In the 60s the moderator was elected from nominations put forward on the floor of General Assembly. Then it seemed good to the spirit and others that the “past” Moderator of General Assembly serve the Church by deputation visits (subject to exigencies).
Later nominations for the moderator of assembly were to be submitted by presbyteries. Those names which received two or more nominations were then sent to presbyteries for a vote by lay and cleric members of the church.
The nominee to receive the largest number of votes became the official nominee for moderator. In order to prevent officialdom from being a curia, the assembly held the right to nominate others from the floor. Thus, the moderator elected by the assembly moderated the sessions of that assembly.
At the close of the assembly, by moderatorial benediction, the moderator's duties ended except to call the next assembly and oversee election of its moderator.
I believe it has been the beneficial deputation work, carried out by the moderator of the last assembly for the national church offices, that has made the moderator look like the Moderator of the Presbyterian Church in Canada. (Archbishop, as others see us.)
I was nominated by both the Presbytery of Montreal and the Presbytery of Quebec for Moderator of the 107th General Assembly, while I was a serving chaplain. My General phoned me at home one evening saying, “Bob, you can't be moderator while serving in the military. If you are elected you would be your own boss!” I said, “You have traveled a long way from your Presbyterian roots if you believe any moderator is boss over any court or person!”
It would be clearer if moderator-elect, then moderator, then Past Moderator of the General Assembly were used.
