Ministry Team

Following a previous career as an accountant, I felt called to ministry and studied Theology and Religious Studies at the University of Glasgow, with my Masters thesis being on how the church speaks to postmodern Scotland. My first ministry roles were in hospice and hospital chaplaincy, then I subsequently moved into parish life with my first post in the beautiful South Ayrshire town of Troon. More recently I then took a ‘desk job’ as Strategy Officer for the Presbytery of Glasgow, and used this time to complete a Certificate in Counselling. After realising that I felt called back into parish work, when the post in Montrose was mentioned to me I felt a call here and the idea of team working is particularly appealing to me where we can all play to our strengths. My particular focus is on the preaching of the bible and the pastoral care of people in the area. It is also a great chance to live and work in this part of the country, where my surname originates from about 400 years ago! At home, I am married to Eileen and we have two children, Beth and Callum who are both in the student phase of life. I enjoy running, gardening and have an interest in Scottish shipping.

I am Rev Michelle McAdoo, Minister for Word and Sacrament for the Church of Scotland. My husband Roger and I have three children: Lewis, Peter and Orla. Our eldest Lewis works as a Civil Engineer, living in Glasgow alongside his brother Peter studying International Business. Orla will start at Montrose Academy after the summer. As a family we love the outdoors, wild swimming, live music, building Lego and competitive sports. This will be my first charge as a parish minister. I graduated during lockdown with a Bachelor of Divinity from New College, University of Edinburgh. During my ministry formation we lived in Alloa and I enjoyed placements at Callander & Trossachs, the Steeple in Dundee, South Queensferry & Dalmeny and spent two summers of ministry in the Highlands in Lochinver and then Ardgay. Probation was completed locally at Alva Parish Church with the Rev Jim McNeil who is gifted in ‘puppet ministry’ for children. As a pioneer I was affirmed to try new missional activities with the wider community and we had lots of fun trying new ways of sharing the gospel. With no church vacancies to apply for we let go of our hopes for parish ministry and let God guide us to Shetland where I was ordained at the ‘Big Kirk’ as a Pioneer minister for the Church of Scotland in March 2023. I joined Forge training for church planting and I then worked for the Methodist Church on Shetland as a Pioneer worker for a missional community project. We are excited to join in your ministry to the community. We welcome your ongoing prayers for us all as a family as we settle back onto mainland life.

I am a committed Christian, with a mature faith, an active member of my own church, St .Andrews RC Cathedral in Dundee. I have many years of experience in children, youth and family work, including delivering Sunday school, being part of ministry teams at, for example “Spring Harvest”, and most recently serving as a volunteer at last year’s “Magnitude Youth Festival” with Scripture Union (SU). I have completed SU training and have recently completed my ‘Bible Alive’ training. I have a passion for sharing the love of Christ and the Word of God. I am the mum of Angela, my beautiful, kind, creative daughter, now in her 20’s! While she was young, God blessed me with the opportunity to grow a physical theatre company. I was then given the opportunity to bring some of that clown theatre to the children’s villages in Rwanda with the Christian charity “Signpost International,” a very humbling experience. I am a fully qualified registered teacher, having initially trained then taught in the Primary sector for ten years, before gaining seven years’ experience in the Secondary sector where most recently I taught Maths across the Broad General Education (BGE) syllabus. I am also a trained ‘Support for Learners’ teacher and have often transferred these skills to my service within the church and look to do so again within the role of Youth and Family Worker here at Montrose Trinity. During the Covid pandemic I felt called to a more full-time mission ministry and was appointed to Aberdeen North Parish, (C of S), as their Youth and Family Worker. I spent two years there and then returned to teaching in Dundee and Perth. However, God had other plans, so I just said “Yes Lord”. I believe God has brought Derek, Michelle, Ian and I together with a strong, eclectic skill set and experience which I know our great God will use to enable us to lift Jesus high in this area The fields are white for harvest (John 4:35) let’s seek the Holy Spirit and go in faith

I am a Gable-ender, born and raised in Montrose. My dad was my inspiration in life who encouraged me to attend church in my early teens. We were members of the Knox’s United Free Church in Montrose where my dad served as the Beadle. In my late teens he handed that role over to me and I became the youngest Beadle in the history of the UF Church. Many years later I joined the Old Kirk and my then Minister, the late Laurence Whitley encouraged me to look into Readership within the Church. In 1997 I began my three years of study with the Scottish Churches Open College and was Set Apart as a Reader in 2000 at a Presbytery Service in the Old Kirk led by Laurence who was Moderator of Angus Presbytery at that time. In August of 2013, after further studies with Aberdeen University, I was ordained as an OLM in Edzell Church on my 30th wedding anniversary. Since then, I have served the church in many Locum roles both in Angus and in Kincardine, as well as other preaching engagements as far afield as Elgin in the north to Dundee in the south. I also served, for three seasons, as Chaplain to Montrose Football Club, a team I have supported virtually all of my life ever since my Dad took me to Links Park in my pram. I am married to Celia and have two children…..Jamie, in Montrose and Caroline, in Bearsden, and two Grandchildren, Andress and Bonnie. Team ministry is new to me, and I’m sure, to all of us, but I can’t wait for it all to come together. What we bring is a variety of talents and skills and a calling to serve God in this community. What a privilege….what an opportunity….Let’s make “The Church Great Again.” “What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” Romans 8:31