Church of Scotland minister to take up top Royal Navy chaplaincy post

A minister in the Church of Scotland has been appointed to the most senior chaplaincy post in the Royal Navy.

The Rev Scott J Brown is currently responsible for all operational aspects of chaplaincy in the Royal Navy and Royal Marines and has a long history with the Royal Navy, having first taken up a Naval chaplaincy post in Rosyth, Scotland, 17 years ago.

Mr Brown, 42, will take up the historic office of the Chaplain of the Fleet and Director General Naval Chaplaincy Service with effect from 1 November this year.

He succeeds the Venerable John Green and will hold the post for the next three years.

“The spiritual and pastoral care of the men and women of the Naval Service, and their families, is vitally important, and I look forward to working with the Kirk and other denominations in that task," he said.

“Men and women from the Naval Service are today putting themselves in harms way on operations, on land and at sea, in various parts of the world. Their chaplains will be with them, ministering to them where they are.

“It is my privilege to lead such a dedicated and effective team and I look forward to the challenge immensely."

Mr Brown's pastoral care will extend to former members of the Royal Navy and part of his work in the next three years will be to work alongside the Church of Scotland and charitable organisations in developing the care offered to veterans and their families.

The convener of the Kirk’s Committee on Chaplains to HM Forces, Reverend Neil Gardner, paid tribute to his colleague.

“The appointment of Reverend Scott Brown as the next Chaplain of the Fleet is good and welcome news not just for the Committee but for the whole Church of Scotland," he said.

“The General Assembly has always warmly endorsed the work of our chaplains across the board and this promotion ensures that the interests not just of our chaplains but of all Scottish service-men and women will be represented at the highest level.”

Following his theological studies at the University of Aberdeen Mr Brown was licensed by the Presbytery of Hamilton in 1992 and underwent an assistantship at Falkirk: St Andrew’s West between 1992 and 1993.

He was ordained in 1993 by the Presbytery of Hamilton and appointed by the Naval Chaplaincy Service to a sea-going appointment in Rosyth.

Mr Brown was Chaplain to Very Reverend Dr John Cairns during his term as Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland from 1999-2000, and was appointed an Honorary Chaplain to Her Majesty the Queen in 2007.

He is currently based at Navy Command Headquarters in Portsmouth.