Southern Presbytery Induction
Induction of the Rev. Donald A. MacDonald, M.A., to the Pastoral Charge of the Kames Congregation of the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland.
The Southern Presbytery met in Kames Church on Thursday, the 8th day of May 1969 in order to carry out the above service. Ordained in the Free Church of Scotland on September 10th, 1942, Mr MacDonald was admitted as a minister of our Church at the Synod in May 1966, and later visited Australia as Deputy. While there his health broke down and, after a partial recovery, he came back home and since then his health has improved in the kindness of the Lord.
Kames had been vacant since their previous pastor, the late Rev. James A. Tallach, had been inducted minister of Stornoway on September 16th, 1952. He had been inducted minister of Kames on May 4th, 1931. After over twenty-one years with them, their faithful and affectionate pastor was greatly missed by his flock in Kames. Early this year the Kames Kirk Session and Congregation requested the Presbytery to moderate in a call to Rev. D. A. MacDonald. The Presbytery met for this purpose in Kames Church on March 20th, 1969. The Call was unanimous, sustained and accepted. When the Presbytery met on May 8th, the Rev. D. Campbell, M.A., Edinburgh, Moderator, after the usual preliminaries, conducted public worship, preaching a most appropriate sermon on Hebrews, Chapter 13, verse 17.
Public worship being ended, the Clerk read out a Narrative of the steps leading up to this Induction. He then read out the Questions usually put to a minister on such an occasion. Rev. D. A. MacDonald returned satisfactory answers to all the Questions, one by one. The Clerk then read out the Formula, and on being asked by the Moderator if he was prepared to sign the Formula, Rev. D. A. MacDonald stated that he was, and thereupon signed the Formula in the presence of the Congregation.
The Moderator then engaged in solemn prayer, and prayer being ended, he did then Induct and Admit the Rev. D. A. MacDonald in the following words:— “I do now by the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ, the alone King and Head of His Church, and in the name of the Southern Presbytery, Induct and Admit you, Mr Donald A. MacDonald, to the Pastoral charge of Kames Free Presbyterian Congregation.”
The Moderator then gave the newly-inducted minister the right hand of fellowship and the other members of Presbytery did likewise. The newly-inducted minister was then addressed in suitable terms by Rev. J. A. MacDonald, Fort William. The Rev. D. MacLean, Glasgow, who had been Interim-Moderator of Kames, then delivered an appropriate discourse to the Congregation. The Service was concluded with the singing of Psalm 122, from verse 6, and the benediction. The Rev. D. A. MacDonald then shook hands with the Congregation as they left the Church. The name of the Rev. D. A. MacDonald was later placed on the Roll of Ministers of the Southern Presbytery. Our prayer is that the Kames pastor, office-bearers, members and adherents be blessed of the Lord in the Gospel of His grace. The Presbytery record their deep appreciation of the labours of Mr Donald MacPherson, Elder, Kames, in the Congregation during the long vacancy.
“Thy God commands thy strength; make strong What Thou wrought’st for us, Lord, For Thy house at Jerusalem Kings shall Thee gifts afford.” (Psalm 68: 28, 29)
— M. MacSween, Clerk.
Theological Conference 1969
The annual Theological Conference for ministers office-bearers, etc., is to be held this year in the Free Presbyterian Church, Edinburgh, on 9th and 10th September 1969 (DV).
The following are the titles of the papers to be read, upon which discussion will take place.
- “Romanism. The Vatican — its organisation and powers”, Rev. D. B. MacLeod, M.A., London.
- “The Sects — Seventh Day Adventists”, Rev. A. MacPherson, Stratherrick.
- “Free Masonry”, Rev. L. MacLeod.
- “The Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper”, Rev. M. MacInnes, M.A.
- “The Christian in Contemporary Society”, Mr A. Gillies, M.A., Glasgow.
The usual notice with the final programme will be sent out in due course.
It was agreed that the Conference would be open to male communicants in the congregations of the Church, and the purpose of this early notice is to allow them to make the necessary arrangements to attend the Conference if they so desire.
— Rev. Donald MacLean.
Mbuma Mission Society, Holland
This Society, which was formed in Holland in 1964 for the support of the spiritual and medical work at Mbuma, has been the means of giving great encouragement to the work in Rhodesia through most generous donations. There can be little doubt but that much prayer also ascends from the Lord’s people in Holland for the blessing of God to rest upon the attempts made to bring the gospel of the grace of God to the Africans.
Since the declaration of U.D.I., considerable restrictions have been laid upon sending money from Britain to Rhodesia and, in view of this, it is very doubtful if the Mission could be carried on so successfully without the support of our friends in Holland. Undoubtedly, the hand of the Lord is to be seen in this most remarkable provision and it is evidently His will and purpose that the Mission work should continue, despite the difficulties occasioned by the present quarrel between our Government and Rhodesia.
From its inception and up to his departure to carry on Mission work on his own, Mr J. Van Woerden formed the main link between the Church in Scotland and the Mission Society in Holland. Since he left the Mission staff, however, a much closer relationship has been developed between the Jewish and Foreign Missions Committee and the Dutch Society. This has been welcomed by both Committees and some meetings have been held in Holland to discuss matters of mutual interest.
A very interesting meeting took place in London on Wednesday, 9th April, in the hospitable manse of Rev. D. B. MacLeod at 13 Prince of Wales Mansions. The following members of the Jewish and Foreign Mission Committee were present: Rev. J. Colquhoun, Convener; Revs. A. F. MacKay, D. Campbell and Rev. D. MacLean, Clerk. Rev. R. R. Sinclair had intended to be present but was prevented by ‘flu from being there. Mr A. de Redelijheid and Rev. C. Smits, the Convener and Clerk of the Dutch Society Committee were also present from Holland. A long and interesting discussion took place on various matters affecting the Mission and the Society in Holland itself. It seems that some of Jan Van Woerden’s friends have formed a Society in Holland to support his work. Although he calls his Mission the Ebenezer Scripture Mission, the Society which supports him calls itself the Rhodesian Mission. We were told that at a meeting of the friends connected with the Mbuma Society, it had been decided that the full support of the Society would be given to the Mission of the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland and that no support would be given to Mr Van Woerden’s activities. This was very satisfying to the members of the Committee of the Dutch Society and they accordingly expressed surprise that support from Free Presbyterians in Scotland was going to Van Woerden. The Foreign Missions Committee certainly felt embarrassed by this situation.
In the course of this conversation, the Dutch Committee informed us that since June of last year approximately £11,500 had been collected by the Mission Society in Holland. This generous help from the friends in Holland is not only a tribute to the genuine interest in the Mission in Rhodesia but a testimony to the zeal and energy of the Committee there. A monthly magazine called MBUMA is also issued by the Committee to convey to the friends of the Cause information about the Mission in Rhodesia. This interest now extends beyond Mbuma to Zenka and Ingwenya Mission stations so that a fuller view of the total Missionary activity is being given than formerly.
It is expected that these useful meetings will be continued from time to time. We felt a warm and spiritual atmosphere in meeting the members of the Dutch Committee who expressed again and again the high esteem in which the people of Holland hold the Free Presbyterian Church on account of its Scriptural principles and practice. National differences disappear when the desire is to promote the Cause of the Divine Redeemer. “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.” (Gal. 3: 28).
The annual missionary meeting of this Society is to be held in Utrecht on Saturday, 17th May (DV). The Clerk to the Foreign Missions Committee, Rev. D. MacLean, has been invited to address this meeting.
Beauly Church
It is expected that, D.V., the new Church at Beauly will be opened for public worship on Wednesday, 2nd July, at 7 p.m.