About

Former Moderators

Since the establishment of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland in 1840 there have been 180 ministers elected to serve as Moderator of the General Assembly. Here you will find a complete list.

The Moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland is the senior office bearer and the principle public representative of the Church.

The current Moderator is the Right Reverend Dr Richard Kerr, minister of Templepatrick Presbyterian Church in County Antrim. He is the 181st Moderator and the 180th person to be elected to the office since the establishment of the denomination in 1840.

	Year Elected	Name & Residence	General Assembly	Date of Decease	Additional Notes
1.	1840	Rev Samuel Hanna, DD, Belfast	Belfast	23 April 1852
2.	1841	Rev Henry Cooke, DD, LLD, Belfast	Belfast	13 Dec 1868	Served a second term in 1862.
3.	1842	Rev John Edgar, DD (LLD), Belfast	Belfast	26 Aug 1866
4.	1843	Rev Robert Stewart, DD, Broughshane	Belfast	26 Sept 1852
5.	1844	Rev John Brown, DD, Aghadowey	Londonderry	27 Mar 1873
6.	1845	Rev James Carlile, DD, Dublin	Dublin	31 Mar 1854
7.	1846	Rev. James Morgan (DD), Belfast	Belfast	5 Aug 1873
8.	1847	Rev William McClure, Londonderry	Belfast	22 Feb 1874
9.	1848	Rev Henry Jackson Dobbin, DD, Ballymena	Belfast	15 April 1853
10.	1849	Rev John Barnett DD, Moneymore	Belfast	4 Jan 1880
11.	1850	Rev William Bailey Kirkpatrick (DD), Dublin	Belfast	23 Sept 1882
12.	1851	Rev. John Coulter, D.D., Gilnahirk	Belfast	26 May 1877
13.	1852	Rev. John Bleckley, A.M., Monaghan	Armagh	1 Dec 1873
14.	1853	Rev. Henry William Molyneux, D.D., Larne	Belfast	23 Aug 1871
15.	1854	Rev. David Hamilton, Belfast	Belfast	13 Jan 1860
16.	1855	Rev. Robert Allen, AM, Ballina	Dublin	1 April 1865
17.	1856	Rev. Robert Wilson, DD, Belfast	Belfast	11 Oct 1859
18.	1857	Rev Alexander Porter Gowdy, DD, Strabane	Belfast	14 Dec 1858
19.	1858	Rev John Johnston, AM, (DD)., Tullylish	Londonderry	16 Oct 1862
20.	1859	Rev William Gibson DD, Belfast	Dublin	7 June 1867
21.	1860	Rev Samuel Marcus Dill, DD, Ballymena	Belfast	11 May 1870
22.	1861	Rev. John MacnaughtanA.M, Belfast	Belfast	27 May 1884
23.	1862	Rev Henry Cooke, D.D., LL.D., Belfast	Belfast	13 Dec 1868	The second Moderator (1841) and the only one to serve two non-sequential terms of office of the seven Moderators to served twice.
24.	1863	Rev. John Rogers (DD) Comber	Belfast	4 July 1886	First of six Moderators who served two terms consecutively
	1864	Rev. John Rogers (DD) Comber	Belfast
25.	1865	Rev. David Wilson, DD, Limerick	Belfast	4 Dec 1898
	1866	Rev. David Wilson, DD, Limerick	Belfast
26.	1867	Rev Robert Montgomery, Surat, India	Dublin	3 Nov 1880	The first missionary to be elected Moderator.
27.	1868	Rev Charles Lucas Morell (DD), Dungannon	Belfast	20 January 1896
28.	1869	Rev Richard Smyth (DD), Londonderry	Belfast	4 December 1878
	1870	Rev Richard Smyth (DD), Londonderry	Belfast
29.	1871	Rev Lowry Edwards Berkeley, Lurgan	Dublin	10 Dec 1882
30.	1872	Rev William Johnston (DD), Belfast	Belfast	10 Jan 1894
	1873	Rev William Johnston (DD), Belfast	Belfast
31.	1874	Rev William Magill (DD), Cork	Belfast	15 June 1892
32	1875	Rev Josias Leslie Porter (DD), LLD, Belfast	Londonderry	16 Mar 1889
33.	1876	Rev John Meneely (DD), Belfast	Belfast	23 Jan 1887
34.	1877	Rev George Billis (DD), Belfast	Belfast	17 Aug 1885
35.	1878	Rev T Witherow DD, Londonderry	Belfast	25 Jan 1890
36.	1879	Rev Robert Watts D.D., (LLD), Belfast	Belfast	26 July 1895
37.	1880	Rev Jackson Smyth DD, Armagh	Belfast	11 Oct 1890
38.	1881	Rev William Fleming Stevenson DD, Rathgar	Dublin	16 Sept 1886
39.	1882	Rev Thomas Young Killen DD, Belfast	Belfast	21 Oct 1886
40.	1883	Rev Hamilton Brown Wilson (DD), Cookstown	Belfast	18 Nov 1907
41.	1884	Rev James M Rogers MA, DD, Londonderry	Londonderry	31 Jan 1895
42.	1885	Rev James Weir Whigham DD, Ballinasloe	Belfast	3 July 1890
43.	1886	Rev Robert Ross DD, Londonderry	Belfast	1 July 1894
44.	1887	Rev John Henry Orr DD, Antrim	Belfast	23 Jan 1895
45.	1888	Rev Robert John Lynd BA (DD), Belfast	Belfast	17 Nov 1906
46.	1889	Rev William Clarke BA, Bangor	Belfast	26 April 1892
47.	1890	Rev William Park MA (DD), LLD, Belfast	Belfast	5 June 1925
48.	1891	Rev Nathaniel McAuley Brown DD, (LLD), Limavady	Belfast	2 June 1910
49	1892	Rev R McCheyne Edgar MA, (DD), Dublin	Dublin	22 Feb 1903
50.	1893	Rev W Todd Martin MA, DD, DLitt, Belfast	Belfast	20 Oct 1915
	1894	Rev W Todd Martin MA, DD, DLitt, Belfast	Belfast
51.	1895	Rev G Raphael Buick MA, LLD, Cullybackey	Belfast	28 April 1904
52.	1896	Rev Henry Mcllree Williamson DD, Belfast	Belfast	28 Dec 1898
	1897	Rev Matthew Leitch MA, DD, DLitt, Belfast	Belfast	30 April 1922
54.	1898	Rev William Beatty BA (DD), Belfast	Belfast	16 Nov 1923
55.	1899	Rev David Alex Taylor MA (DD), Belfast	Belfast	8 Oct 1941
56.	1900	Rev John McC Hamilton AM (DD), Dublin	Dublin	17 Jan 1915
57.	1901	Rev James Heron BA, DD, Belfast	Belfast	18 April 1918
58.	1902	Rev John Edgar Henry MA, DD, Londonderry	Belfast	13 Feb 1911
59.	1903	Rev John MacDermott MA (DD), Belfast	Belfast	10 Mar 1927
60.	1904	Rev Samuel Prenter MA, DD, LLD, Dublin	Dublin	1 Jan 1920
61.	1905	Rev William McMordie MA, DD, Kilkeel	Belfast	26 Feb 1928
62.	1906	Rev William McKean DD, Belfast	Belfast	2 Nov 1917
63.	1907	Rev William Davidson MA, DD, Glennan	Belfast	17 March 1922
64.	1908	Rev John Mcllveen BA, DD, Belfast	Belfast	31 Aug 1914
65.	1909	Rev John Courtenay Clarke BA, DD, Galway	Belfast	22 Oct 1917
66.	1910	Rev John Howard Murphy MA, DD, Cork	Belfast	1 Jan 1923
67.	1911	Rev John Macmillan BA, DD, Belfast	Belfast	19 Dec 1934
68.	1912	Rev Henry Montgomery MA, DD, Belfast	Belfast	17 Feb 1941
69.	1913	Rev William J Macaulay BA, DD Portadown	Belfast	21 Sept 1940
70.	1914	Rev James Bingham MA, DD, Dundonald	Belfast	20 Nov 1930
71.	1915	Rev Thomas M Hamill MA, DD, Belfast	Belfast	17 Feb 1919
72.	1916	Rev Thomas West BA, DD, Antrim	Belfast	27 Dec 1920
73.	1917	Rev John Irwin MA, DD Belfast	Belfast	24 Nov 1932
74.	1918	Rev James McGranahan BA, DD, Londonderry	Belfast	5 April 1940
75.	1919	Rev J.M Simms CB, CMG, DD, LLD, KHC, Newtownards	Belfast	29 April 1934	During the First World War he was Principal Chaplain to the British Expeditionary Force with responsibility for all chaplains. Dr Simms attained the rank of Major General and was personal chaplain to King George V.
76.	1920	Rev H Patterson Glenn AB, Bray	Belfast	12 Sept 1923
77.	1921	Rev W.J Lowe MA DD, LLD, Belfast	Belfast	18 March 1931	Clerk of Assembly 1895-1931.
78.	1922	Rev W.G Strahan DD, Newry	Belfast	27 Jan 1933
79.	1923	Rev George Thompson DD, Belfast	Belfast	1 Sept 1946
80.	1924	Rev R.W Hamilton MA, DD, Lisburn	Belfast	12 Oct 1935
81.	1925	Rev Thomas Haslett MA, DD, Ballymena	Belfast	1 Aug 1947
82.	1926	Rev RK Hanna MA, DD, Dublin	Belfast	29 April 1947
83.	1927	Rev James Thompson BA, DD, Londonderry	Belfast	13 July 1938
84.	1928	Rev TA Smyth MA, LLB, DD, Belfast	Belfast	17 Feb 1936
85.	1929	Rev JL Morrow MA, DD, Dublin	Dublin	6 May 1940
86.	1930	Rev Edward Clarke MA, DD, Strabane	Belfast	12 March 1940
87.	1931	Rev James G Paton MC, MA, DD, Belfast	Belfast	22 Feb 1936
88.	1932	Rev James J Macauley BA, DD, Dublin	Belfast	7 Feb 1951
89.	1933	Rev William Corkey MA, DD, Belfast	Londonderry	20 Feb 1964
90.	1934	Rev TM Johnstone BA, DD, Belfast	Belfast	21 Aug 1961
91.	1935	Rev AF Mood MA, DD, Belfast	Belfast	2 Dec 1961
92.	1936	Rev FWS O'Neill MA, DD, Belfast	Belfast	7 Oct 1952
93.	1937	Rev John Waddell MA, DD, Bangor	Belfast	26 Feb 1949
94.	1938	Rev WJ Currie BA, DD, Bangor	Belfast	2 June 1959
95.	1939	Rev Prof James Haire MA, DD, Belfast	Belfast	12 Oct 1959
96.	1940	Rev JB Woodburn MA, DD, Belfast	Belfast	26 Sept 1957
97.	1941	Rev WA Watson MA, DD, Belfast	Belfast	19 Jan 1953
98.	1942	Rev WM Kennedy BA, DD, Londonderry	Belfast	17 July 1945
99.	1943	Rev Phineas McKee BA, DD, Newry	Belfast	9 Nov 1943	Died in office.
100.	1944	Rev Andrew Gibson MC, BA, DD, Cork	Belfast	24 April 1952
101.	1945	Rev Prof Robert Corkey PC, MA, PhD, Belfast	Belfast	26 Jan 1966	Former Northern Ireland Parliament MP and minister for education. First clergyman to be elected to the Senate of the Northern Ireland Parliament.
102.	1946	Rev Thomas Byers MA, DD, Dublin	Belfast	22 Oct 1964
103.	1947	Rev Robert Boyd BA DD, Belfast	Belfast	14 Oct 1957
104.	1948	Rev Alfred W Neill MA, DD, Armagh	Belfast	31 Oct 1948	Died in office.
105.	1949	Rev Gordon D Erskine BA, DD, Belfast	Belfast	24 Oct 1957
106.	1950	Rev JHR Gibson OBE, MA, DD, Belfast	Belfast	23 Sept 1989	Clerk of Assembly 1942-1962.
107.	1951	Rev Hugh Mcllroy BA, DD, Ryans	Belfast	3 Dec 1970
108.	1952	Rev John KL McKean MA, DD, Comber	Belfast	26 March 1964
109.	1953	Rev Principal JE Davey MA, DD, Belfast	Belfast	17 Dec 1960	Principal of Assembly's College (now Union Theological College) 1942-1960. In 1927 charges of heresy were dismissed by the General Assembly on appeal.
110.	1954	Rev John Knowles BA, DD, Tullylish	Belfast	9 Dec 1957
111.	1955	Rev James C Breakey BA, DD, Belfast	Belfast	26 June 1970
112.	1956	Rev TM Barker MA, DD, Donegal	Belfast	19 Aug 1967
113.	1957	Rev Principal RJ Wilson MA, DD, BELFAST	Belfast	29 April 1981
114.	1958	Rev Wm McAdam MA, DD, Newry	Dublin	21 Feb 1969
115.	1959	Rev TAB Smyth BA, DD, Dublin	Belfast	15 Jan 1990
116.	1960	Rev Austin A Fulton MA, PhD, DD, Belfast	Belfast	15 Aug 1986
117.	1961	Rev WAA Park MA, DD, Ballygilbert	Belfast	10 Feb 1992
118.	1962	Rev John H Davey BA, DD, India	Belfast	20 Sept 1984	Served as a missionary in India from 1932-1967.
119.	1963	Rev WA Montgomery MA, DD, Londonderry	Belfast	6 July 1985
120.	1964	Rev James Dunlop MA, DD, Belfast	Belfast	8 June 1980
121.	1965	Rev S James Park MA, DD, Kingstown	Belfast	21 March 1986
122.	1966	Rev Alfred Martin BA, DD, Belfast	Belfast	21 May 1987
123.	1967	Rev William Boyd MA, DD, Lisburn	Belfast	8 July 2003
124.	1968	Rev John H Withers BA, DD, Belfast	Belfast	21 Feb 1992
125.	1969	Rev John T Carson BA, DD, Bangor	Dublin	15 March 1990
126.	1970	Rev Principal JLM Haire MA, MTh, DD, Belfast	Belfast	1 July 1985
127.	1971	Rev F Rupert Gibson BA, DD. Belfast	Belfast	20 December 1971	Died in office.
128.	1972	Rev RVA Lynas BA, DD, Larne	Belfast	20 June 1990
129.	1973	Rev JW OrrBA, DD, Belfast	Belfast	30 March 1990
130.	1974	Rev G Temple Lundie, MA LLB, DD, Armagh	Belfast	6 Nov 1992
131.	1975	Rev GFH Wynne BA, DD, Derry	Belfast	23 July 1975	Died in office.
132.	1976	Rev AJ Weir MSC, DD, Belfast	Belfast	18 Sept 2000	Clerk of Assembly 1964-1985.
133.	1977	Rev TA Patterson BA, DD, Portaferry	Belfast	28 Sept 1991
134.	1978	Rev David Burke BA, DD, Bangor	Belfast	8 March 2011
135.	1979	Rev WM Craig MA, BD, DD, Portadown	Belfast	10 Feb 2017
136.	1980	Rev RG Craig BA, DD, Carrickfergus	Belfast	1 June 2009
137.	1981	Rev John Girvan BA, DD, Lurgan	Belfast	21 Aug 2002
138.	1982	Rev EP Gardner BA, DD, Ballynena	Belfast	6 April 2007
139.	1983	Rev TJ Simpson MA, LLB, DipEd, DD, DLitt, Newtownards	Dublin	26 Feb 2009	Clerk of Assembly 1985-1990.
140.	1984	Rev Howard Cromie MA, BD, DD, Lisburn	Belfast	6 Oct 2017
141.	1985	Rev R Dickinson MA, BD, PhD, ThD, DD, Tobermore	Belfast	13 Dec 1996
142.	1986	Rev Prof John Thompson BA, BD, PhD, DD, Belfast	Belfast	30 May 2010
143.	1987	Rev William Fleming BA, DD, Belfast	Belfast	17 Dec 1999
144.	1988	Rev AWG Brown BA, BD, PhD, Litt D, DD, Ballycastle	Belfast
145.	1989	Rev James A Matthews BA, BD, DD, Lurgan	Belfast	19 July 2015
146.	1990	Rev Principal RFG Holmes, MA, MLitt, DD, Belfast	Belfast	14 July 2008
147.	1991	Rev Rodney Sterritt, BA, DD, Newtownards	Dublin
148.	1992	Rev John Dunlop CBE, BA, DD, LLD, Belfast	Belfast
149.	1993	Rev Andrew R Rodgers MA, DD, Dungannon	Belfast	29 June 2022
150.	1994	Rev David J McGaughey BA, DD, Kilkeel	Belfast	1 Feb 2021
151.	1995	Rev John Ross BA, DD, Holywood	Belfast	31 Aug 2015
152.	1996	Rev DH Allen MA, BD, DD, Coleraine	Belfast	21 June 2023
153.	1997	Rev Samuel Hutchinson BA, BD, MTh, DD, Lisburn	Belfast	19 Nov 2021	Clerk of Assembly 1990-2003.
154.	1998	Rev S John Dixon BA, DD, Antrim	Belfast
155.	1999	Rev JW Lockington BA, BD, MTh, PhD, DD, Larne	Belfast
156.	2000	Rev TWJ Morrow, MA, BD, MTh, PhD, DLitt, DD, Lucan	Belfast
157.	2001	Rev HA Dunlop BA, BD, DD, Knock	Belfast
158.	2002	Rev RI Birney BA, BD, DMin, DD, Ballymena	Belfast
159.	2003	Rev IA McKay BA, BD, DD, Dundonald	Belfast
160.	2004	Rev KNE Newell BA, BD, MTh, DD, Belfast	Belfast
161.	2005	Rev RHE Uprichard BA, BD, MTh, PhD, DD, Ahoghill	Belfast
162.	2006	Rev David Clarke LLB, BD, DD, Coleraine	Belfast
163.	2007	Rev JM Finlay BA, BD, DD, Ballymena	Belfast
164.	2008	Rev WD Patton BSSc, BD, PhD, DD, Randalstown	Belfast
165.	2009	Rev JS Carson BSc, MA, MAR, MTh, DD, Portadown	Belfast
166.	2010	Rev TN Hamilton OBE, BA, BD, DD, Belfast	Belfast
167.	2011	Rev IJ Patterson BA, MTh, DD, Newcastle	Belfast	29 October 2025
168.	2012	Rev RA Patton BA,BD,DD, Ballygilbert	Belfast
169.	2013	Rev RL Craig BA, BD, DMin, DD, Kilfennan	Londonderry
170.	2014	Rev MA Barry BA, BD, DMin, DD, Newry	Belfast
171.	2015	Rev DIJ McNie BD, DD, Ballymoney	Belfast
172.	2016	Rev FP Sellar, BA, BD, PGCE, MMin, DD, Belfast	Belfast
	2017	Rev JNI McNeely BEd, BD, DD, Holywood	Belfast
174.	2018	Rev CJC McMullen MA, MLit, DB, DD, Bangor	Belfast
175.	2019	Rev WJ Henry BSc, BD, DD, Maze	Belfast		When elected aged 50, he was the youngest moderator in living memory.
176.	2020	Rev DJ Bruce BSc, BD, DD, Lisburn	Due to the Covid 19 Pandemic the General Assembly was cancelled by a Special General Assembly held on line in April 2020. It was replaced by the '2020 Standing Commission of the General Assembly' with business remitted to the next available in person meeting. This took place in Belfast in October 2021.		Secretary to the Council for Mission in Ireland.
	2021	Rev DJ Bruce BSc, BD, DD, Lisburn	Belfast		Secretary to the Council for Mission in Ireland.
177.	2022	Rev JA Kirkpatrick DipTh, BSc, DD, Portrush	Belfast
178.	2023	Rev S Mawhinney MB, BCh, BAO, BB, DD, Dublin	Belfast
179.	2024	Rev RM Murray BA, BD, DD Drumreagh	Belfast
180.	2025	Rev TD Gribben BSc, DipTh, DD, Carrickfergus	Belfast		Clerk of Assembly 2014-2025. Stood down as Moderator as a result of PCI's central safeguarding failures November 2025.

How a Moderator is elected?

The following is a simplified look at how a Moderator is elected:

In the late autumn of each year, members of PCI’s 19 regional presbyteries meet throughout Ireland and as part of the business before them, begin to suggest the names of ministers who they would like to see considered. The Clerk of Presbytery forwards the names suggested by their presbytery to the Clerk of the General Assembly
In the run up to Christmas, the Clerk of the General Assembly contacts each minister on this 'long list' to ascertain if they would like their names to go forward for consideration at the first stated meeting of presbyteries in the New Year
In the New Year the Clerk of the General Assembly forwards this 'short list' of ministers to Clerk's of Presbytery
Meeting independently at different locations across the island on that first Tuesday in February, those on the 'short list' of ministers are considered. In each presbytery if a minister on the list is proposed and seconded, a vote is taken. If two or more are proposed and seconded, whoever obtains the most votes within that presbytery receives the nomination of that presbytery
Should there be a tie, as happened in 2026 when two ministers received six nominations each, a second vote takes place that evening across the 19 presbyteries of those ministers who tied
When the final nominations of all 19 presbyteries have been received by Clerk of the General Assembly that evening, the minister who receives the most presbytery nominations in total becomes Moderator-Designate
At the annual meeting of the General Assembly in June, the number of nominations received by each minister at the February meetings is reported to members by the Clerk, who would then formerly move that the Moderator-Designated be appointed for the ensuing year
Having been formally seconded, the Moderator-Designated is then elected by acclamation and installed during a Service of Installation before of members of Assembly, invited civic guests and members of the public. The service is presided over by the outgoing Moderator.

Dr Kerr was nominated as Moderator-Designate when presbyteries met on 3 February 2026 and installed as Moderator at the General Assembly on 11 June 2026.

Moderators serve for one year. In recognition of their nomination to this high office, before each General Assembly Moderators-Designate are honoured by the Presbyterian Theological Faculty Ireland with an honorary Doctorate of Divinity (DD). While in office Moderators are given the formal style 'Right Reverend' abbreviated to 'Rt Rev'. On leaving office they are entitled to use the title 'Very Reverend'.

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