'Cheerleader for the church' to be next moderator

Rev Rosemary Frew will take up the role in May next year

A minister from the Borders who is happy to be described as "a cheerleader for the church" has been chosen to be the next moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland.

Rev Rosemary Frew, minister of Bowden and Melrose Parish Church, will succeed Rt Rev Dr Shaw Paterson.

She said it was "incredibly humbling" to be considered to have the qualities needed for the role.

She said she hoped she would bring her faith, hope, passions and enthusiasm to the position.

"Someone described me as 'a cheerleader for the church' and I love that," she said.

"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."

Originally from Clarkston on the south side of Glasgow, Mrs Frew studied theology at New College in Edinburgh.

During her studies, she married her husband Dave and the couple moved to Fife where he worked as a civil engineer.

She spent time in Largo and Kirkcaldy before moving to Melrose in 2017.

"We came to Melrose 10 years ago to walk St Cuthbert's Way," she revealed.

"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.

"Two years later, I read the parish profile and from that we ended up here."

After experience in other national roles she decided to put herself forward as a potential moderator.

Mrs Frew said she expected a "very busy year"

"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 admitted.

"But it is like so many things, it is like that call to ministry or calls to charges.

"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 said she was looking foward to meeting congregations and hearing about the challenges they face.

“I know it will be a very busy year, but a very exciting and very privileged one," she added.

Mrs Frew will take up her post as the Kirk's ambassador at home and abroad next May.