Minister Known as ‘Cheerleader for the Church’ Appointed Next Moderator

A minister from the Borders, who readily accepts the description “a cheerleader for the church,” has been appointed as the forthcoming moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. Rev Rosemary Frew, the minister of Bowden and Melrose Parish Church, is slated to succeed Rt Rev Dr Shaw Paterson. She stated that it was “incredibly humbling” to be deemed to possess the requisite qualities for the position. She conveyed her hope of contributing her faith, hope, passions, and enthusiasm to the role. “Someone described me as ‘a cheerleader for the church’ and I love that,” she commented. She further stated, “I still have that passion and enthusiasm that I had when I was licenced for ministry despite all the hard times we have gone through.” Mrs Frew, originally from Clarkston on the south side of Glasgow, undertook her theological studies at New College in Edinburgh. While studying, she married her husband Dave, and the couple subsequently moved to Fife, where he was employed as a civil engineer. She resided in Largo and Kirkcaldy before relocating to Melrose in 2017. She disclosed, “We came to Melrose 10 years ago to walk St Cuthbert’s Way.” She elaborated, “Dave was keen to do long-distance walking when he retired and this was a test to see if he could manage a week’s walking.” She added, “Two years later, I read the parish profile and from that we ended up here.” Following experience in other national capacities, she opted to put herself forward as a prospective moderator. She admitted, “I have been approached a number of times about the role and it was easy to say no because the time wasn’t right.” She further explained, “But it is like so many things, it is like that call to ministry or calls to charges.” She clarified, “It’s not an ambition thing, it’s very much about call and as that seed of call grows, you recognise that it is not going to go away and has to be tested.” She expressed her anticipation of meeting congregations and learning about the challenges they encounter. She concluded, “I know it will be a very busy year, but a very exciting and very privileged one.” Mrs Frew is set to assume her role as the Kirk’s ambassador, both domestically and internationally, next May.