George MacLeod
George Fielden MacLeod, Baron MacLeod of Fuinary, Bt MC (born 17 June 1895 in Glasgow, † 27 June 1991) was a Scottish clergyman and founder of the Iona Community.
Early years
George MacLead came from a Scottish family of the upper class. His grandfather was the Rev. Norman MacLeod of the Barony Church in Glasgow, Chairman of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland and chaplain to Queen Victoria. His father Sir John MacLeod was a successful businessman before he entered politics as a supporter of the Scottish Unionist Party and a Member of Parliament was. His mother Edith came from a wealthy family from Lancashire. The son received his university education at Winchester College and Oriel College, Oxford.
In 1914 the First World War ausbracht, MacLeod joined the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders and was promoted to Captain. First, he served in Greece, then he became ill with dysentery and was sent to recovery back to Scotland. Subsequently, he was employed in Flanders, and was involved in the fighting around Ypres and Passchendaele. He was awarded the Military Cross and the French Croix de Guerre.
Beginnings as a priest and the ' Iona Community "
His wartime experiences shattered MacLeod sustainable, so that he decided to pursue a ministry. He studied theology at the University of Edinburgh and then spent 1921 to 1922 a year at Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York. On his return to Scotland, he was invited to become assistant at the St Giles' Cathedral in Edinburgh. During this time his displeasure about social injustice steadily increased, which was very unusual at that time for a clergyman. In 1924 he was ordained as a minister of the Church of Scotland and was Father of Talbot House ( Toc H), a Christian movement. After disagreements he retired in 1926 Toc H back and was curate at the Parish Church of St Cuthbert in Edinburgh. Faced with the global economic crisis and concomitant unemployment, he now moved politically toward socialism.
1930 George MacLeod decided to leave St. Cuthbert to become a priest at the Govan Old Parish Church in Glasgow, where he met on social problems and poverty. In 1932 he suffered a nervous breakdown and went to recovery to Jerusalem. In 1938, the Iona Community MacLeod to the Iona Abbey rebuild together with other clergy, students and the unemployed. He gave up his financially secure position as a parish pastor to lead this community that grew into an international ecumenical community. From 1937 on he also became involved in the organization pacifist Peace Pledge Union.
Later years
1948 married George MacLeod at the age of 53 years, his wife Lorna. Shortly after the marriage, the couple traveled to Australia to a preaching tour. In the same year there were clashes with the Presbytery of Glasgow, as MacLeod wanted to return as a minister according to Govan, but it was prohibited to simultaneously forward the Iona Community. Despite these discrepancies MacLeod remained one of the most prominent representatives of the Church of Scotland. In 1957 he was elected head of the annual General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, not without one of the delegates stood up to ask if they could choose someone who is " half on the way to Rome and half on the way to Moscow " was. Since 1958 MacLeod engaged in the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament.
1967 Life Peer MacLeod was awarded the title of Lord MacLeod of Fuinary and was the only Scottish clergyman, who was by this time so honored. Later he was the first peer, represented the Green Party. From 1968 to 1971 he was rector of the University of Glasgow.