New Youth Moderator and Clerk Announced

Monday November 17 2014

The Church of Scotland's National Youth Assembly (NYA) has appointed Hannah Mary Goodlad as its next moderator and Catriona Muckart as its next clerk. They will take up their positions during the opening session of NYA 2015 in Aug and will serve for a year.

Hannah Mary (right) lives in Aberdeen and works as a Geologist for an oil company. Originally from Shetland, when not working she can usually be found on her bike or exploring the beautiful Scottish wilderness. She left Shetland at 18 to study geology at Glasgow University for four years, after this she went further south still, to study at Imperial College, London.

Throughout her life Hannah Mary has been involved with the life and work of the Church of Scotland. From teaching in various Sunday schools, leading youth groups to mentoring, most of her roles have involved working with children or young people.

Other activities of hers have included helping in a Church of Scotland homeless shelter in the centre of London, traveling through her church to Tanzania to teach in a deaf school and more recently, representing the church as a member of the Scottish Youth Parliament. Hannah Mary is passionate about her church and the vital role that it plays within communities across Scotland.

She says: “I feel honoured and privileged to have been elected to serve as the moderator of the National Youth Assembly. I am excited and full of hope for my year as youth moderator. I am blessed to have a wonderful team and clerk by my side for support and cannot wait to get started! It will be a year filled with challenges as our kirk continues to change, but I know it will be a year of wonderful opportunity and growth in many ways for our kirk and COSY (Church Of Scotland Youth) too.

"Growing up in a small community right on the edge of Scotland gave me a hunger for the inclusion for those who feel marginalised for whatever reason: geographically or indeed socially. My aim is to be an approachable and accessible leader for the young folk already within our Kirk but I also want to also reach out to the young people across the breadth of Scotland who want a connection with the Kirk, at whatever level that may be.

"I am passionate about the Church of Scotland, passionate about the never ending good works of our Kirk and I am passionate about Christ. It is my desire to see the position of young people within the Church of Scotland grow. We are an accepting, open group of young Christians with our love of Christ and one another under pinning everything we do.

"It’s my prayer that our voice is heard and that the Kirk and indeed Scotland listen and act accordingly.”

Catriona (left) is currently in her third year  studying Sociology and Criminology at the University of Stirling. From the village of Clashmore in the Highlands, she is a member of Dornoch Cathedral. During term-time keeps the cathedral theme going at Dunblane, and is currently enjoying 'church-hopping' evening services in the local area with a friend. She is enthusiastic about ecumenism and likes visiting other denominations. In her spare time she enjoys kayaking, she says perhaps with more enthusiasm than skill!

Catriona says “I’m very humbled to have been selected as the next clerk of the NYA and am excited about what the role will bring. I’m looking forward to working with Hannah and the rest of the NYA during my year as clerk and journeying with them in faith.”

Post Tags: youth assembly

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Comments

Kay Keith - Tuesday, November 25th, 2014

“What a great choice of another. very able young person as Moderator Elect of the NYA to continue to move this group from strength to strength. Congratulations Hannah Mary, and to Catriona as Cerk. You will make a dynamic team. We, the people of the Guild, look forward to continuing and building our partnership work with the young people of the Church in addressing our responses to the needs of all people,young or old, in today's the society..”

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