02/09/2026
A message to our membership as we enter our election period by Bro. Rev. Jason Lingiah.
The month of September heralds in the election cycle for the Orange Institution in Scotland. Often, we end of filling offices by just seeing who can be cajoled into taking positions. However, as our Lodges within our twenty Districts in Glasgow moving towards elections in September, and also for District Lodges in October, we should think more strategically about this.
Questions we may wish to ask are:
How can we encourage younger members to take office?
Are we willing to support Sisters and Brothers in the offices to which they have been elected and installed into?
Are we willing to led by our leaders, and are we encouraging them to lead?
How can we ensure succession planning in our Lodges?
Are we willing to address the issues in our Lodges now, or do we kick them into the long grass?
There is also a time to recognise when it is time to stand down from office.
For those who don’t hold office any more, are we willing to encourage and practically help?
It is a great honour, privilege and responsibility to don an office-bearers collarette and to make our mark in our Lodges. But there is another dimension that is oft forgotten. We are a fraternity, and a Christian fraternity. Therefore, we are looking at leadership and servanthood from a Christian perspective.
In the Scriptures, in Matthew 20:26–28 – Jesus teaches that true greatness comes from serving others rather than seeking power. In terms of accountability and guidance: Hebrews 13:17 reminds us that leaders watch over souls and will give an account to God. We are lead with care and humility (1 Peter 5:2–3) and to care for our members willingly and eagerly, not lording over them, but by being examples.
In 1 Samuel 13:14 we learn that King David was said to be a man after God’s own heart. As Christians, in whatever position of authority or otherwise, we are called to be men and women after God’s our heart, especially those elected into office. Therefore, we are looking for leaders who are seeking God’s will and way in their lives, who want to turn from sin and live for Jesus, who are regular attenders of evangelical church, and seeking, despite often failing, to lead with Christian values.
Rev. Jason Lingiah
Grand Chaplain
