Moderator

The Moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Wales is responsible for chairing meetings of the General Assembly. He or she holds office for two years.

The Moderator is a member of every Board of the General Assembly, as are the Moderator Elect and the immediate Past Moderator. The Moderator also represents the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Wales in the media, at national ecumenical occasions and in the chief courts of other Churches, as well as in major overseas celebrations, particularly those held by the Presbyterian Church of India. He or she is also invited to attend Presbytery and Association meetings and to represent the PCW at occasions such as the induction services of new workers.

On the second evening of the General Assembly, the Moderator traditionally gives a valedictory address and the Moderator Elect then assumes the chair. The Moderator Elect is elected by a secret ballot during the Assembly. Three candidates are nominated by the Association in the three Provinces in turn.

The Moderator is not head of the Presbyterian Church of Wales: the Lord God is head of the Church, so the Presbyterian Church of Wales does not have a person as spiritual leader.

Our Moderator for 2023-25

Our Moderator for 2023-2025 is the Reverend Aneurin Owen

Aneurin is one of the children of the mission field in Mizoram, the son of the Revd. Owen W Owen and Eluned. After coming to Wales, he spent his childhood in Pontrhydyfen and then Llansannan before moving to Abergele where the ministries of the Revd Isaac Jones and the Revd Emyr Roberts were strong influences.

He studied Theology at University Wales, Bangor, Cambridge and then received a certificate in Sociology (Bangor) and a post-graduate Diploma in counselling from Cambridge University.

After marrying and settling in Abergele, he led the development of the response to the increasing dependency on alcohol and drugs in Wales before moving on to work internationally in the field of alcohol management policies.

He kept close contact with Mizoram and continues to create bridges between the PCW and the PCI and the synod in Mizoram.

He was made a deacon at Mynydd Seion, Abergele in 1984, and at Llansannan in 1996. He received a call to minister in Bro Aled and ordained in 2010. He chaired the Candidates, Training Department and the Worldwide Church Department for a period, co-operating with CWM partners.

After a period of retirement, he is now part-time pastor with Eglwys y Berthen, Lixwm since the beginning of 2022.

He counts it as a tremendous privilege to be chosen to Moderate the PCW and to serve the Lord in this if it should be His will.

Moderator Elect 2023-25

Our Moderator Elect is Miss Glynis Owen, BA

Glynis’ family’s church is Bethel, New Tredegar, where her grandparents, aunt and uncle were Elders. She was brought up mainly in the north of England and on the north coast of Scotland. Glynis studied French and Italian in London, followed by education in Bristol. After teaching in Sheffield and Croydon, she returned to Wales in 1983 as deputy Head of Howell’s School, Llandaff. She then became a national training Consultant and, for fifteen years, a Registered Inspector of secondary schools. Glynis is Secretary of her church at Trehill in the Vale of Glamorgan, has taken Services for a number of years and is an Elder Commissioned to administer the Sacraments.

She has served in the SE Wales Presbytery as Secretary of the Ministries’ Committee and Clerk and is currently Moderator. She has been Clerk and Moderator of the Association in the East and has represented them on a number of committees of the denomination.

Currently, she is a Trustee of the Candidates and Training Board and serves on the Policy and Strategy Group.

Past Moderator 2021-23

The Past Moderator was the Reverend Evan Morgan, Cardiff

The Rev Evan Morgan was born and raised on the outskirts of North London, a third generation of London Welsh, the family originating from Carmarthenshire. He was educated in local primary and secondary schools and was raised at Wood Green chapel in the London Presbytery.

After sensing a call, he presented himself for the ministry when he was eighteen years old. He graduated in Theology and followed a pastoral course at the United Theological College at Aberystwyth. He accepted a call in 1989 to the Trefaldwyn Uchaf Presbytery, to pastor Maengwyn church and the English Chapel in Machynlleth; Pantperthog, Forge, Derwenlas and Melinbyrhedyn. In 1999, he accepted a call to be minister of Salem, Canton and Bethel, Rhiwbina in Cardiff, where the emphasis is on outreach to the wider community, including working with the homeless and with families, children and youth. During the last few years there has been a significant increase in that church’s membership as it welcomed many new families who have settled in the city.

He was vice-chair of the Mission Board for a time (before the Connexional restructuring). He is a member of the Church and Society Department and was Moderator of the Association in the South, 2018-19. He loves reading, travelling and socialising. He accepted an invitation to deliver the Davies Lecture at the General Assembly in 2019.