Martin Johnstone

Martin Johnstone is a Church of Scotland minister, ordained in September 1989. Over the last 30 years he has held several roles within the Church of Scotland including as a parish minister, Priority Areas Secretary, Church & Society Secretary and most recently as Interim Head of Staff.

He is a former Chair of Glasgow’s Third Sector Forum, was a member of the city’s Community Planning Partnership and chaired a review into its anti-poverty strategy. He also chaired the Scottish Government’s independent review on food poverty in Scotland. He is a member the Scottish Committee of the National Lottery Community Fund.

Martin has been involved in a range of charities and third sector agencies over the last 30 years focused on anti-poverty and tackling social injustice, including Faith in Community Scotland, Wevolution, theGKexperience and the Poverty Truth Network. He currently helps to facilitate a network of Poverty Truth Commissions across the UK, bringing together senior civic and business leaders to work alongside those most directly impacted by poverty to enable change.

Martin has degrees from the Universities of Edinburgh (MA), Aberdeen (BD, MTh) and Glasgow (PhD) with a strong ongoing interest in liberation and contextual theology.

When asked what gets his out of bed in the morning, Martin would reply that it a passion for justice for the poorest and most marginalised. He passionately believes that this is only possible when those who struggle against poverty lead and shape the necessary changes.