Ayrshire Disability Advocate Ordained as New Church Minister

A well-known advocate for disability inclusion in Ayrshire has been ordained as the Church of Scotland’s newest minister. Rev Katrona Templeton, an accomplished embroiderer and a passionate campaigner for accessibility in worship, has begun her new role as an Ordained Local Minister with Ardrossan and Saltcoats Kirkgate Parish Church.

Her ordination took place on Tuesday evening at St Marnock’s Church in Kilmarnock, where around 100 family members, friends, ministry training colleagues and representatives from the Presbytery of the South West gathered to celebrate the milestone.

Rev Templeton, 45, is widely respected for her work with the Ayrshire Mission for the Deaf and for supporting congregations across the region to welcome people of all abilities. Reflecting on the evening, she said the occasion was both joyful and humbling, praising everyone involved in making the service so memorable. She added that seeing people from different denominations and communities worship together reinforced the heart of her ministry.

Balancing studies, placements, work and family life has been a long journey, and she described finally reaching ordination as “overwhelming in the best possible way.” Looking ahead, she hopes to lead a communion service in British Sign Language and explore new ways of helping those without language connect spiritually.

In her wider role within the Presbytery of the South West, Rev Templeton leads the Reachout Together disability inclusion project, working with urban and rural parishes to strengthen connections between disabled communities and the Church. This includes helping congregations create new worshipping spaces designed around accessibility and inclusion.

Born and raised in Kilmarnock, she is married to Colin and is mother to two daughters, Freya, 10, and Morgan, 9. Her personal experiences have shaped her ministry deeply, particularly her involvement with the deaf church and her diagnosis of autism. She said these chapters of her life strengthened her calling to support people with additional needs and ensure churches become places where everyone feels valued.

Her vision for the future is rooted in inclusivity, hoping to see churches become communities where people of every age, ability, neurotype and background can find belonging.

Ordained Local Ministers serve part-time and unpaid, working within presbyteries to meet local missional needs. They offer preaching, pastoral care and sacramental ministry, often supporting vacant congregations or working alongside parish ministers as part of a team.

Rev Templeton believes the Church of Scotland continues to play an essential role by speaking out on social injustice and modelling compassion in communities. She hopes her ministry will reflect these values in practical and meaningful ways.

Her background is as varied as it is impressive. She holds a joint honours degree in astronomy and applied mathematics from the University of Glasgow, a postgraduate degree from the University of Strathclyde, and later studied theology at the University of Aberdeen. She previously spent a decade as a specialist hand-darner at one of the last lace factories in Newmilns and volunteers as a breastfeeding supporter through the national helpline.

Outside ministry, she is an award-winning participant in the Scottish Handicraft Championships at the Royal Highland Show, where she recently won the Agnes Bryson Perpetual Trophy for her Embroidery Wedding Sampler and second prize for a woven luggage strap. She also leads a popular crafts club through the disability inclusion project, a group she says is as enjoyable as it is practical, especially when it comes to repairing communion linen.

Rev Templeton is a long-standing member of the Scottish Women’s Institutes and has been a Rainbow Guide leader for more than two decades.

Her ordination marks the beginning of a new chapter for both her and the congregations she will serve, with accessibility and inclusion at the forefront of her ministry.