenical partners and faith leaders, visiting presbyteries and projects and representing the Church at home and abroad, acting as an ambassador.
Explaining that his members need to be ready for the challenge of changing the Kirk’s direction, Rev Gordon Kennedy highlighted that this is a “frightening” time and that “the way we’ve been doing church over the past 30 to 40 years has been great for then, but it isn’t great for this moment in time.”
Highlighting that change is needed, he said:
“We need to change but the challenge is we’re not always sure about how we need to change and in what direction we need to change.”
The minister also highlighted that the world is in a state of flux at the moment but Christians have the power to act during unsettled times.
Serving at Craiglockhart Parish Church for 13 years, he will succeed Rev Rosie Frew when her term ends, taking on the role that he was both “surprised” and “delighted” to take on.
Asked how he felt after being told he had been named Moderator Designate 2026-2027, he said: “My first reaction was surprise, I had never thought of being Moderator, it’s not something that’s been in my mind.
“But I am delighted and what it means to me is an opportunity for service.
“A good friend, someone I trust, asked me to think about it last May and that was the first time I seriously thought about the possibility.”
Over his 32 years of ministry, he has held multiple leadership roles in three presbyteries as well as the national Church.
His national roles include serving on the former Council of Assembly, the Theological Commission and the Church Without Walls Special Commission.
He added: “Being Moderator provides an opportunity for me to meet lots of people whom I wouldn’t usually get the chance to meet in the Church, to learn from them and be encouraged by them.
“And conversely, it will enable me to encourage and support them in their work and service, wherever they are in the country.
“For me, the most important part of the Church of Scotland is the local church: local congregations, chaplaincy and pioneering work.”
The minister acknowledged that the Church is continuing to grapple with the challenges of reforming to sustainably and effectively share the Good News of Jesus Christ in the second quarter of the 21st century.
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