The Church of Scotland - Ministries Council

Council Convener, Vice-Conveners & Staff Senior Management Team

Rosemary Frew Council Convener

Rosie is the Minister of Bowden and Melrose Parish Church and is the Ministries Council Convener.

Jayne offers strategic leadership in support of the Council’s development of its vision, strategies and plans. Jayne manages the work of the Ministries Council, is a member of the Secretariat Team and leads the Ministries Senior Management Team.

Jayne Scott

Council Secretary

Brian Porteous

Vice-Convener

Brian Porteous is an ordained local minister attached to Torbain Parish Church in Kirkcaldy. He has a background in strategic management consulting and has worked extensively in sport and culture during his career.

Craig deputises for the Council Secretary as required and provides leadership for the business areas of Ministries Council in respect of strategic direction, finance, pensions, risk management, Registration of Ministries, Safeguarding and relationships with external consultants/agencies such as UK Border Control and auditors. Craig is also responsibility for oversight of Ministries Development Staff (MDS) and is a member of the Secretariat Team and the Ministries Senior Management Team.

Craig Renton

Depute Council Secretary

Bob Mallinson

Vice-Convener

Bob is the minister at Dundee Menzieshill and a Vice-Convener of the Ministries Council with responsibility for the Priority Areas Committee.

Shirley is responsible for the overall support, development and co-ordination of the Church’s work within priority areas and is a member of the Ministries Senior Management Team.

Shirley Grieve

Priority Areas Secretary

Ruth Halley Vice Convener

Ruth is the Minister at Stirling: Logie Kirk and a Vice-Convener of the Ministries Council with responsibility for the Education and Support Committee.

Lezley provides leadership for the recruitment and vocational guidance of Ministries within the Church of Scotland. She also oversees the pastoral support services offered at all stages within the lifecycle of ministry. Lezley is a member of the Ministries Senior Management Team.

Lezley Stewart

Recruitment & Support Secretary

Education & Training Secretary (position vacant)

Sarah Ross Vice-Convener

Sarah is the minister of Blantyre Old and a Vice-Convener of the Ministries Council with responsibility for the Partnerships and Development Committee.

Daran joins the Partnerships and Development team having worked in the HR department for some years. His experience is that of workforce planning, deployment and facilitating new ways of working, all of which focus on ensuring we have the right people, in the right place, doing the right thing, all transferable skills to the Partnerships and Development Secretary role. Daran is a member of the Ministries Senior Management Team.

Daran Golby

Partnerships and Development Secretary

Iain Macleod Finance Committee Convener

Iain is an Elder in Martin’s Memorial Church in Stornoway, Isle of Lewis. He is Church Treasurer and a member of the Presbytery of Lewis

Elaine is a member of the Stewardship & Finance team but works full-time in the management of the Councils financial affairs. She is responsible for budgets, forecasts, management accounting and advising on the formation of financial policy. Elaine is a member of the Secretariat Team and the Ministries Senior Management Team.

Elaine Macadie Finance Manager

Sue Williams Administration Manager

The Administration Manager supports the Convener and Council Secretary, the Council, the Strategic Planning Group, Ministries Finance Committee and the Manse Adjudication Committee. The Administration Manager leads the administrative function of the Council by managing and directing the admin staff team and is a member of the Secretariat Team and the Ministries Senior Management Team.

Secretriat Team Administrative Support

Sheila MacRae Support Assistant

Sheila staffs the reception desk for the Ministries Council and maintains electronic records. Sheila maintains the details in the list of vacant charges on the Church website.

Nicky offers admin support as part of the Ministries Administrative Staff Team including Joint Emerging Church Group; Pioneer Ministry Project Group; New Charge Development Task Group; Register of Ministry and to maintain and update relevant details on the Church of Scotland website in conjunction with the Communications Department.

Nicola Nicholls

Administrator

Priority Areas Team

Fred Vincent

Chance to Thrive Co-ordinator

The Co-ordinator will expand and co-ordinate Chance to Thrive – a people-focused regeneration programme operating through the churches in Scotland’s poorest parishes resulting in increased confidence, resilience and more sustainable physical assets.

John is responsible for developing, delivering and supporting a range of professional services relevant to the remit of the Ministries Council, specifically around the broad range of duties in respect of the Priority Areas work of the Council.

John Finch

Ministries Support Officer

Iain McLarty

Worship Development Officer

Iain is responsible for supporting local congregations in developing their worship practice and increasing their confidence and ability to place it at the heart of everything they do. This includes working with congregations and partners to develop a range of creative models and resources and facilitating the sharing of expertise across the Priority Areas network and the wider church.

Lynn co-ordinates the Priority Areas Glasgow Office and offers administrative support for the Priority Areas Secretary and wider Priority Areas team, the Priority Areas Committee, the Consultation and the Forum. Lynn handles arrangements for Priority Areas meetings and events.

Lynn MacLellan

Office Manager & Site Co-ordinator (Glasgow)

Naomi Dornan

Administrator

Naomi provides administrative and secretarial support for the Priority Areas Team including assisting with meeting and events arrangements. To maintain and update relevant social media including: the Church of Scotland website, blog, e-newsletter, twitter feed and Facebook sites in conjunction with the Communications Department.

Recruitment & Support Team

Heather French Recruitment Officer

Heather promotes and publicises the ministries of the Church of Scotland, increasing numbers considering vocations and overseeing vocational guidance and support. Heather is responsible for the Admissions and Readmissions process.

Angie implements the Church’s discernment process for identifying appropriately called and gifted people to train for recognised ministries in the Church. Angie monitors, evaluates and reviews the process.

Angie McNabb

Vocations Co-ordinator

Suzanne Brown Administrator

Suzanne offers admin support for all aspects of the Vocations processes incl. discernment as well as admin for the Recruitment Task Group, Director’s meetings, assessor selection/training and Vocations Conferences.

Irene offers admin support for all aspects of the Vocations processes incl. discernment as well as admin for promotional events and resources, Volunteering Vocations, Vocations Champions, Readership (in training and service), Admissions and Readmissions and for UK Visas and Immigration.

Irene McConnell

Administrator

Gabby Dench

Pastoral Support Manager

Gabby is a member of the Ministries Pastoral Support Team and leads in research, planning and implementing support strategies for all ministries personnel. Gabby has a key role in the development of services offered at local, regional and national levels.

Alison Stewart Senior Administrator

Rhona works with the Pastoral Support Manager to plan and implement the Council’s pastoral support strategy at local, regional and national levels. Alison offers administrative support to the Recruitment & Support Secretary, the Education & Training Secretary, the Committee and the Pastoral and Vocational Care Task Group, and is a member of the pastoral support team providing administrative support for all its work. Jointly, with the Principal Clerk’s Office, she arranges training for potential Interim Moderators.

Rhona Dunphy Pastoral Support Officer

Education & Training Team

To provide coaching and training to line managers across Scotland in the implementation of appraisal programme. Provide CPD events for regional staff and managers, including ministers. Develop an L&D management reporting framework.

Sally Anne-Dunn Learning & Development

Advisor

Matt Ward

Training Officer

Matt is point-person for matters relating to Probationers and ministers in their First Five Years.

Katie is the point of contact for queries relating to Probation placements, reviews, and conferences. In addition Katie has oversight of Continuing Development for OLMs/Readers/Auxiliaries and will work with the Education & Training Secretary on the provision of conferences for those in the First Five Years.

Katie Bradley Training Officer

Fiona Wyllie Administrator

Fiona Wyllie offers admin support for Candidates conferences, reviews, Spring Retreats, Initial Course Meetings and Ministries Training Network, the Training Task Group, Continuing Ministerial Development (CMD) and Ministerial Development Review (MDR).

Fi Cunningham offers admin support for Probationer placements, reviews and conferences, Candidate placements, Church Law Essays, supervisor & presbytery assessor training, First Five Years in Ministry conferences and Guild Reading Matters.

Fi Cunningham

Administrator

Clare is Ascend’s efficiency expert and her focus is on project management strategy, planning, scheduling and oversight of various sub-projects and contracts.

Clare Milrine Project Officer

Admin support for the Education & Training Secretary and team including administering the Postgraduate Fund and Study Leave Fund; supporting for the Re-thinking Initial Training project group; updating, maintaining and developing the support and development information pages of the Church website and the Ascend Portal.

Partnerships and Development Team

John Thomson

Ministries Support Officer

John is responsible for administration and support for the Presbytery Planning Process, for the Interim and Transition Ministry programme and for UK Visas and Immigration matters. John is also responsible for the administration, monitoring and support for Chaplaincies in: HM Forces; Prison; Workplace; Healthcare; University; Deaf Ministries

The focus of Kenneth’s work is on the support of Presbyteries engaged in developing Hub Style Ministries - team ministries that cover parish groupings. He will also be a reference person for Readers and Ordained Local Ministers once they have finished training.

Kenneth Fleming

Co-ordinator for New and Emerging Ministries

Liz Crumlish

Path of Renewal Co-rdinator

As the Project Co-ordinator Liz will lead in supporting congregations participating in the Path of Renewal project, providing leadership, network development, conferencing, coaching, support and research facilitation for participating individuals and congregations. Liz also has responsibility for the co-ordination of the Pioneer Ministry posts.

Co-ordinates, supports, and develops ministry amongst Deaf people (who use British Sign Language) and those who have a hearing loss (who have English as their first language).

Deaf Development Worker (position vacant)

David McCarthy Fresh Expressions

Development Worker

David is employed jointly between the Ministries and Mission & Discipleship Councils and his work includes the Going for Growth strategy, vision days, summer school and mission shaped ministry.

Sheila Reeves

Senior Administrator

Sheila offers administrative support to the Partnerships and Development Secretary, the Committee, the Presbytery Planning Task Group, the New Charge Development Task Group, the Joint Emerging Church Group and other relevant project groups.

Lynne offers administration and support for Ministries Development Staff, Diaconate Council, the Interim Ministries Task Group, Chaplaincies and the Pastoral Support Team.

Lynne Hood Administrator

David Williams

Go For It Fund Manager

David leads in the planning, organisation, implementation and ongoing evaluation of the Fund. This grant making practice includes the research, planning and implementation of a national training programme. Both these functions enable change in church and community and support all ministries personnel at all stages of development, enabling the Go For It Fund to be a key tool in supporting the ministry and outreach of local congregations.

Karen is responsible for assisting the Go For It Fund Manager with the provision of pre- and post-application support, developing training workshops for locally funded projects, potential applicants and key staff. Developing networking and mentoring opportunities for funded projects. Assisting the Manager with the monitoring and evaluation of supported projects and promoting the Go For It Fund through various media channels

Karen Bass

Go For It Training & Development Officer

Susan Calderhead Senior Administrator

Susan offers administration and support for the Go For It Fund including the Go For It Committee. Susan also offers support for New Charge Development Reviews and Annual Conference plus Accompanied Review.

General Assembly Appointed Council Members

David Alexander Graham Astles Scott Burton John Butterfield

Stella Campbell Brian Casey Alistair Cook

Karen Fenwick Barbara Finlayson Aftab Gohar

Mike Goss Norman Gourlay Ruth Halley Alan Hamilton

Jane Howitt Ute Jaegar-Fleming Peter MacDonald Tom MacIntyre

Tommy MacNeil

Nathan McConnell Ian McDonald Moira McDonald Andrew Morrice

Catriona Munro Alison Notman

Fraser Penny Brian Porteous Donald Scott Christopher Rankine

Graham Ritchie Elspeth Smith Ishbel Smith Jim Stewart

Andrew Todd Dot Weaks Stewart Weaver

Members Appointmented from Other Councils/Committees

Raymond Young Marjory MacLean Marion Stewart Ian Taylor General Trustees Committee on Chaplains to Diaconate Council Housing and Loan Fund Her Majesty’s Forces

Observers At Council

To be confirmed John McPake Ross Blackman The Guild Housing and Loan Ecumenical Officer Attachment as Ecumenical Accompaniment