View source for Moderator of the General Assembly

{{short description|Chairperson of the highest court of a Presbyterian or Reformed church}}
{{Use British English Oxford spelling|date=February 2019}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2019}}
[[File:Stephen Orchard Moderator United Reformed Church General Assembly 2007.jpg|thumb|right|Stephen Orchard, Moderator of the General Assembly of the [[United Reformed Church]], 2007]]
The '''moderator of the General Assembly''' is the [[Chair (official)|chairperson]] of a [[General Assembly (presbyterian church)|General Assembly]], the highest court of a [[Presbyterian]] or [[Calvinism|Reformed]] church. [[Kirk session]]s and [[presbytery (church polity)|presbyteries]] may also style the chairperson as moderator. The Oxford Dictionary states that a Moderator may be a "Presbyterian minister presiding over an ecclesiastical body".<ref>{{Cite dictionary |url=http://www.lexico.com/definition/moderator |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210927181158/https://www.lexico.com/definition/moderator |url-status=dead |archive-date=2021-09-27 |title=moderator |dictionary=[[Lexico]] UK English Dictionary |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]]}}</ref>

Presbyterian churches are ordered by a [[presbyterian polity]], including a hierarchy of councils or courts of elders, from the local church (kirk) Session through presbyteries (and perhaps [[synod]]s) to a General Assembly. The moderator presides over the meeting of the court, much as a [[convener]] presides over the meeting of a church committee.  The moderator is thus the chairperson, and is understood to be a member of the court acting {{lang|la|[[primus inter pares]]}}. The moderator calls and constitutes meetings, presides at them, and closes them in prayer.  The moderator has a casting, but not a deliberative vote. During a meeting, the title ''moderator'' is used by all other members of the court as a form of address, but this may not be continued outside the meetings. Thus this convention expresses deference to the authority of the court rather than an honour for the moderator as an individual.

Many moderators act as ambassadors for their general assembly when it is not sitting, and visit many of the local churches in their denomination.{{anchor|Moderator of the Synod}}. 

==Examples==
A principal example of a Moderator of the General Assembly is that of the [[Church of Scotland]], the current [[Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland|Moderator of the General Assembly]] is [[Jim Wallace, Baron Wallace of Tankerness|Lord Wallace of Tankerness]].<ref name="Grampian">{{cite web|url=https://www.grampianonline.co.uk/news/lord-wallace-inducted-as-moderator-of-the-general-assembly-o-239161/ |title=Lord Wallace inducted as Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland |date=23 May 2021 |publisher=Grampian Online |access-date=27 September 2021}}</ref><ref name="BBC">{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-57212592| title=Former deputy first minister Jim Wallace is new Kirk moderator | date=22 May 2021 |publisher=[[BBC News]] |access-date=27 September 2021}}</ref> According to the Church of Scotland<ref name="ModeratorScotland">{{cite web|url=https://www.churchofscotland.org.uk/about-us/our-structure/moderator| title=The Moderator | date=20 May 2019 |publisher=The Church of Scotland |access-date=27 September 2021}}</ref> <blockquote>''"The Moderator—who moderates, or chairs, the annual General Assembly—is nominated by a committee which consists of 15 representatives elected by the General Assembly. The Moderator must also be formally elected by commissioners at the start of the Assembly. The honorary office is held for one year only. Following the week of the General Assembly, the Moderator acts as an ambassador for the Church of Scotland, frequently being invited to represent the Church at official events at home and abroad."''</blockquote>

Additionally, within the Church of Scotland, there are individual positions for Moderator at Kirk and Presbytery level (see [[Moderators and clerks in the Church of Scotland]]).<ref name="KirkModerators">{{cite web|url=https://www.churchofscotland.org.uk/resources/office-bearers/eldership/elders-as-kirk-session-moderators| title=Kirk Session Moderators | date=29 January 2018 |publisher=Church of Scotland |access-date=27 September 2021}}</ref>

In another example, in the [[Presbyterian Church in Ireland]], the [[Moderator of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland]] is nominated and elected by the Church's 19 regional presbyteries.<ref name="IrelandModerator">{{cite web|url=https://www.presbyterianireland.org/Utility/About-Us/Structure-and-Leadership/Clerk-and-Moderator.aspx| title=Clerk and Moderator |publisher=Presbyterian Church in Ireland |access-date=27 September 2021}}</ref> The official role involves acting as the Moderator or Chairman of the General Assembly, overseeing the debates and allowing resolutions to be put to the church house for voting.<ref name="IrelandModerator"/> The Moderator serves as the primary public representative for both the General Assembly and the entire church.<ref name="IrelandModerator"/>

Other national examples, with equivalent elected chairs in united churches with Presbyterian roots, include the [[Moderator of the United Church of Canada]] and the President of Assembly of the [[Uniting Church in Australia#Organisation|Uniting Church in Australia]].

==United churches==
In each of the [[United and uniting churches|united Church]]es [[Church of South India|of South India]], [[Church of North India|of North India]], [[Church of Pakistan|of Pakistan]] and [[Church of Bangladesh|of Bangladesh]] (which all have Presbyterian roots), one of the diocesan bishops is elected '''Moderator of the Synod''' (i.e. the national governing body) for a fixed term — another is elected Vice-Moderator. The Moderator (for their term) is ranked with Moderator of the General Assembly in the Presbyterian Churches and with the [[Primates in the Anglican Communion|national primates of Anglican churches]]. It is [[Ecclesiastical titles and styles|styled]] ''[[The Most Reverend]]''.

==See also==
Lists of moderators of the General Assembly:
*[[List of moderators of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland|Church of Scotland]] (1562–present)
*[[List of moderators of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America|Presbyterian Church in the United States of America]] (1789–1958)
*[[List of moderators of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the United States|Presbyterian Church in the United States]] (1861–1983)
*[[List of moderators of the General Assembly of the United Presbyterian Church of North America|United Presbyterian Church of North America]] (1858–1958)
*[[List of moderators of the General Assembly of the United Presbyterian Church in the United States of America|United Presbyterian Church in the United States of America]] (1958–1983)
*[[List of moderators of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA)|Presbyterian Church (USA)]] (1983–present)
*[[List of moderators of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Sources==
*{{CathEncy|wstitle=Presbyterianism|first=J. A.|last=McHugh}}

==External links==
*[[Westminster Assembly]], 1645 ''"The Form of Presbyterial Church-Government"'' online at [https://web.archive.org/web/20190406133712/https://reformed.org/documents/wcf_standards/index.html?mainframe=%2Fdocuments%2Fwcf_standards%2Fp395-form_presby_gov.html reformed.org]

[[Category:Presbyterian Church organisation]]
[[Category:Ecclesiastical titles]]
[[Category:Presbyterian ministers]]