|Home| General Assembly| Congregations on line| Church Directory| History| Press Releases| Special Features| Statement of Faith| Stedfast Magazine| Email|
 

Press Release 11/12/07 Moderator Designate of United Free Church Assembly 2008   CHURCH APPOINTS BIOCHEMIST AS MODERATOR DESIGNATE Dr Donald J Macdonald B.Sc., Ph.D., M.R.S.C., M.I.Biol., C.Biol., C.Sc., a Biochemist in the South Glasgow University Hospitals, has been appointed Moderator Designate of the 2008 General Assembly of the United Free Church of Scotland. The Assembly will meet in Glasgow from 5th – 7th June 2008. He is only the eighth elder to be appointed as Moderator in almost 80 years. He was born in Glasgow in 1947 after his parents (Murdo and Margaret) moved to Glasgow from the Island of Lewis and his mother tongue is Gaelic. He was educated at Dunard Street Primary and North Kelvinside Schools. In 1970 he graduated with a B.Sc. from Heriot-Watt University Edinburgh and in the same year met Charlotte Dunlop from Cleland, Lanarkshire; they married in 1973. Later in 1970 he gained a post as a Biochemist in the Glasgow Royal Maternity Hospital’s laboratories, moved to the newly built Rutherglen Maternity Hospital in 1978 where he completed his Ph.D. entitled Gluconeogenesis in Pregnancy’ and in 1998 transferred to the Victoria Infirmary which is now part of the South Glasgow University Hospitals. Donald’s previous research interest involved using biochemical techniques to monitor the well being of the developing foetus during pregnancy and his present interest is the biochemistry of the nervous system. He has published 28 research papers and co-authored 2 chapters in the textbook: Phospholipid Spectrum Disorders in Psychiatry and Neurology, Edited by Peet, Glen and Horrobin. In his early years Donald attended Dowanvale Free Church in Patrick with his parents. He became a Christian in 1960 after attending the Tent Hall, Glasgow where he worshipped until 1970 and was involved in their outreach work. In 1970 he became a member in St Vincent Street Free Church and served as a Deacon there until 1984 when he transferred to the Millerston Congregation of the United Free Church becoming an Elder later that year. In December 1998 both Donald and Charlotte were recognised as Readers in the United Free Church and since then have been actively involved in leading worship in many of the Congregations in the Presbytery of the West. He has served as Convener of the General Assembly Church and Society Committee for the last four years. For further information please contact: Rev John Fulton (General Secretary) on 0141 332 3435, E-mail: office@ufcos.org.uk . Arrangements can be made for you to speak with Dr. Macdonald.

Go back to Top