Iain Greenshields

Iain MacLeod Greenshields is a Church of Scotland minister, who served as Moderator of the General Assembly from 2022 to 2023. He undertook key roles as Moderator for the funeral of Elizabeth II and the Coronation of Charles III. He was ordained in 1984, and was latterly the minister of St Margaret's Community Church in Dunfermline, Fife where he was a minister for 16 years.

Education and career

The son of a Glasgow police officer, Greenshields grew up in Glasgow and studied theology at the University of Glasgow. His first parish ordination was in Cranhill. In 1993, he moved on to Larkhall, Lanarkshire. During this time, he became involved with ministry to offenders, as chaplain of Shotts prison and the Longriggend Young Offenders Institute. He moved to Kensaleyre in 2002, where he remained until 2007. It was then that he transferred to St Margaret's Community Church of Dunfermline. He retired from this role in 2025.
In May 2023, he took part in the coronation of Charles III and Camilla, presenting a Bible to the King.

Greenshields has publicly attacked the deportation policies of the United Kingdom. He has a keen interest in addiction issues, arguing that drug possession should be decriminalized. He is an ambassador for Epilepsy Scotland, having lived with the condition himself for nearly 65 years. He is a supporter of Society for the Protection of Unborn Children, Tearfund and The Barnabas Trust. His views politically are social democratic.

Greenshields and his wife have six children, three of whom have been adopted from China. Their names are Eilidh, Siona, and Siusaidh.