the man who cuts the cloth

Educated at Dundee High School and St Andrews University and with an interest in constitutional questions in relation to the Church, he possessed the sort of background which made him an ideal candidate for its chief executive officer. Charged with steering the Church smoothly through its annual business meeting, as well as acting as its chief executive officer, Dr Macdonald - or, to give him his full title, Principal Clerk to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland - has established himself in the Kirk's highest administrative role since his appointment in 1996.

The job has assumed even more importance in the midst of the changes sweeping Scotland. The 1998 General Assembly opens today in the wake of both the social and internal winds of change engulfing the country.

This week's business meeting marks the end of an era; it will be the last to be held in the Church's Assembly Hall on The Mound as we know it. Next year, the Kirk makes way for the temporary Scottish Parliament, which has prompted plans to refurbish the historic building to accommodate the demands of the 129 MSPs who will sit on the legislature.

But as well as the physical changes, the Kirk is also facing ecclesiastical change in the run-up to the new millennium. It is among five churches in Scotland in talks over the possibility of unity, although such a merger is still some way off. It is against this background that Dr Macdonald, 52, operates from an office on the fourth floor of the Church's headquarters in George Street, boasting one of the best views in the capital.

Having served as both convener of the Board of Practice and Procedure - the Kirk committee involved in the organisation of the General Assembly - and consequently as deputy clerk to the Assembly, Dr Macdonald's qualifications for the post he now holds are impeccable, making him a natural successor to the former Moderator, the Very Rev Dr James Weatherhead, upon his retirement in 1996.

Married with two sons, Dr Macdonald also possessed the requisite practical taste of the ministry. He was ordained at Menstrie Parish Church in Clackmannanshire in 1971, where he served for six years, prior to a 19-year-old service at Jordanhill Parish Church in Glasgow, before his appointment as Principal Clerk.

Recalling his impressions of his first General Assembly, he says: ''I loved it. I just felt it was a great body of people. It was really reaffirming to feel that you were part of something so much bigger than your own parish where you can sometimes feel a little isolated, particularly at the beginning of a ministry.'' Despite a background which had equipped him for public speaking - including holding the presidency of the Students' Representative Council at St Andrews - the new minister refrained from speaking at the Assembly on his first visit.

''I have a rule never to speak at the first meeting of a body I attend. I try to stick to it and I think it's quite a good principle to listen before you speak, so I didn't that time. The first big thing I did for the General Assembly was to chair a working group

in the late 1970s on the issue of children

and communion.

''1980 was the first time I presented a major report to the General Assembly. I remember being very nervous, but we managed to win the argument. It is quite daunting to speak at the General Assembly, but once you have done it, you realise people are quite courteous and patient.''

From those early days, the churchman now oversees the day-to-day business of the Church from its Edinburgh headquarters. It is a diverse role, which he compares to that of a civil servant.

''The principal clerk is not a high-profile spokesperson for the Church. In a sense, I am a civil servant who enables and supports others who are out there, without becoming too personally, or publicly involved in

the issues.''

His responsibilities, as the highest profile churchman employed by the Kirk, lie in three main areas: advising on the law and procedure at the Assembly and within its related Commissions; acting as secretary to the Board of Practice and Procedure - the committee behind the organisation of the Assembly; and acting as advisor to the Moderator and providing support to him during his term of office.

With his interest in constitutional matters, Dr Macdonald is perhaps the best-placed person within the church to consult on the effect of the new Scottish Parliament on the pro-devolution national Church.

''The first thing to say of course is the Parliament is going to be sitting in the Assembly Hall and we see something very appropriate in that. There is a sense in which the General Assembly has been the nearest thing to a Parliament. It has called for years and years for devolution and there does seem to be something very appropriate

and symbolic in the Church making

this building specifically available for

the Parliament. We are this year asking

the General Assembly to appoint a Parliamentary officer, but we feel that it is important for the Church to have an appropriately close relationship with the Parliament. This Parliamentary officer is not to be a lobbyist for the church, like we want protect our corner.

''The idea is that it should be someone

who can establish day-to-day links with members of the Scottish Parliament and

offer some kind of framework within which issues coming before the Parliament can be looked at from a Christian, spiritual point

of view.

''While we in the Church of Scotland are taking this initiative, we see this post of operating on an ecumenical framework. The aim, ultimately, is to have some kind of church office close by the Parliament, perhaps offering seminars, studies, study opportunities, to focus on issues the MPs might be going to debate. That is generally contributing and supporting in a positive way to the political process.''

Dr Macdonald believes, however, that the Scottish Parliament is unlikely to alter the current position between the Church and State. He points out that the Church of Scotland is recognised by the Westminster Parliament in terms of the Church of Scotland Act 1921, which set out a kind of relationship between the Church of Scotland and the State. ''Now one of the reserved matters to the Westminster Parliament is

the question of the constitution, so that we don't anticipate that the Scottish Parliament would be seeking to interfere with that particular relationship.''

While the question of the constitution is in both the public and church forum, there is also the pressing issue of the Church of Scotland in the third millennium. The Kirk has been one of five churches, including the Episcopal Church in Scotland and the Methodists, involved in talks looking at the possibility of unity and of forging closer links in areas where they already have common ground. It is a field which Dr Macdonald believes may develop.

''The critical thing is to guard our tradition very carefully as a sacred trust, but equally we have to be open and imaginative and recognise that things around us

are changing and the Church also needs

to evolve.'' While certain criteria will have to be fulfilled to forge the road ahead for unity, the Principal Clerk believes it could lead to other changes in the Church.

''Some people say that in the Church of Scotland we lose out because we do not have leaders who are in office long enough to become known. The Moderator changes every year, but Cardinals and Bishops don't. So some people say it would be good if the Church of Scotland could have a high-profile manager who would be recognised as the voice of the Church of Scotland.''

The Assembly itself, while recognising its historic traditions, needs to be prepared to change to meet modern demands, claims

Dr Macdonald. ''Any living organism changes and the General Assembly has changed considerably over the years. The numbers attending this year will be smaller. We have reduced the size largely to reflect a reduction in the membership of the Church. For the first time this year we will have youth representatives from the presbyteries. It won't just be the traditional ministers, elders and deacons.''

He remains hopeful that the business on the heavy week-long agenda will prompt some memorable debate which he believes is the essential key to a successful Assembly. ''If you were to ask me to cite the great moments of General Assemblies, for me the one that will stick out forever is when there was a debate on abortion and all these men were speaking and taking a particular line and then a woman commissioner got up. She was sitting in a gallery on the Moderator's right and she said she would prefer not to give her name and number, but that she had to speak because she thought she might be the only member of the General Assembly who had actually had an abortion. I mean, you could hear a pin drop. ''It brought tears to my eyes, because I thought that is what it's all about and this is the experience people are bringing to debates.''

The emotive oratory power exemplifies the Church at its best and is what the democratic Assembly should demonstrate, according to the Principal Clerk.

''I think speaking at the General Assembly is largely what it is all about. There are certain speeches that I will never forget and that's where I come back to this idea that the Assembly is all about celebration; it's also about inspiration. You know people can go away with a speech ringing in their ears, whereas they're not necessarily going to go away remembering the result of a vote.''