Moderator to recognise 5,000 years of service during presbytery visit

The Moderator of the General Assembly is to honour elders with more than 5,000 years of faithful service to the Church of Scotland combined.

Rt Rev Sally Foster-Fulton will present long service certificates to 177 people during a special service at St John's Parish Church in Hamilton.

They belong to 29 churches across the Presbytery of Forth Valley and Clydesdale, a union of the former presbyteries of Falkirk, Hamilton and Lanark.

The service on 14 March is part of a comprehensive programme of events to enable the Moderator to learn more about the life and work of the Church across the presbytery area.

During the course of the presbytery visit from 9-18 March, she will attend four worship services and will call into churches that run vital mission projects to support people living with dementia, struggling with feeding their families, coping with homelessness and battling addictions.

The Moderator will be given an insight into the invaluable work of chaplains at University Hospital Wishaw, take part in singing events and be given a tour of the Tunnocks confectionary factory in Uddingston.

The family business is owned by Sir Boyd Tunnock, an elder at Uddingston Old Parish Church.

Presbytery visits provide Moderators with an opportunity to offer encouragement and support to church members and the communities they serve.

Presbytery clerk, Rev Julie Rennick, said: "We are looking forward to welcoming the Moderator and her husband Stuart to the Presbytery of Forth Valley and Clydesdale.

"We are working within the theme of ‘Who is your Neighbour?' and have a wide range of visits scheduled to show the fantastic work our congregations do on a daily basis to serve their communities and the various social and economic pressures they face.

"We are particularly excited to see the engagement between the Moderator and local schools at our event with South Lanarkshire Council and visiting ACS Clothing, which is dedicated to enabling fashion brands to join the circular economy.

"There are many public events for people to come and engage with the Moderator on her visit, including coffee in Falkirk, walking in East Kilbride and singing in Stonehouse."

The Moderator's schedule: -

Sunday.

• Morning Worship at Grahamston United Church in Falkirk with communion and afternoon worship at New St Andrews Parish Church in Coatbridge.

Monday.

• A visit to ACS Clothing Ltd at Centralpark, an estate off the M8 between Holytown and Calderbank. Councillor Kenny Duffy, the Provost of North Lanarkshire, will be in attendance.
• A walk with the Moderator around James Hamilton Heritage Park in East Kilbride, which will include an opportunity for reflection inspired by the Walking Together resource produced by the Church of Scotland.

Tuesday.

• The Moderator will host a gathering for ministers at Braehead House, a Christian healing retreat, near Crossford in the Clyde Valley.
• A visit to Clydesdale Foodbank in Carluke and the dementia hub at the town's St Andrews Parish Church, which supports people living with the condition and their carers.
• A visit to Wishaw South Parish Church to learn about its New Life Recovery Hub which offers fresh hope to vulnerable men and woman from the town and surrounding area who are struggling with life controlling issues
• A "Sing with the Moderator" event at St Ninian's Church in Stonehouse, an ecumenical partnership between the Church of Scotland and the United Reformed Church.

Wednesday.

• The Moderator will attend a schools event at Bothwell Parish Church and Councillor Margaret Cooper, Provost of South Lanarkshire will be in attendance.
• A visit to Tunnocks Factory in Uddingston and to Bothwell Community Larder, hosted at Bothwell Parish Church.
• The Moderator will visit the Drop In Centre in Hamilton, run by local churches and provides a hot meal for homeless people.

Thursday.

• The Moderator will visit Camelon Parish Church which runs a charity shop, which supports local people. Camelon was her first charge as a minister.
• The Moderator will attend a civic reception at Falkirk Stadium, organised by the local council.
• An evening of celebration and thanksgiving at St John's Parish Church in Hamilton to recognise long service.

Friday.

• A visit to the Spiritual Care department at University Wishaw Hospital.

Saturday.

• A visit to Carronvale House in Falkirk, home to the Boys' Brigade Scottish Headquarters.
• A youth worship event at Motherwell South Parish Church.

Sunday.

• The Moderator will attend a worship service with communion at Greyfriars Church in Lanark.
• A meeting with Drama Kirk representatives at Hamilton Old Parish Church.
• Worship at Hillhouse Parish Church in Hamilton.

Mrs Foster-Fulton said: "Presbytery visits are pastoral in nature and allow moderators to experience the life of the Church in an area first-hand, including the diverse people, places, and initiatives our Church nourishes.

"I feel privileged to be able to meet people, visit places, and encourage the good works the Church is engaged in across Forth Valley and Clydesdale.

"I will be very much in listening mode to hear people's concerns and aspirations, discuss the issues that they face and assure them all that they are held in our prayers.

"I look forward to seeing how we as a Church are making a difference in our communities today in the diverse challenges they face."