The Church of Scotland
Presbytery of Aberdeen

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Moderator

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The Moderator of Presbytery for the year 2008-2009 is

Rev John M Watson

St Mark's Church

John was born in Glasgow, and was educated at Bellahouston Academy in Ibrox, close to the hallowed grounds. He has been the Parish minister of St Mark’s since his induction there on 16th June, 1989. Prior to that and before his University training John was a police officer in the Strathclyde area for more than 23 years.
As a member of Presbytery, John has been Convener of the Stewardship & Finance (as it once was called) CDR as it once was called, member of several other committees, and is presently Convener of the recently formed Malawi Partnership Committee. John is also a member of the Ministries Council Task Force which has been set up to study the implications of health and healing in Ministry. John is married to Jennifer and has two sons, Garry and David, all of whom are extremely supportive to him in his ministry.
John’s interests outside St Mark’s lie in the Healing Ministry, and he has studied Divine Healing in the United States under the instruction of Dr Francis McNutt. John has since set up a teaching forum based in Banchory which has to date formed several groups and teams of Prayer and Healing gifts which have benefitted many people in the North East and abroad.
John says “I feel honoured as much as I feel unequal to the task given to me by my Presbytery to be Moderator for 2008-2009, and will pledge to do my level best at all times in that role”

The Moderator's Cross

Given for the Glory of God
the Service of His Church
and in a family's loving memory of
Rev Alastair F Lamont MA

When Alastair was Moderator of the Presbytery of  Aberdeen (1992-1993) he acquired and wore this silver cross whose elegant simplicity and starkness convey the message of Him who died that all might live.

Throughout his life Alastair displayed a passion for Christ and his Church, for Scotland and Old Aberdeen (an ancient city under the patronage of the Virgin Mary) with the Cathedral of St Machar's at its heart.  For those reasons the ribbon of the cross has been decorated on one side with a shield bearing the Burning Bush under a St Andrew's Cross.  On the other side there is the heraldic shield of Old Aberdeen bearing a vase of three Madonna Lilies.  One is in bud, one in full bloom and the third is beginning to wilt.  They represent the past, the present and the future - or the Eternal God.  the vase is decorated with three intertwined fish - simultaneously reminding one of IXTHUS (Jesus Christ, God's Son, Saviour) and also of the Trinity.

On Alastair's death on 21 July 1998 his family presented this gift to the Presbytery of Aberdeen to be used as a badge of office by its successive Moderators.

2007-2008
M Simpson (Elder, Rubislaw)

2006-2007
J Davies (St Stephen's)

2005-2006
A G N Wilson (Rubislaw)

2004-2005
W M M Campbell (Formerly Chaplain at Royal Cornhill Hospital)

2003-4
R Brown (Queen's Cross)

2002-2003
J H A Dick (Ferryhill)

2001-2002
R Wallis (Elder, Rublislaw)

2000-2001
F Coutts (Hospital Chaplain)

1999-2000
I Mclean  (Summerhill)

1998 -1999
H F Kerr  (Ruthrieston South)

1997-1998
M V A Mair (Holburn West)

1996-1997
J B Montgomerie  (Peterculter: Kelman Memorial)

1995-1996
W E Wilkie  (Kincorth)

1994-1995
T D Allsop  (Beechgrove)

1993-1994
D B Rennie (Industrial Mission Organiser)

1992-1993
A F Lamont  (Denburn)

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