Renomination of Reverend David Bruce for second term very unusual, but understandable

Alf McCreary

Staying on: Presbyterian Moderator, the Rt Rev Dr David Bruce

February 12 2021 06:00 AM

The historic decision by the Presbyterian Church to nominate current Moderator the Rt Reverend David Bruce for a second term illustrates how significantly the pandemic is affecting Church life.

Normally the election for a new Moderator occurs each February when members of 19 Presbyteries across the island meet to choose one of a number of candidates nominated earlier.

However, due to the pandemic members cannot meet together now.

So it seems sensible to renominate Dr Bruce.

He has had time in office to get to grips with most of the duties of a Moderator, though unlike his recent predecessors he has had almost no opportunity to visit individual congregations.

The last time a Moderator served for two years was when the Very Rev Temple Lundie took over in 1975 after his successor, the Rev Dr George Wynne, died only a month after his installation in June that year.

Apart from that, a Moderator has not been nominated for two consecutive terms since 1884, when the Rev Dr Todd Martin was elected, though five other ministers served two terms in the 19th century from 1841.

The renomination of Dr Bruce is unusual in normal times, and is a further example of the Churches having to adapt to the pandemic. In the past year two of the major leaders, Church of Ireland Primate the Most Reverend John McDowell and Methodist President the Reverend Tom McKnight, were installed in small virtual ceremonies streamed to their members across Ireland.

On Sunday new Dean of Armagh Canon Shane Forster will be installed in the same way, as will Canon Ian Ellis, who will be installed as Bishop of Clogher next month.

A recent report by Queen's academic Dr Gladys Ganiel found that "the perceptions of what church is and what it does may be starting to shift in response to the pandemic". She found in particular that members and clergy are discovering that "church is something other than a building".

This year the Methodist Church will hold its annual meeting online in June when the Reverend Dr Sahr Yambasu will become president. It is not certain if the Presbyterian and Anglican annual conferences will once again have to go online, rather than meet in session as normal.

Just a year ago the renomination of a Presbyterian Moderator for a second year would have been unthinkable, but like so much else, in the middle of a pandemic, anything can happen.

Renomination of Reverend David Bruce for second term very unusual, but understandable

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