Presentation: The Very Reverend Dr Finlay Macdonald. Finlay Macdonald was Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland from May 2002 until May 2003. The office, which is an honorary one and held for one year only,   involves presiding at the Church's annual General Assembly and then undertaking a number of official visits on behalf of the Church, in Scotland and overseas. A particular theme of Dr Macdonald's moderatorial year was interfaith relations. In February/March 2003 he visited Lebanon, Syria and Egypt. Since 1996 Finlay Macdonald has held the senior administrative position of Principal Clerk to the General Assembly, and returned to this job after his year as Moderator. He was ordained to the ministry in 1971 and over the next twenty-five years served in parishes in Clackmannanshire and Glasgow.

Theme of Talk: In his address to the Conference Dr Macdonald will give an account of his three week visit to the Middle East in the period immediately before the Iraq war. In particular he will talk of contacts with both Christian and Muslim leaders in Lebanon, Syria and Egypt. Dr Macdonald will also speak of the dialogue which has developed between leaders of the different faith communities in Scotland, through a series of meetings involving Baha'i, Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Jew, Muslim and Sikh.

Click to Download/Listen