Rev. Donald MacLean
Editor’s note: This article, in a fuller form, has been published as an attractive pamphlet, St. Jude’s Congregation, Glasgow, 100 Years, 1896-1996. It sketches the history of the congregation and contains pictures of the church buildings and also of the four ministers, including the present minister, Rev. Donald MacLean, who have successively been inducted to the charge. The pamphlet may be obtained from the Free Presbyterian Bookroom, 133 Woodlands Road, Glasgow, by sending a first class stamp.
WHEN Rev Donald MacFarlane, then minister of Raasay, made his historic Protest in the General Assembly of the Declaratory Act Free Church, in May 1893, he thus separated from that body with all who adhered to his Protest. A movement began throughout Scotland to form congregations in support of what later came to be called the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland. One of those congregations was in Glasgow.
In the city of Glasgow last century there was a Free Church congregation known as the Main Street (Gaelic) Congregation. The minister of the congregation was Rev. Evan Gordon. On one occasion the elders of the congregation requested him to call a meeting of the Kirk Session, which he duly did. At the meeting the elders informed him that they wished to know what position the congregation intended to take relative to the Protest tabled by Rev. D. MacFarlane, and the separation effected by it. When the minister offered to give them his explanation of the Declaratory Act, the elders said that the time for talking was past and the time to take action had come. They wished to know if he would agree to call a meeting of the congregation to give them an opportunity to decide what to do as a congregation in view of the present circumstances. When the minister saw their determination to take appropriate action he left the meeting without closing the Kirk Session.
Having consulted among themselves, the elders approached Mr Neil Cameron, divinity student, who at that time was acting as an assistant to Rev. Evan Gordon. They informed him that they had separated from the Main
Jews; others, again, on the ground that the universalistic expressions refer to different classes of men, while another class may be explained as a polemic against the Gnostic dualist teaching which was disturbing the churches. The whole subject of these universalistic texts is dealt with by Dr. Owen in his Death of Death in the Death of Christ (Works, vol 10, pp 316-421 [also available separately]) and Professor G Vos in “The Scriptural Doctrine of the Love of God” (Presbyterian and Reformed Review, vol 13, pp 1-37, [and reprinted in his Redemptive History and Biblical Interpretation, pp 425-457]), R S Candlish, The Atonement, its Reality, Completeness and Extent (pp 47-85), A A Hodge, Atonement (pp 385-395) and W Skyes, Salt of the Covenant (pp 155-177).
Street congregation, as now constituted under the new creed and constitution of the Free Church, and were determined to adhere to Rev. D. MacFarlane’s Protest. Mr Cameron promised to help them as far as he could.
The elders, on the following Sabbath, kept prayer meetings in private houses. On the next Sabbath services were kept in the Blythswood Halls at which about 300 people were present, most of whom came from the Main Street congregation. Some time after that, a church belonging to the Church of England, called St. Jude’s, became vacant. It was rented, and subsequently purchased and renovated by the congregation.
The first Kirk Session meeting was held on 16th November, 1893, when Rev. D. MacFarlane acted as Moderator pro tem, and Neil Cameron, divinity student was placed in charge of the congregation. Mr Cameron was licensed to preach on 9th December, 1895, at Strathcarron, by the Free Presbyterian Presbytery. Ten days later a deputation from the St. Jude’s congregation appeared before the Presbytery with the request that the Presbytery would moderate in a Call to Mr Cameron to become the minister of St. Jude’s. This Call was eventually signed by about 600 people. Mr Cameron accepted the Call, and on 9th January, 1896, he was ordained and inducted to the charge. The congregation was now complete, with a godly minister, godly elders and a considerable number of godly people. Thus began its history, which reached 100 years on 9th January, this year.
Rev. Neil Cameron remained minister of this congregation for thirty-six years. There are still a few, including the present minister, who remember his solemn appearance, and his impressive way of preaching the Word of God. Among those who have good reason to remember him is a lady, now 90 years old, who was brought to a knowledge of the Saviour during his ministry. She has been professing Christ in this congregation for 68 years, and is the last of Mr Cameron’s communicants to be still spared. His preaching was richly blessed, also, in all the congregations throughout the Church. On 9th March, 1932, Mr Cameron died at the age of 77, having served his generation by the will of God.
He was succeeded by Rev. Roderick MacKenzie who had been the minister of Gairloch congregation for nine years. He was inducted to St. Jude’s on 9th December, 1932. He was a gifted preacher, and although some of Mr Cameron’s flock thought that no-one could take his place, there are good reasons for concluding that many came to feel that his successor did indeed meet that need. After a period of 12 years, Mr MacKenzie resigned on the grounds of ill health on 31st October, 1944.
Although it is sad to relate, yet history dictates that mention be made of the
fact that Mr MacKenzie had a difference of opinion with the Synod. A large section of the congregation disapproved of the Synod’s method of dealing with Mr MacKenzie’s case, and in 1945 they began to hold separate services in another building in the city. Mr MacKenzie ministered to them until his death in 1972. By this move, the congregation was much reduced in size.
Steps were taken to fill the vacancy, and the choice fell on Rev. D.J. Matheson, who was minister in Lairg, Sutherland. Mr Matheson was inducted to Jude’s on 20th September, 1946. He had a good, clear voice, and sound doctrine continued to be preached during his ministry. He was a most energetic and assiduous visitor among the people, and his coming to the congregation at such a critical stage was undoubtedly beneficial to its interests. After a pastorate of 14 years, Mr Matheson was translated from St. Jude’s to the Stratherrick congregation, being inducted there on 13th January, 1960. The present minister was inducted to St. Jude’s congregation on 14th June, 1960. He had previously been the minister of Portree congregation, in the Island of Skye, for eleven and a half years.
In 1975 the congregation moved from the old St. Jude’s church in Blythswood Square to a vacant church on Woodlands Road. Because a change of the name of the congregation would have affected its public identity, it was decided to retain the old name, St. Jude’s.
The main reason for praising the Lord at this Centenary is that the doctrines preached, the worship conducted, and the discipline exercised, all being founded on the infallible and inerrant Word of God, are those which the congregation enjoyed one hundred years ago. When this fact is considered in the light of the appalling apostasy of individuals and churches from Scriptural Christianity during these 100 years, there is abundant reason for praising the Lord for His preserving us, for it is written:
Except the Lord the city keep,
the watchmen watch in vain,
(Psalm 127:1).