Communions.
January—Fourth Sabbath, Inverness. February—First Sabbath, Dingwall, third, Stornoway; fourth, North Uist. March—First Sabbath, Ullapool; second, Ness and Portree; third, Finsbay and Lochinver; fourth, Kinlochbervie; fifth, London and North Tolsta. April—First Sabbath, Breasclete, Portnalong and Fort William; third, Greenock; fourth, Glasgow and Wick. May—First Sabbath, Kames and Oban; second, Scourie; third, Edinburgh and Broadford. June—First Sabbath, Tarbert, Applecross, Coigach; second, Shieldaig; third, Lochcarron, Glendale, Helmsdale, Dornoch and Uig; fourth, Gairloch and Inverness. July—First Sabbath, Lairg, Raasay and Beauly; second, Staffin, Tomatin and Tain; third, Halkirk, Rogart, Flashadder and Daviot; fourth, Achmore, Bracadale, North Uist and Plockton. August—First Sabbath, Dingwall and Vancouver (Canada); second, Portree and Stratherrick; third, Bonar, Finbay and Laide; fourth, Vatten and Thurso; fifth, Stornoway. September—First Sabbath, Ullapool and Breasclete; second, Strathy; third, Tarbert and Stoer; fourth, Applecross. October—First Sabbath, Tolsta and Lochcarron; second, Gairloch and Ness; fourth, Greenock, Lochinver and Wick. November—First Sabbath, Oban and Raasay; second, Glasgow and Halkirk; third, Edinburgh, Dornoch and Uig. December—First Sabbath, London.
SPECIAL NOTICE.—All changes in Communion dates for year 1959, should be sent AT ONCE to the Editor, that the above List may be corrected. This will save inconvenience later on.—Editor.
London Communion Services.
The Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland, London Congregation, St. Michael’s Hall, Eccleston Place, opposite Victoria Coach Station, Buckingham Palace Road, London, S.W.1. In connection with the dispensation of the Lord’s Supper on Sabbath, 6th December, 1959, the following services have been arranged (D.V.) to be conducted by the Rev. William MacLean, M.A., Ness, and the Rev. Alexander Morrison:—Thursday, 3rd December, 7 p.m.; Friday, 4th December, 3.30 p.m. (Gaelic), and 7 p.m. (Fellowship Meeting); Saturday, 5th December, 3.30 p.m. and 6.30 p.m. (Prayer Meeting); Sabbath, 6th December, 11 a.m., 3.30 p.m. (Gaelic), (with an English service, simultaneously, in Bridewell Hall, London City Mission, Eccleston Place), and 7 p.m., Monday, 7th December, 3.30 p.m. (Gaelic) and 7 p.m. For the benefit of those in country districts we may state that all the week-day services will (D.V.) be held in the Bridewell Hall, and only the Sabbath services in St. Michael’s Hall.
Services are held every Sabbath in St. Michael’s Hall, at 11 a.m., 3.45 p.m. (Gaelic), and 7 p.m. Weekly Prayer Meeting in Bridewell Hall, London City Mission, at the other end of Eccleston Place, at 7 p.m.
Day of Prayer.
Will Ministers and Missionaries at home, and Congregations abroad take note of the following Notice from the Synod of May, 1959, viz., “That a Day of Humiliation and Prayer be observed on the 14th or 15th October, 1959, because of the serious state of affairs internationally and the widespread moral and religious backsliding within our nation.”—Robert R. Sinclair, Clerk of Synod.
Arrival of Rev. A. MacDonald, M.A., in Rhodesia.
It is with a sense of gratitude to the Most High that we report that Rev. A. MacDonald has arrived safely at the Mission and commenced his labours there. In a letter to the Clerk of the Committee, Mr. MacDonald writes as follows:—”In the goodness of the Most High, I arrived on August 20th at Ingwenya where we have one of the main parts of the Mission. All the staff are in good health (although all over-worked), and Mrs. Nicolson has made some recovery.
On Sabbath the usual services were held, in the church, after which visits were made to nearby Kraals where the word was preached to the ‘careless Ethiopians.’ Had we the power of the Holy Spirit among us might we not expect the fulfilment of that threat, in a gospel sense, where God says he will send messengers to ‘make the careless Ethiopians afraid.’
During the week it has been possible to visit the main station at Zenka, the main station at Mbuma, and several of the smaller places. At our Mbuma Medical Centre there is a constant flow of heathen people and many of these stay for several days to have treatment. To all who attend the Centre, the Word of God is spoken. On Wednesday there arrived two heathen parents with their ill child of three years of age. Throughout the night constant observation was made on the child, but in the early hours of Thursday morning the child died. The father attended the morning prayer meeting—possibly his first time ever under the Word—and an address was given on the words, ‘But now the child is dead.'”
It will be evident to readers that the work is too vast for the few who are engaging in it, and the need for help is urgent and great. As an instance, the Transport Fund is never adequate to the demands; travelling conditions here cannot be compared with anything at home.
When it is considered that hundreds of Africans who were, until a few years ago, without knowledge of God, of eternity, of their need of the Saviour, are now sitting orderly under the preaching of the Word, and many of themselves engaging in the work of spreading the gospel,; the acknowledgment must be made, humbly indeed, that the labours of those who have gone, of the late Revs. J. B. Radasi, John Tallach and James Fraser; and also the labours of others, were not in vain in the Lord; and we sincerely ask you all to be constant in prayer that the same may be true concerning those who still attempt the work here.”
Articles held over.
Several articles and a number of obituaries have been held over till a later edition of the Magazine for lack of space. Of course we are glad to have articles in hand as this makes our editorial duties somewhat easier. We are always glad to have suitable articles from our ministers and other interested friends.