The Church of Scotland has announced the nominees for the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland for 2011.

They are the Rev David Arnott, the retired minister of Hope Park Church in St Andrews, the Rev Albert Bogle, of St Andrew’s Church in Bo’ness, and the Rev C Peter White, from Sandyford Henderson Memorial Church of Scotland, Glasgow.

Members of a committee tasked with nominating the Moderator will meet on October 27 to hear proposers and seconders speak to their nominees before voting to nominate the minister.

The successful candidate will be presented as Moderator Designate to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland next May.

The Moderator has the role of chairing the General Assembly, leading daily worship, keeping order, ruling on points of order and signing documents on behalf of the General Assembly.

The role is an honorary one and is held for 12 months, during which time the Moderator travels throughout the UK and Ireland, as well as overseas, as representative of the Church of Scotland.

The Committee to Nominate the Moderator consists of a representative from each Presbytery, the three immediate past Moderators of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland and three members nominated by the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, giving a total of 54.