THE Synod met this year in the Free Presbyterian Church, at Inverness, on Tuesday, the 19th day of May, at 6.30 p.m. After divine worship, conducted by the retiring Moderator, the Rev. D. A. Macfarlane, who preached from Ps. cvii., 1-2, “O give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good; for His mercy endureth forever. Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom He hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy,” the Synod was constituted. The following members of Synod were present:—
Western Presbytery.—Revs. D. N. Macleod, D. M. Macdonald, M. Morrison, James Macleod, Malcolm Gillies, Roderick Mackenzie, ministers; with Messrs John Macdonald, Donald Mackenzie, Finlay Macdonald, Duncan Matheson, elders.
Southern Presbytery. — Revs. Neil Cameron, Neil Macintyre, D. A. Macfarlane (Moderator), ministers; with Messrs Donald Macrae and James Mackay, elders.
Northern Presbytery.—Revs. D. Macfarlane, E. Macqueen, D. Beaton (Clerk), ministers; with Messrs James Campbell, Kenneth Maciver, Malcolm Fraser, elders.
There was also a large gathering of the public. The roll having been called, apologies were read from absent members. The minutes of last sederunt were read and approved of. Mr John Ross was appointed officer of Court and agreed to undertake the duties.
At this stage the Moderator intimated that his term of office had now come to an end, and he thanked the Synod for their kind forbearance to him during his term of office. It was now the duty, he said, for the Synod to appoint his successor.
The Rev. Ewen Macqueen moved and the Rev. D. Macfarlane seconded that the Rev. Neil Macintyre be appointed Moderator for the ensuing year. Mr Macintyre thanked the Synod for the honour conferred upon him, and then took the chair
The Synod appointed the following members to examine the Presbytery records and to report at a later sederunt; Rev. Malcolm Gillies and Mr D. Mackenzie to examine the records of the Southern Presbytery; Rev. N. Macintyre and Mr D. Macrae to examine Northern; Rev. Ewen Macqueen and Mr K. Maciver to examine Western.
The Rev. Neil Cameron, as Clerk of the Southern Presbytery, intimated that two of our students—Messrs Grant and Macdonald—had finished their theological classes, and that, after having passed their final theological examinations, they would be taken on trials for licence.
It was decided that the members of the Synod meet as a Business Committee and as a Committee on Bills and Overtures on Wednesday in the Free Presbyterian Manse at 11 a.m., and that the next sederunt meet (D.V.) in the Church on the same day at 5 p.m. The meeting was then closed with prayer.