The General Assembly approve the following regulations for the appointment of Principal to Edinburgh Theological Seminary:
- The Resignation of the Principal
A Principal who is due to retire, or who intends to resign from his duties, shall intimate this fact, whenever possible, to the Seminary Board by 1st May of the year which precedes his final year in office.
- Nominations for the New Principal
The Seminary Board shall write to Presbyteries informing them of the impending vacancy in the office of Principal, drawing attention to the terms of the Remit and the following requirements and asking for two nominations:
2.1. All suitable candidates must subscribe to the whole doctrine contained in the Westminster Confession of Faith and be ordained ministers in the Free Church of Scotland.
2.2. As the remit of the Principal will normally including part-time teaching and supervision within the undergraduate and postgraduate programmes, the Seminary Board must ensure that the teaching of core subjects is carried out by staff who are suitably qualified at postgraduate level, in terms of Act XXVI, 2014 and reformed in doctrine, worship and practice.
2.3. The Principal is expected to uphold the witness, dignity and prestige of the Seminary without detriment to good relations, and also takes note of any actions or proposed actions on the part of others that could either benefit or prejudice the Seminary.
2.4. Any new additions to the remit arising from the review of the key mission objectives contained in the Edinburgh Theology Seminary Vision Five-year Plan mentioned above.
- Interviews for New Principal
3.1. The Seminary Board shall appoint an interview panel from its own members, and identify a suitable list of candidates for interview from the nominations listed above, in addition to any new Seminary Board nominees.
3.2. Upon completion of all interviews the interviewing panel will make a recommendation to the Seminary Board. If the Seminary Board agrees with the recommendation, the successful candidate will be informed as soon as possible as to the Board’s decision and asked to accept the appointment within a timeframe set by the Board.
- Appointment of New Principal
In the event of his willingness to take up the appointment, and if the appointee is already an ordained minister of the Free Church of Scotland, he will be inducted to the position by the Presbytery of Edinburgh and Perth after following a procedure on the analogy of a call to a pastoral charge, all parties retaining the right of Appeal or Dissent and Complaint to the General Assembly. The new Principal will be granted a seat on the Presbytery of Edinburgh and Perth.
- Remuneration
A full time Principal will be remunerated at a salary set by the Seminary Board in keeping with its budget constraints. The total remuneration package of a Principal must not be less than that of a minister in a pastoral charge in the Free Church of Scotland.
- Terms of Appointment
The newly appointed Principal must sign Terms of Appointment as agreed by the Seminary Board.
- Term of Office
The term of office for a Principal will normally be five years, renewable with the consent of the Principal and the Seminary Board.
- Call to Principal
In the event of a Principal of the Seminary accepting a Call to a pastoral charge, the Presbytery of Edinburgh and Perth are empowered. to loose him from his charge. The Presbytery shall immediately inform the Seminary Board of such a Call.