Canon Alison Peden has been instituted as Rector of St Modoc’s, Doune. The preacher was Bishop Kevin Pearson.
This completes another set of significant changes in the life of our church. Alison will spend one third of her time at Doune. The rest of her time will be spent in her expanded role as Provincial Director of Ordinands, working as part of the Scottish Episcopal Institute – our new training agency for our future clergy and Lay Readers.
I find that people tend to make rather gloomy assumptions about the supply of potential ordinands. The reality is that people are appearing and uttering those remarkable words, ‘I believe that God is calling me to be a priest’. Not enough perhaps to replace the high level of retirements which are coming – but a much healthier situation. Alison’s task will be to oversee their journey from vocational discernment, through training and on into ministry.
So she – and the staff of the Institute – have in their hands the shaping of the next generation of people in ministry in our church. Literally a vital task