The General Assembly
of the Church of Scotland
The General Assembly takes place annually in Edinburgh, in the month of May. Each year roughly a quarter of Church of Scotland ministers attend the General Assembly together with a number of elders, all as Commissioners. However many ministers go in any one year, there is always the same number of elders plus one. In this way the balance is held between ministers and laity. Everyone who attends the Assembly has a free vote and cannot be mandated by the congregation, Session or Presbytery to vote in any particular way.
Westray at the General Assembly 2017
|
Iain MacDonald, minister Alasdair McVicar, Elder, Westray Parish Kirk |
|
|
Liz McVicar, Elder, Westray Parish Kirk |
When a parish minster attends the Assembly he or she is accompanied by an elder from that parish if at all possible. In our case Iain MacDonald will be accompanied by Alasdair McVicar. Because not all parishes can find an elder able to go and because some non parish ministers go to the Assembly, there are Equalising Elders to balance the numbers. Liz McVicar will attend as an Equalising Elder.
