INDUCTION AT BROADFORD
On Tuesday, 24th August 1971, the Western Presbytery met within the church at Broadford, Isle of Skye and was constituted with prayer by the Moderator, the Rev Donald Nicolson, Raasay. Nine Ministers and six Elders from the Presbytery were present and as Revs. D.A. Maclean, D.B. Macleod and F. Tallach from the Northern Presbytery were also present they were associated with the Presbytery on this occasion. The church was filled to capacity and a good number were accommodated in the manse next-door to which sound was efficiently relayed.
After return of the Edict the Officer of Court, Mr. D. Beattie, made proclamation at the Church Door three times. The Rev. Alexander MacAskill then preached from 2 Cor. 5, 20, 21, “Now then we are ambassadors for Christ etc.” and in an appropriate sermon spoke to a.) God’s grace in sending Ambassadors, b.) their message viz. reconciliation and c.) how this is provided.
The Clerk then gave a narrative of proceedings in the Call and observed that the Congregation had been vacant since being raised to “sanctioned charge status” in May 1964, and Mr. Tallach without a settled charge from the time of his Licensing in September of that same year. The Call had been signed by 7 Members and 70 Adherents. The Moderator put to the Pastor-designate the Questions asked of ministers at the time of their induction, and the Formula was signed in the presence of the congregation. Then the Moderator after engaging in prayer did, in the name of the Presbytery, induct Mr. S. Fraser Tallach MA as minister to the pastoral charge of Strath Congregation and the brethren gave him the right hand of fellowship. Thereafter the newly inducted minister and the congregation were addressed in suitable terms by the Clerk and the Rev Fraser MacDonald, respectively. Mr. MacDonald had been interim-moderator of the Strath Session for the past 5 years. The visiting ministers each conveyed their good wishes to minister and congregation and a letter from Rev. A.F. MacKay and a telegram from Rev. Robert R. Sinclair were read. The solemn service was then concluded by singing Psalm 72; 4-8 and the Benediction and the congregation met their new pastor at the church door. Friends were entertained by the congregation in the manse.
The whole occasion was pleasing indeed as a spirit of good will and Gospel fellowship pervaded the assembly. The hour was also an historic one as we witnessed for the first time the settlement of
a Free Presbyterian Minister in Strath Congregation and parish. Thus the outward signs are promising and it is our desire that the Lord will add His rich blessing to the ministry presently begun among this people.
ALEXANDER MURRAY, Clerk of Presbytery
INDUCTION AT TAIN
A large gathering representing the congregation of Tain & Fearn, augmented by many friends who came from such widely separated districts as Inverness & Wick, Lochbroom, Skye & Lewis, met in the Tain Church on Tuesday evening, 17th August at 7 to witness the induction of Rev. John Nicolson to the charge. After the return of the Edict and the proclamation at the Church door, the Moderator, Rev. D.B. MacLeod preached from the words: “Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ”—Eph. iii, verse 8. The Moderator spoke of the apostle’s lowly estimate of himself, formed from the time in his own past history when he persecuted the Church of Christ and declared that he was therefore “the least of the apostles that am not meet to be called an apostle”; this same lowly witness, it becomes the true servant of Christ to apply to himself. The special favour, the “grace” bestowed upon the apostle, was first displayed in the divine power which subdued and changed him on his way to Damascus which became the foundation of his preaching, and later in the special Call he received to preach the faith which once he destroyed. The great message itself was then taken up, “the unsearchable riches of Christ”, which are laid up in the Saviour such as his love and truth and power, in short, “Christ and him crucified” is the glorious theme which the true servant of Christ delights to proclaim. Finally, the people among whom Paul was to preach are the Gentiles, up till now as contrasted with the Lord’s own chosen people, the privileged Jews, a heathenish nation, but since the “middle wall of partition” had been broken down and taken out of the way, now become the appointed field of labour assigned to the apostle. The Moderator closed with the prayer that the present settlement would under the Lord’s blessing be for the advancement of the Lord’s Cause and Kingdom in the parish.
The clerk then gave the narrative of the steps taken in preparing the Call, and when the stated Questions were put by the Moderator and satisfactorily answered, and the Formula, which was read out, was signed, the Moderator in the name of the Presbytery and by authority of the Great Head of the Church, with solemn prayer.
admitted Mr. Nicolson to the pastoral charge of the Tain & Fearn congregation, and gave to him the right hand of fellowship in which he was joined by members of Presbytery. Rev. R.R. Sinclair addressed in suitable terms the newly inducted minister, and Rev. A.F. MacKay likewise addressed the congregation. It was good to see so many ministers from other Presbyteries of the Church present, and of these Rev. A. Murray, Applecross, Clerk of the Western Presbytery, expressed his own and the Western Presbytery’s good wishes to minister and people, and referred to the lay preachers who had served so well the congregation in the past. Rev. J. MacLeod, Stornoway, spoke of the pleasure it gave him to be present at the service to see Mr. Nicolson settled at Tain and Fearn, and as a member of the Outer Isles Presbytery, from which Mr. Nicolson had come to this present charge, wished that the Lord’s blessing would attend both and the congregation. Other ministers were Revs. Wm. Grant, now living in Dingwall, J.W. Ross, Lochcarron, Fraser Tallach, Broadford and M. MacInnes, Ullapool.
The Moderator also referred to the lay preachers who had laboured in the congregation in the time of the vacancy, and called upon Rev. R.R. Sinclair to speak. There had been many since the time when Rev. Dugald Cameron, the last minister at Tain, had taken his departure after a very brief stay in 1905 for the Free Church, who belonged to those early years, such as Mr. John MacKay, who lived at Portmahomack, and Mr. Mal. MacEwen at Tain. Mr. Sinclair referred especially to those worthy men who had given long years of public service, particularly in the Tain congregation. There were Mr. Wm. MacAngus, who had for many years kept public services at Hilton, where today in place of the old building which had done its day a new church has been erected; Mr. Leitch, an honoured and highly esteemed elder at Tain; and the last to keep the church open for many years was Mr. Arch. Robertson, our Tain missionary, who had only lately passed from our midst. To these worthy men who had faithfully through the years maintained the Church’s witness in the congregation, the Church owed a great debt of gratitude. The clerk read a message of good wishes from Rev. D.A. MacFarlane, Dingwall, in which he prayerfully desired that minister and people would be blessed and that the Gospel might be evangelically refreshing and enriching to the people, and that the prayers of both minister and people for one another would be answered by the Lord. The proceedings were closed with the benediction, and as the people departed, the minister went to the outer door to shake hands with them on their way out.
Thus ended a long desired settlement in the congregation which
is all the more welcome to the Presbytery, as they have now seen in little more than a year the last of 3 vacancies in our congregations under the Presbytery of more or less long standing, amicably and satisfactorily filled. The Lord bless Mr. Nicolson and the Tain & Fearn congregation and may the Gospel as a result be made the power of God unto salvation to many throughout the parish.
A.F.M., Clerk.
Death of Helmsdale Elder
It is with deep regret we record the death of Mr James Davidson, Portgower, Helmsdale. Mr Davidson was an elder in the Halkirk and Helmsdale joint congregation for a long period of years. He passed away at the advanced age of 90 years. To his brother, Mr Alick John Davidson, we extend sincere sympathy. D.N.
Correction
In the May 1971 issue of the Magazine, the fourth line from the bottom of page 129 should have read, ‘doctrine of the New Birth, the doctrine of the incarnation, the Virgin Birth, the sinlessness, the substit-‘. We regret the delay in intimating this correction.
Services in Stirling
The Church Extension Committee have arranged to hold divine services in the Y.M.C.A., Allan Park, Stirling, as from 17th October, D.V. The times of the services are 11 a.m. and 6.30 p.m. The Clerk of the Committee would appreciate if ministers throughout the Church would give him names of adults and children living in the Stirling area. It is our prayer that these services will be blessed in this town.
D.A. Maclean, Clerk.
Sex and Its Perversion
by The Rev. D.A. Thompson, price 6p, obtainable from the Church Bookroom, 160 Pitt Street, Glasgow C.2.
This leaflet is the reproduction of The Rev. D.A. Thompson’s article appearing in the summer issue of “The Reformation Link.” When that article appeared the Morals and Religious Committee of the Church saw its worth and took under their consideration to obtain permission to produce it in pamphlet form. This has been done by the Christian Unity Fellowship itself.
The pamphlet deserves to be read and followed by all, It deals
with the subject of sex in a most delicate manner. It gives scriptural direction with regard to the issues of Birth Control, Limitation of Families, Abortion and Sex Education.
On page 5 it says that marriage is “NOT in a special theological but in a broad and general sense, sacramental.” All that is meant here is that marriage is symbolical.
A.E.W. MacDonald,
for the Morals and Religious Committee.