Scotland's Principle Church Leaders to Join in Ecumenical Service

The Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland will join Scotland's three other top church leaders at a special joint service Wednesday as he continues his historic tour of the Presbytery of Dumbarton.

The ecumenical worship service at Dumbarton Riverside Parish Church will bring together the Church of Scotland's spiritual head, the Rt Rev Alan McDonald, with the Most Rev Mario Conti (Scottish Catholic Church), the Most Rev Idris Jones (Scottish Episcopal Church) and Reverend Andrew McMillan (United Free Church of Scotland).

Rev McDonald will preach at the service which will follow a morning meeting between the four churchmen.

He will also present a number of long service certificates to members of the church community in recognition of their many years of service.

The Presbytery of Dumbarton covers the areas of Argyll & Bute, West Dunbartonshire and East Dunbartonshire and on this highly successful tour the Moderator continues to meet with as many members of the community as possible by visiting schools, hospices, churches and local businesses.

Tuesday morning saw the Moderator meet with the the Royal Navy's Flag Officer for Scotland, Northern England and Northern Ireland, Rear Admiral Philip Wilcocks DSC, at the Faslane Naval Base.

The Moderator said ahead of Tuesday's visit: "I am looking forward to my visit to the base, and to speaking with both the civilian staff and forces personnel based there.

"I think that most people are well aware of the Church of Scotland's stance in opposition to the Trident missile system, and to my own strong personal support of that position.

"This week's event will be very much a pastoral visit, focussing on the people who work at the base. After all, Faslane is the largest employer in the area and it is only right that I should include it in my programme while I am in the Presbytery of Dumbarton.

"Neither Admiral Wilcocks, nor anyone else at HM Naval Base Clyde, makes this country's defence policy. Responsibility for Trident, and the much-discussed multi billion pound Trident Replacement Project, rests squarely on the shoulders of the UK government."