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On the 1st December The Rev. Jane Barron was Inducted as the new minister of The Cathedral Church of St Machar.
In her interview with the committee Jane told us that she had always wanted to be
a journalist, but her teacher parents wanted her to choose a safer option. And so
in her first degree at Stirling she combined the study of English with training to
be a teacher, and went into teaching on graduation. Initially she found it very hard,
but grew to love it. However, her Education Authority transferred her compulsorily
to another school and when soon after she got an opportunity to go into radio journalism,
she took it, and worked with Central FM, Radio Forth and Northsound. She became involved
in religious broadcasting, and then was persuaded to ‘do’ religion properly: she
came to Aberdeen, and took a BD. In the course of this she had many attachments -
Her first charge was Stobswell Parish Church in Dundee, where she was minister for
seven years, during which she was also chaplain to the Very Rev. Iain Torrance –
of our own congregation -
In her interview Jane said that the church needs to lead, not to follow, and to do this ‘we need to be risky’. This resonated with the members of the Committee, but it did so because she is a very able communicator; she was able to choose the right words to challenge us but also to flatter us into agreement with her. Of course we were not looking for a minister who is like those who have gone before, but we were looking for one who would be sympathetic to the kind of worship we have in St Machar’s, to its musical traditions, and to the magnificent building. Above all we were looking for someone who could inspire, challenge and engage the international community which is the congregation of St Machar’s.
Jane’s husband is called Ian and he is an Aberdonian; their cocker spaniel is called Magnus.
David Hewit
