Russell Barr
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Russell Barr (born 15 October 1953) is a minister of the
Church of Scotland The Church of Scotland (CoS; ; ) is a Presbyterian denomination of Christianity that holds the status of the national church in Scotland. It is one of the country's largest, having 245,000 members in 2024 and 259,200 members in 2023. While mem ...
, who was nominated in late 2015 to be the next
Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland The moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland is the minister or elder chosen to moderate (chair) the annual General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, which is held for a week in Edinburgh every year. After chairing the Ass ...
.


Early life and education

Barr was born on 15 October 1953 in
Kilmarnock Kilmarnock ( ; ; , ), meaning "the church of Mernóc", is a town and former burgh in East Ayrshire situated in southwest Scotland. The town has served as the administrative centre of East Ayrshire Council since 1996 and is the region's main ...
, Scotland. His parents were George, a GP, and Isobel, a theatre sister. His schooling days were spent at Kilmarnock Academy. He was active in a local Boy's Brigade company. He left school with no qualifications, and a dream to become a professional golfer. He played off of scratch through his very regular playing, and he won many competitions as a teenager. Through persuasion by his parents, he enrolled at
Langside College Langside College was a List of further and higher education colleges in Scotland, further and higher education college located in the Mount Florida / Battlefield, Glasgow, Battlefield region of Glasgow. History It was established in 1947 and in t ...
in Glasgow. Through an inspirational history teacher, Bill Hodgson, he was able to pass exams. He made the choice to go to
Edinburgh University The University of Edinburgh (, ; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in post-nominals) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Founded by the town council under the authority of a royal charter from King James VI in 1582 and offi ...
, beginning in 1972. Through the university, he studied a degree in history and philosophy, graduating in 1975, as well an honours and master's degree in theology from New College. The latter was completed in 1993. He won the divinity honours class prize and in 1978 was awarded the Sir Will Y Darling Memorial prize as student of the year. He received a doctorate of ministry from
Princeton Theological Seminary Princeton Theological Seminary (PTSem), officially The Theological Seminary of the Presbyterian Church, is a Private university, private seminary, school of theology in Princeton, New Jersey, Princeton, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Establish ...
in 2000. He once had a summer job freezing peas as Salvesen's near Granton.


Ordained ministry

His probationary year was in Edgerston, near Jedburgh, in the Borders of Scotland. From there, he was called to Garthamlock and Craigend East, in the Easterhouse area of Glasgow from 1979 to 1988. He then served at Greenock St Luke's from 1988 to 1993. From 1993, he was the minister of
Cramond Cramond Village (; ) is a village and suburb in the north-west of Edinburgh, Scotland, at the mouth of the River Almond where it enters the Firth of Forth. The Cramond area has evidence of Mesolithic, Bronze Age and Roman activity. In modern ...
Kirk in
Edinburgh Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. The city is located in southeast Scotland and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh ...
. Russell Barr retired as minister of Cramond Kirk in October 2020, leading his last acts of worship as Minister on Sunday 25 October 2020. In 1999, he formed the charity, Fresh Start, which helps people who have been homeless establish themselves in their new home. In 2011, he was Moderator of the Presbytery of Edinburgh. In October 2015 he was nominated to succeed Right Rev Dr Angus Morrison as Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. He took office in May 2016. He was succeeded as Moderator by Dr
Derek Browning Derek Browning (born 24 May 1962) is a minister of the Church of Scotland, who was the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland from May 2017 to May 2018 Early life and education Derek Browning was born on 24 May 1962 in Edin ...
in May 2017.


Personal life

Barr is married to Margaret, a retired secondary school biology teacher. They met while studying at Edinburgh University. They have one son, Robert, and a daughter, Lindsey. They have three grandchildren: Eva, Caterina and Alessandro. After retiring from Cramond Kirk, they now live in St Andrews. He enjoys playing golf for fun.


See also

* List of moderators of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland


References


External links


Fresh Start
{{DEFAULTSORT:Barr, Russell 1953 births Living people 20th-century ministers of the Church of Scotland 20th-century Scottish Presbyterian ministers Princeton Theological Seminary alumni Clergy from Edinburgh Moderators of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland 21st-century ministers of the Church of Scotland 21st-century Scottish Presbyterian ministers