On Friday, 10 July 1840, some 400 ministers and elders from 433 congregations representing two Presbyterian denominations, came together in Rosemary Street Presbyterian Church in Belfast. The resulting union of the General Synod of Ulster and the Secession Synod, established the Presbyterian Church in Ireland.
On that day, having formally constituted the Supreme Court of the Church under the title ‘The General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, Rev Dr Samuel Hanna, minister of Rosemary Street, was unanimously elected the first Moderator. The General Assembly then appointed two ministers to be joint Clerk – Rev Thomas Mayne Reid and Rev Dr James Seaton Reid.
While the title may have changed since 1840, with some becoming ‘Senior Clerk’ or ‘First Clerk’, 12 ministers have held the office. There is no annual election for the Clerk as the office is considered ad vitam aut culpam – 'for life or until fault.'
The following is a list of Clerks of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Ireland since the establishment of the denomination in 1840.
Year
|
Clerk of the General Assembly
|
| 1840 |
Rev J.S. Reid - Joint Clerk (resigned 1841) |
| 1840 |
Rev T.M. Reid - Joint Clerk (Senior Clerk from 1841) |
| 1869 |
Rev R. Park - First Clerk |
| 1876 |
Rev J. Orr |
| 1895 |
Rev W.J. Lowe |
| 1931 |
Rev W.A. Watson |
| 1942 |
Rev J.H.R. Gibson |
| 1950 |
Rev A.J. Gailey (acting during Rev Gibson's year as Moderator) |
| 1951 |
Rev J.H.R. Gibson |
| 1962 |
Rev A.J. Gailey |
| 1964 |
Rev A.J. Weir |
| 1985 |
Rev Dr T.J. Simpson |
| 1990 |
Rev S. Hutchinson |
| 2003 |
Rev Dr D.J. Watts |
| 2014 |
Rev T.D. Gribben |
Of the 12 Clerks, seven have also been elected Moderator of the General Assembly