Meet the Minister

Rev Callum Macfarlane-Grieve

The following is an extract from an interview with Church of Scotland:

“Callum Macfarlane-Grieve has been called to provide spiritual leadership at Edinburgh Pentlands Parish Church.

He will be the congregation’s first full-time minister since its formation in July 2024, following a union of Juniper Green Parish Church and Colinton Parish Church.

The 35-year-old was ordained as a Minister of Word and Sacrament and inducted into the charge on 26th February 2026, in the company of family, friends, ministry training colleagues and members of the Presbytery of Edinburgh and West Lothian.

Callum said: “It has taken a great deal of effort to reach this point, it is a bit overwhelming, and I am asking myself how on earth did I get here?

“Part of it all feels like madness, but a deeper, truer part of me simply cannot wait for what comes next on this remarkable journey.

“It is part of what I was made for – what more can we hope for in life than to live as God calls us?

“As a minister, it is my hope to help others find the fullness of their calling too.

“We discover the heart of God’s love for us in the love we show to others, together.

“Partnership is key as we seek to continue building a community of grace founded in the love of Christ.”

Married to Amy, Callum grew up in Troon in Ayrshire and moved to Bolivia to teach English when he was 16, instead of enrolling in sixth year at secondary school.

He worked with a church/school medical project called La Palmera in the city of Trinidad.

“Along with being involved in the youth work in the jungle, I was the secondary school English teacher which was a little surreal at times because some of the pupils were literally the same age as me,” added Callum.

“I went to Bolivia with a youthful zeal to change the world and while I hope I was useful and taught some kids English with a hint of a Scottish accent, it was really the people there who were the ones who changed me.

“Their faith, generosity and love reframed how I see the world.”

Callum returned to Scotland when he was 18 and studied Youth Work with Applied Theology at the now closed International Christian College in Glasgow.

He went on to work as a youth pastor at the former Killermont Parish Church, now Boclair Community Church, in Bearsden, East Dunbartonshire, and also worked for a spell as a communication coordinator at St George’s Tron Church in Glasgow.

Callum has a BA in Theological Studies (distance learning) from Highland Theological College in Dingwall and as a candidate for ministry training did placements at Rutherglen West and Wardlawhill Church, Knightswood Anniesland Trinity Church, Glasgow and Glasgow Cathedral.

He did his probation at Moodiesburn Parish Church in North Lanarkshire.

“Regardless of place, in the highs and lows, joys and sorrows, I have found God to be present and faithful,” said Callum.

“Because of His faithfulness yesterday, I have confidence in what He is doing in His church today.”

Callum’s passion for the fantasy tabletop role-playing game, Dungeons and Dragons, is compatible with his love for his faith.

“What I love most isn’t the mechanics, but the joy of telling stories with friends,” he said.

“Stories connect us, help us find meaning in the everyday and they help us see God at work in people’s lives, not just in the dramatic but also in the quiet and mundane.

“I tend to prefer to be the one running the game and creating the world, responding to player choices and facilitating telling the story as the games master.

“I know that Dungeon and Dragons has some historical baggage in churches, but it is really just a toolkit for storytelling and gameplay.

“It’s rooted in fantasy as are the works of JRR Tolkien and CS Lewis.

“Around the table, I have seen players use tools to make profound choices of sacrifice and self-discovery, and I’ve also seen them make hilariously foolish ones, too.

“To anyone uncertain, I would encourage them to try it, and they might be surprised by what they discover.”

Callum and his wife have two pets, Oban the cat and Islay the dog, and they enjoy countryside walks, trips to the cinema, theatre and playing board games with friends.

Callum said the lessons of Christianity and all that is good that flow from it are more important than ever.

“While we might try to run from it, I think all of us, deep down, desire a sense of meaning in our lives, a sense that we are more than what we do and consume,” he added.

“In Scripture, Jesus showed his abounding love for us.

“As the Church of Scotland, our purpose is to help people see that they are loved and called to love others and the meaning of life we long for can be anchored in a living God.

“In the turmoil and division of our world today, there is a desperate need for more love and hope to shine through.””