Scottish Christian.com

Home > News > Scottish Christian News Monitor

Speech by the Prime Minister, the Rt Hon Gordon Brown MP, to the Church of Scotland General Assembly

For me, it is a special joy that evokes many happy memories to be invited to address you here this morning.

My father - in a Ministry that spanned more than four decades - served parishes in Govan and Dunoon, and then in Kirkcaldy and Hamilton --- Presbyteries which I am grateful that you, Moderator, have chosen to visit this year.

So from my childhood onwards I have been aware of the deliberations of the General Assembly; of the breadth of knowledge, the tolerance and the seriousness which characterise your debates.

And it is humbling to know that over the centuries this institution has an honourable history of bearing witness to eternal principles:

* of speaking truth to power;

* and - as I continue to find sometimes to my cost and rightly so - you have never been swayed by powers temporal, rightly respectful of all but rightly also deferential to none.

Full speech at 10 Downing Street.