John White (minister)

Very Rev Dr John White DD LLD (1867-1951) was a minister of the Church of Scotland. He served as Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in 1925 and again at the reunion Assembly of 1929. White was one of the most influential figures in the Church of Scotland during the early decades of the 20th Century, though his influence waned later in his life and he appeared increasingly isolated and anachronstic.

He was born in Kilwinning, Ayrshire, the son of a flour miller. After studies at the University of Glasgow, he was inducted as minister at Shettleston, Glasgow in 1893. In 1904 he moved to South Leith Parish Church. In 1911 he moved back to Glasgow, becoming minister of the Barony Church, where he remained until his retirement in 1934. He also served as a chaplain in the British Army during World War I.

The high point of his ministry was his nomination to be Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in October 1929. This special Assembly took place in the Industrial Halls (now a bus garage), Annandale Street, Edinburgh to mark the reunion of the Church of Scotland and the United Free Church of Scotland - the Industrial Halls was the only suitable venue in the city large enough to accommodate the special Assembly.

White was highly influential in three areas. The first of these was the move to unite the Church of Scotland and the United Free Church of Scotland. Following protracted discussions which started in 1909, the reunion eventually took place on 2 October 1929. The second was his role as Convener of the Church and Nation Committee of the Church of Scotland during the 1920s; he was instrumental in drawing up a controversial report entitled The Menace of the Irish Race to our Scottish Nationality, which was received by the General Assembly in 1923 (see below). The third was his promotion of the Church Extension Scheme – which from 1932 onwards aimed to build new church buildings in new housing estates in Scotland’s cities.

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