Dear Friends
I said in the last Newsletter that I had been appointed by Ardrossan Presbytery as Interim Moderator for Kilmory and Lamlash and I have now been in position since the beginning of February. Your previous Interim Moderator was Mr Alan Saunderson, Clerk to Ardrossan Presbytery and he was with you for just over one year. However, in talking to folk in the congregations and communities, some are still unsure what an Interim Moderator is. Having a minister in charge he or she is Moderator of the Kirk Session and folk understand that but not the position of Interim Moderator.
I have been asked to explain and hopefully this will help partly to clear up the matter. (I will quote now from the guidelines to explain).
“An Interim Moderator is invited by the Presbytery to serve in a vacancy. Although the work maybe time-consuming, it should be found as a worthwhile experience. An Interim Moderator has a dual role to discharge. On the one hand, being the Presbytery’s appointee, the Interim Moderator is expected to help in representing the views of Presbytery to the congregation.
On the other hand, as the congregation’s minister for the time being, the Interim Moderator may be called on to help in representing the congregation’s views to the Presbytery. It shall be the duty of the Interim Moderator to preside at all the meetings of the Kirk Session and to preside at all congregational meetings in connection with the vacancy, or at which the minister would have presided had the charge been full.”
Although I have only been with you a few times in taking the service on a Sunday, I am responsible for the ‘Pulpit Supply’ making sure you have someone to lead you in worship each week. I am also responsible for, not just presiding at meetings but ensuring that all the business and affairs of the church run as smoothly as possible and according to the Laws of the Church.
However, in saying this I do not do that on my own. Your Office Bearers are well experienced in their own areas of service and all carry out their duties efficiently and of course your Session Clerk, Ian Watt has a heavy workload as well. Everyone in the congregation has a part to play though.
I am with all of you to help in this time of vacancy and as you seek the minister of God’s choosing for your congregation. This time should be seen as a time of challenge and of renewed commitment and vigour.
Unless there is some ‘vision’ of what the congregation is, where it is going and what it hopes to do, then the task of finding the ‘right’ minister can be much more difficult.
Some of you may feel that you have been in a vacancy for a long time but we have to be patient. I can assure you the Nominating Committee are working tirelessly on everyone’s behalf even if sometimes it may feel to you that the wheels are turning slowly. There are procedures that have to be followed, and at each stage you will be informed by intimation through your Session Clerk.
This is a time more than ever that you are encouraged to meet regularly for worship on a Sunday. First and foremost you come to worship God and to seek His guidance, secondly in support of one another in the fellowship and thirdly to know what is going on through the intimations and how you can play your part as the people of God of Lamlash Parish Church.
In the Letter to the Hebrews we read these words
“Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on towards love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another – and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”
As well as your Interim Moderator, I am also serving as your Locum for one day’s pastoral work per week (seven hours).
My contact details are below if you need to get in touch with me or if you would like to.
Yours in His service
Jean Hunter
Tel No. 01770 860380
Email j.hunter744@btinternet.com