Rev MacLeod leaving Toryglen Parish Church
The minister of Toryglen Parish Church will be leaving the parish this spring.
Rev Ada MacLeod was voted the minister-elect of Hurlford Church in Ayrshire last week.
She will take over her new role on either March 15 or 22.
The move will raise questions about the future of Toryglen Parish Church itself, which has a small congregation.
Ada took over at the parish in December 2015.
The church has a congregational roll of over 100, but actual attendances are usually much lower,
A Church of Scotland spokesperson said: “As with all vacancies, an interim moderator will be appointed to serve at Toryglen.
“The question of whether the congregation is granted leave to call a minister will be considered by the Presbytery in due course.”
Ada worked on Spotlight, the Church of Scotland’s magazine for women, as well as being general secretary of the Sunday Schools union and then in pulpit supply at several different churches before coming to Toryglen.
She also spent time as an assistant minister at Glasgow Cathedral and at Paisley Abbey, where she was based before her move to Toryglen.
When Ada arrived in the area she admitted it would be a tough task, and that she was hoping to be a listening presence for locals.
She told the Reformer in 2016: “Some people thought the church had closed.
“At my induction people were saying ‘oh, I thought the church was gone’.
“I think we need to be a listening presence in the area – whenever there’s a disaster people still always look to see what the church has to say about it, and why it is happening.
“The church can come to the fore at times like that, helping people band together and provide answers – we want to be that for people as well in times of transition.
“People here are moving into new homes or maybe they’re moving into care homes and we’ve been one of the first churches who had asylum seekers get involved too, so we’re a very friendly church and want to bring Christ into the community. We want to be activists here, and help people.”
Ada’s husband Calum was elected minister of Rutherglen Old Parish Church last year, but has since had to take sick leave, with Rev Alistair May of Stonelaw Parish Church serving as interim moderator and Katie Morrison currently serving as locum.
An interim moderator will be appointed to serve at Toryglen