BY THE REV. DONALD MACLEOD, CHURCH DEPUTY.
THE following is the Report which was read by the Rev. J. R. Mackay, M.A., Inverness, at the Meeting of Synod on 15th November:—
When I returned to Scotland last October and presented to you what I took to be my final Report of the Canadian Mission, the possibility of having to lay before you within a year another brief account of my labours in the same mission-field never occurred to me once. God, however, has willed that it should be so, though such was contrary to any expectations or wishes of mine.
Responding to an urgent request from the Rev. Mr. Mackay, Inverness, and acting upon his instructions, I hurriedly left home, and sailed from the Clyde by the S.S. “Furnessia,” of the Anchor Line, on Saturday forenoon the 2nd July. The weather was all that could be desired when we began our voyage to New York, but it soon changed, and from Moville to the Banks of Newfoundland it was one continuous storm, with intermittent heavy rains and cold, that made one almost forget it was mid-summer. Thick fog soon enveloped us on the Banks, continuing nearly all the way to our destination, which we safely reached early on Tuesday morning the 12th inst., glad and thankful to be once more ashore. Mrs. Donald Mackenzie kindly met me on arrival, and in their hospitable home I stayed until the evening of the next day, meeting there Mr. and Mrs. Allan Mackenzie, and Mr. Cormack from Lybster. They are all well.
I travelled by the Le-High Valley Railroad to Buffalo, and thence to Seaforth, which I reached on Thursday forenoon. After paying a short visit to Mr. and Mrs. Clark at Egmondville, who are both well, I resumed my journey to Brucefield. There I was pleased to find all the friends well. Mr. Forrest has a fair measure of health, but he has now lost his eyesight, and has considerably failed since last year. Two services were held on the following Sabbath. In the forenoon we met in the Methodist Church, and in the evening in Mr. Forrest’s house. The attendance was small. A few were present from Lochalsh.
In the middle of next week I proceeded to East Williams. Two Sabbaths were given there. On the second—the 31st July—the Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper was dispensed. The gatherings on both Sabbaths were pretty near the same as formerly, but on the week-days of the Sacrament, although fair, they were not altogether what one would desire. Some were present from Brucefield, Lochalsh, Newton, and Detroit. In this congregation death has made a few seats vacant since last year, and the following I very much regret have been removed:—Mrs. Graham, Nairn; Mr. and Mrs. Alex. M’Millan, Ailsa Craig; Mr. Duncan M’Millan, and Widow A. Ross, East Williams. Mrs. M’Millan
and Mrs. Ross were both respected members of the congregation. The latter had helped in her younger days to nurse the late Rev. Dr. Macdonald of Ferintosh in his last illness. She had many happy recollections of the Doctor, and many little anecdotes to tell of him. He held such a high place in her affections as plainly showed that the strong cords of a love divine bound her to him in a common salvation through one Redeemer. To this her whole life bore witness. Mr. David Mackenzie has not been very well this summer, and his health seems very broken. Mr. M’Leish is keeping up fairly well, and Mr. Scott and the rest are in their usual, except Mrs. Leslie and Mrs. William Ross, who are both very ill at present.
I next went to Kincardine for one Sabbath. The services were held in the Temperance Hall. The day was fine, and the forenoon services in English and Gaelic were well attended, but at the evening service there were fewer. Mr. John Morrison is failing, but still able to go about. The rest are all well.
The following Sabbath found me at Lochalsh. Good congregations assembled at all the diets of worship during the day. Here, again, I am under the painful necessity of mentioning the decease of the following persons, who were all highly-esteemed members of the Church:—Mr. Donald Mackay, Huron; Mr. Angus Mackay, and Mrs. Donald T. Mackenzie, Lochalsh. The rest of our people there are well. Before leaving, I performed the marriage of Miss Donalda, youngest daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Macdonald, to Mr. William A. Duncan, Toronto. I returned to Brucefield, where the Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper was observed on Sabbath the 21st August. The gatherings were not large, but friends were present from Detroit, Wardsville, Sincoe, East Williams, and Lochalsh.
On my way to Manitoba I visited Newton, where, on one Sabbath, we had services morning and evening in the same hall as on former occasions. The attendance was fair. Once more I have to mention the removal by death of one of our members, whom the former deputies will well remember—Mr. Robertson, Stratford. Mr. Phineas Macdonald and all the others are in good health.
On Tuesday, the 30th August, I left Newton for Winnipeg, via Owen Sound and the Great Lakes. Mr. Alick Finlayson, Lochalsh, joined me at Palmerston, and I had his company both going and coming back. Calm and beautiful weather favoured us the whole way, and after a comfortable and delightful passage in the S.S. “Keewatin,” we arrived at Fort William early on Thursday morning, reaching Winnipeg the same night at ten o’clock, where we were met by kind friends of the cause there. The whole month of September was spent in Winnipeg. We met for worship in the Scott Memorial Hall, having three services every Sabbath—English in the forenoon and evening, and Gaelic in the afternoon. The celebration of the Lord’s Supper for the first time in
connection with our Church took place on the third Sabbath, the 18th September. The usual days of preparation and thanksgiving were observed. Great inconvenience and frequent interruptions were met with during these days, owing to our not having a suitable place of our own to worship in. Twelve communicants, who were all members before, though not all previously members of our Church, sat at the Lord’s Table on Sabbath, and Mr. Lachlan A. Ross, elder, helped to serve it. A list of these was prepared and left with Mr. Ross. To it the special attention of the next deputy is drawn. I earnestly hope all those that communicated will prove worthy of the confidence imposed in them and the solemn obligations under which they have once more put themselves to the Head of the Church, to adorn the profession of His name and Gospel in the world. The difficulties and anxieties connected with the observance of the Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper for the first time in a congregation of such a composite nature as that of Winnipeg—composed of Scotch, English, Irish, and Canadians, drawn from several branches of the Christian Church, and far removed from the influences of the home Church—will be manifest to all. It consists mainly of young men and women, with a small number of elderly people. As far as one cares to judge or say, there are some amongst the young people that one would fondly hope to live to see become a strength and honour to the cause of Christ. Usually they have two English services every Sabbath and a weekly prayer meeting, which are well attended, particularly the prayer meeting. Indeed, the attendance at the prayer meeting was to me one of the most pleasing features of the whole congregation. They attended all the services remarkably well during my stay with them. Large congregations gathered at the Gaelic, and both the Gaelic and English kept on increasing all the time until the last Sabbath, which was the largest of all. At the close of the service on Monday night of the Communion, I baptised the infant daughter of Alexander Finlayson; and the next day I performed the marriage of Mr. John Sutherland, eldest son of Mrs. Sutherland, late of Rogart, to Miss Louisa Staples.
The people are desirous to begin a Building Fund, with a view to build a church as soon as possible. They are at present paying heavy rent for a hall, which is suitable enough if it were more favourably situated, but as it is, the services are apt to be seriously disturbed, of which we had trying experiences during the Communion week. It is most desirable that the Free Presbyterian Church should have a church in this rapidly-growing city, destined to be one of the largest cities in the world, to which so many of her people are finding their way, and where a person loving to worship God in a simple, scriptural form, has not whereon to lay his head. A building is necessary to the growth of the congregation and to the peace and comfort of the worshippers, and has my entire and hearty approval, with every wish for success. They are
anxious to know the mind of the Church in Scotland in regard to it, and wish to have the Synod’s approval before taking any further steps in the matter. It will cost a considerable sum to build, and the people need help, but should it meet with the Synod’s approval, friends who feel disposed to help a good cause will not, I think, err or lose by contributing their mite to this deserving object. The prospects of the cause in Manitoba are full of promise, and I know of few spheres of labour more needful, yet more interesting and promising, than the city of Winnipeg.
Mr. William Matheson, student, who has ministered to the congregation for over a year, has kindly agreed to remain with them for another year or so, and consequently will not be going to Scotland to study this winter, as was fully expected. I am sorry that he should have to postpone and indefinitely delay his studies, but if he were to leave Winnipeg at present, without another man being on the ground to carry on the work, the cause would seriously suffer; and seeing he is willingly sacrificing his own interests for the sake of the people, when he does, if spared, resume his studies, I hope the Church in Scotland will not forget it to him.
I didn’t manage to visit Carman this time. As I found myself placed, owing to having the Communion, I hadn’t a Sabbath to spare, and to go for a week-day would be useless, as they were so busy with the harvest. Mr. Matheson went and was with them for two Sabbaths. He had encouraging gatherings. Some of them attended the Communion services.
I left Winnipeg on Monday night after the last Sabbath, sorry to part with so many kind friends, among whom my short time with them was passed very pleasantly. Beautiful weather again favoured us on the return journey, and after an enjoyable though tiresome trip, we arrived at Lochalsh near midnight on Wednesday. I have again to thank Mr. Finlayson for his kindness all the way. I was at Lochalsh for a fortnight. On the last Sabbath, the 9th October, the Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper was dispensed. Thursday was cold and very wet. It continued cold all through the week. The attendance on the week-days was smaller than it used to be, but on the Sabbath it was about the same as last year’s. Friends were present from all the other stations. On Friday I baptised two children of Mr. Alex. Macfarlane, Tyneside, and late of Tarbert, Loch Fyne. From Lochalsh I went back again to Kincardine. The day was simply lovely, and the gatherings were about the best that ever I had there. After visiting the friends at the North Line, who are in good health, I went to Newton. The weather on Sabbath was cold, and the attendance at the services smaller than usual. From Newton I came on to East Williams, spending a few days at Brucefield on the way. We have had quite a fall of snow, and the weather on Sabbath being rather boisterous and unpleasant, not many attended the services in the church. I was pleased to find that, since my last visit, the
church here has been repaired, and it now rests on a substantial cement basement. It is quite an improvement in every way, and I am glad the people have such a comfortable place of worship.
I may here say that in future the Canadian Committee should make a determined effort to have the deputy here early in May, so that he could have the three Communions in Ontario over before the end of July at the very latest. It does justice neither to the Mission nor to the deputy to be so late in coming as I was this year. He should also be expected to spend, if at all possible, six months at least in Canada. There are so many places that it is difficult, in the matter of a few months, to do much for them. No one can perform marriage, either in Manitoba or Ontario, unless he is ordained over the Mission and is resident in Canada.
I intend to leave here this week-end for Detroit and Wardsville. The Mission in Ontario, notwithstanding changes through death, marriage, and other causes, taken as a whole, seems to be standing still, neither increasing nor decreasing. Though it is easy enough to speak of the need there is of supporting it in every way in a day in which people are carried off their feet by the love of novelty in the worship of God and heretical views are threatening to leaven the whole of Christendom, yet it is not easy with one’s present knowledge of things to even approximately forecast what the future prospects and success of the Mission may be. Though no new members joined at the Communion this year, and the office-bearers are feeling the infirmities of advancing years so much, as to cause one no little anxiety as to the getting together of a quorum when a Session Meeting is necessary, yet there is no reason for taking a despondent view of things. As in Winnipeg, so in the case of Ontario, there are hopeful signs among some of the young people, from among whom there may be raised up before long both members and office-bearers. And even should there not be at present any such hopeful signs to encourage one, yet in childlike, humble faith in “the Alpha and Omega—the beginning and the ending—which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty,” we would say with John, who went forth in the spirit and power of Elias to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord, “God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.”
Our people in Ontario are as kind as ever, and I take this opportunity of thanking them all, both in Ontario and Winnipeg, for their great kindness to me since I came. If spared and well, I hope to leave for Scotland from Quebec by the S.S. “Empress of Britain” for Liverpool, on Friday the 18th November. I have received from Mr. William Sinclair, on behalf of the Winnipeg congregation, \$85, and from Mr. Donald T. Mackenzie, on behalf of the Ontario Mission, \$400. I am sorry that I cannot give you an account of my expenses until I shall return to Scotland. I have been in good health ever since I left home.