Date of Synod
THE Synod of the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland will meet, God willing, in the Free Presbyterian Church, Glasgow, on Tuesday, 23rd May, 2000, at 6.30 pm, when the retiring Moderator, the Rev. G. G. Hutton, will conduct public worship.
(Rev.) John MacLeod, Clerk of Synod
The meetings of Synod
ONCE again we remind our people that the ministers and representative elders of the Church are due to meet in annual Synod this month, as intimated above, and that therefore they need to be remembered in prayer. Cases will be dealt with, reports of committees considered, foreign mission work reported on, and many other matters dealt with. The members of Synod are conscious of their need of Divine direction, especially when they have the onerous responsibility of making important and far-reaching decisions. The prayers of the Lords people are therefore requested for the meetings of the supreme court of our Church, that it may be guided aright in all its business and that all may be done to the glory of God, the benefit of precious souls, and the strengthening of the cause of Christ among us and beyond, in this country and abroad.
Meetings of Presbytery
NORTHERN: At Dingwall, on Tuesday, 20th June, at 2 pm.
SOUTHERN: At Glasgow, on Tuesday, 6th June, at 3 pm.
WESTERN: At Laide, on Tuesday, 27th June, at 6 pm.
SKYE: At Portree, on Tuesday, 20th June, at 11 am.
OUTER ISLES: At Stornoway, on Tuesday, 13th June, at 1 pm.
AUSTRALIA & NEW ZEALAND: Auckland, Friday, 2nd June, at 2.30 pm.
ZIMBABWE: At Bulawayo, on Tuesday, 13th June, at 1 pm.
Skye Presbytery letter about Section 28
THE following letter, written by the Rev. J. R. Tallach, Clerk of Presbytery, was sent by the Skye Presbytery of the Church to Mr Donald Dewar, First Minister of the Scottish Parliament, on 20th March, 2000, with regard to the proposal of the Scottish Parliament to repeal Section 28, or Clause 2A, which prevents the promotion of homosexuality in schools.
The Skye Presbytery of the Free Presbyterian Church would respectfully draw your attention to the following points.
1. The Bible characterises homosexuality as unseemly and unnatural, and subject to the condemnation of God.
2. A recent survey of Scottish Schools Boards showed that the vast majority (642 to 90) were against the repeal of Section 28, while more than half (355 to 307) were against the Clause ever being repealed.
3. You are quoted as saying that you will protect our children from any harm that might arise from repeal of Section 28. Mrs Thatcher was also determined to protect the children of London from harm in this area but had to resort to the law (Section 28) in order to curb the predatory activities of that section of the population. With the greatest respect I doubt if you will succeed where Mrs Thatcher failed.
4. The family was established by God as the basic unit of society and its content and structure made clear. Homosexuality is by definition and according to overt statements in their literature, against the traditional, Biblical family. Promotion of their views is therefore de-stabilising, and talk of stable relationships a sad and dangerous contradiction of terms.
5. The alternative arrangements proposed in England, where traditional families are to be equated with stable relationships are bad enough but, if press reports are to be believed, traditional families will not be promoted in Scottish Schools. This is to sow the seeds of moral confusion in young minds, and is an abuse of the trust we place on our political leaders.
You, sir, are the nearest thing to a national father that we have. Do not make national sinning easy in the minds of the rising generation. Consider the children.
Yours respectfully, etc.
Dornoch Communion Season
THE Kirk Session of the Dornoch, Bonar, Lairg, Tain and Fearn Congregation has decided that the Dornoch Communion will be held on the first Sabbath of October, D.V.
(Rev.) D. J. MacDonald
Bracadale and Strath Congregation
THE Kirk Session of Bracadale and Strath Congregation has decided that there will be no communion in the Broadford part of the congregation this year.
(Rev.) G. G. Hutton
Trinitarian Bible Society Annual Meeting
THE work of the Trinitarian Bible Society, which our Church has supported for many years, will be reported on at its 169th annual meeting, which will be held, God willing, at 3.00 pm on Saturday, 10th June, 2000, at Westminster Chapel, London; following which, Mr G. D. Buss, Minister of the Old Baptist Chapel, Chippenham, and Editor of The Friendly Companion, is expected to preach. Refreshments will be served after the meeting.
Home Mission Fund
By appointment of Synod, the first of two Special Collections in the year, on behalf of the Home Mission Fund, is due to be taken in congregations during the month of May, D. V.
R. A. Campbell, General Treasurer
Theological Conference Tapes
TAPE cassettes of the lectures given to the 1999 Theological Conference are available from Mr Duncan Macdonald, 5 Falcon Avenue, Inverness IV2 3TF, (Tel: 01463 241309), priced £1.50 each + p&p; or £7.50 per set + p&p.
The titles and speakers were in this order: Henry Cook Defender of the Faith, by the Rev. G. G. Hutton; Halyburtons “Knowing God”, by the Rev. H. M. Cartwright; The Puritans on the Ministry, by the Rev. D. J. MacDonald; The Grace of Adoption, by the Rev. D. MacLean; and John Knox Scotlands man of the Millennium, by the Rev. D. M. Boyd.
(Rev.) D. M. Boyd
Bookroom e-mail address
PLEASE note that the e-mail address of the F. P. Bookroom is changed from [email protected] .com to [email protected]
Return to Table of Contents for The Free Presbyterian Magazine – May 2000