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Sheilagh has faith in the future

The next Kirk Moderator today spoke of the privilege and burden of being the first woman minister to take on the Church of Scotland's top job.

Former Musselburgh minister Rev Sheilagh Kesting will be installed as Moderator at the opening session of this year's General Assembly in Edinburgh on Saturday.

She follows in the footsteps of Edinburgh elder Dr Alison Elliot, who became the first female Moderator in 2004.

But some saw Dr Elliot's election as a snub to women ministers. And there were predictions that having finally chosen a female Moderator, the Kirk would not have another for years.

Ms Kesting pointed out next year will be the 40th anniversary of the Kirk's decision to allow women ministers.

It has taken a long time for a woman minister to make it to the Moderator's chair.

"I'm conscious of it as a huge privilege, but also quite a burden," she said.

"I never expected to be Moderator and I certainly never expected to be the first woman minister to be Moderator."

There is still a residual unease in some parts of the Kirk about female ministers.

Ms Kesting said: "You will always get people who are not happy with the idea of women ministers, but it is very firmly part of our tradition now."

Among the business at the General Assembly next week will be a report on sexuality which acknowledges the Church has shown a "historic intolerance" towards gay people.

It is seen as a potential flashpoint, although leading evangelicals say privately they do not plan to make a big issue of the debate.

Ms Kesting has publicly said she would have "no problem" blessing civil partnerships. But she stressed she would chair the sexuality debate impartially.

"This is a hugely sensitive area. I'm on record for having an opinion on this, but what is critical is it's understood as Moderator I don't bring that opinion into the chair.

"It's a bit like the Presiding Officer in the Scottish Parliament. George Reid was a very visible figure in the SNP, but that did not affect the way he chaired the parliament."

Ms Kesting was minister at St Andrew's High Church in Musselburgh from 1986-93 and then became secretary of the Kirk's committee on ecumenical relations.

She said her interest in inter-church relations would be central to her year as Moderator.

She said: "The thing I bring with me is my ecumenical experience and that will feature in almost everything I do.

"My question is always 'Is this something we can be doing with other people?' and the answer is often 'yes'."

And she said she planned to continue the co-operation with Cardinal Keith O'Brien, leader of Scotland's Roman Catholics, in tackling sectarianism.

"Sectarianism needs constant attention," she said. "If you turn your back on it and think it's sorted it very quickly rears its head again."

Full story at the Edinburgh Evening News.