By the Rev. FINLAY MACLEOD.
THE Convener of the Canadian Mission Committee asked me about the beginning of April last year to go as Deputy to Canada and Detroit for at least nine months. After giving, I hope, prayerful consideration to the matter, I consented to go early in July. My passage was booked, and a passport procured for me by Lieut. Macaskill, Glasgow. I wish here to thank Mr. Macaskill for the help he gave me in arranging with the Anchor-Donaldson Line about my passage, and in securing a Tourist Cabin on the S.S. “Athenia,” which was put at my disposal going to, and coming from, Canada. I sailed by the “Athenia” on the 12th July, and after a most pleasurable passage reached Montreal on the 21st, where I stayed with friends until the 23rd July. On my way to Winnipeg, I broke my journey at Toronto for two days and stayed with Mr. Roderick Campbell and family, visiting the famous Falls of Niagara, and other places of interest in Toronto. I continued my journey to Winnipeg on Thursday evening, arriving there Saturday morning. Mr. William Sinclair met me at the station and brought me to the house of his sister-in-law, Mrs. Allan, where I stayed all the time I was in Winnipeg. Mrs. Allan and family showed me much kindness and so did all our people in Winnipeg. The arrangements before I left were that I should stay at least six weeks in Winnipeg before proceeding to Calgary and Vancouver. During that time I held three services each Sabbath and a prayer meeting during the week. The people, I am glad to report, attended the services well, and seemed interested in the message delivered to them. I held a congregational meeting, a report of which was sent to Rev. N. MacIntyre. Our people there are longing to have constant supply from the Church at home, and I am sure that the Synod will give due consideration to this matter. They have proved true to the Free Presbyterian Church, although they have been put to the test, perhaps, more than any congregation in the Church. Leaving Winnipeg for a time I proceeded to Calgary, arriving there for the 3rd Sabbath of September. Mr. and Mrs. Angus Beaton, with whom I stayed, proved by word and deed, that they were glad to have a minister belonging to the Free Presbyterian Church with them. We met on Sabbath in the large hall of the Library, and had large congregations during the two Sabbaths I was there. In visiting the people, they expressed the hope that they would get the minister visiting Canada for a longer period. At the end of my report I intend to bring before you an arrangement such as would meet to some extent the desire of our people in Calgary.
Leaving Calgary on the morning of Tuesday, 24th September, we got a good view of the Rocky Mountains, which probably are the most wonderful sight Canada presents to a visitor. On reaching Vancouver, Wednesday morning, Mr. Hugh MacKay was waiting for me at the Depot, and took me to the house of Mr. John Robertson, 11th Avenue West, where for eighteen weeks I was made to feel at home by the kindness extended to me by each one of this household. Mr. Hugh MacKay held the services since Rev. James Macleod left at the end of March, and he was happy to see one who would take the burden off him for a time. The first service on Sabbath is in Gaelic, but as a number of our people are English speaking only, we had a short English service after the Gaelic one, and also an English service in the evening. I also held an English and a Gaelic prayer meeting during the week. There were large congregations all the time I was there, and I believe we should do our utmost as a Church to send a minister to them for a much longer period than three or four months. “The harvest is great but the labourers are few, pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest that He would send forth labourers into His harvest.” It was easy, frequently in my experience, to bring before our people in that large city, the things which belong to the Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. A few, there, are sanguinely interested in the gospel; others evidently prove that they only get harder when they hear law and gospel preached to them. During my time there I visited most of our people, and those I could not visit I had the privilege of coming to know after the prayer meetings during the week. They all welcomed me to their homes, and it was a pleasure to visit them. Mr. MacKay and the Committee long to have a minister settled among them, and from my experience, I am sure that they will show all respect to, and sympathy with, a minister called to labour among them. I stayed in Vancouver until the end of January this year. We had, I believe, fellowship together through the gospel, and it was not an easy matter to part after eighteen weeks of such fellowship; but leaving them in the care of the Good Shepherd, and with Mr. MacKay to preach to them, I felt that I could more easily part with them. The tokens of good will given to me by them before leaving I shall always highly appreciate, and would hope that it may be the fruit of love to the gospel of Jesus Christ.
I came to Calgary for the 1st Sabbath of February, and though our congregations were not so large as in September last, yet there were of the salt of the earth among them. I met for the first time Mr. Angus MacKay, Innisfail (formerly of Rogart), who was with us the week-end, and with whom I stayed for two days at Innisfail. I left the friends in Calgary, who made my visit among them a pleasant one, on Tuesday after the 1st Sabbath of February, going to Saskatoon by Innisfail and Red Deer. As I was the first Deputy from our Church to be for a Sabbath in Saskatoon, let me say that I received a letter from one who was a member of our Church in Scotland, but had been in Saskatoon for some years, asking me to come there for a Sabbath. Before leaving Vancouver I found, after inquiry, that I could travel by Saskatoon to Winnipeg for the same fare, therefore I decided to go by that route, staying for the week-end in Saskatoon. Before I arrived a prayer meeting had been arranged to be held on Friday night in the house of Mr. and Mrs. Macaskill, where I stayed, so that they seemed to be so hungry to hear the Word preached, that they could not wait until the Sabbath. The services on Sabbath were held in the hall of the New Library, and the attendance, especially at the Gaelic service, was very encouraging. We had a prayer meeting also on Monday evening. I may state that a Mr. Campbell had been conducting a service in a house every Sabbath for some time before I went there, and he was present at our services and led the praise in English and Gaelic. He still continues to hold a service every Sabbath, and those who seek what they cannot get in the Churches, rejoice in having such a service. The people wished to be visited by our ministers for a longer time if possible, so that the Lord is opening new fields for us. We are poor, and despised as a Church; but having the Lord’s presence, we have the greatest of all treasures.
I arrived in Winnipeg in time for the prayer meeting on the Wednesday before the 3rd Sabbath of February, and stayed there until after the 1st Sabbath of April. Mr. William Sinclair conducted the services since I left in September. He had, through illness to curtail some of the services in January; but I am pleased to state that he was much better before I left in April. It is known, I expect to members of the Synod, that the Free Church began services in Winnipeg shortly after I left there in September. I am glad, however, to report that our people remained faithful to us, except two or three families. One cannot understand what the Free Church expects to gain by setting up opposition services to us either in Scotland or Canada and at the same time trying to show that they are anxious to unite with us. Their conduct, however, manifestly proves how much we are hated by them because we try in the strength of the Lord to show that the things of God are nearer our hearts than the things of men. Let it be said to the credit of our people in Winnipeg that they proved more than once that they would not be moved from the testimony of the Free Presbyterian Church. I was pleased to meet for the first time Mr. Lachlan Ross, who I am glad was able to be present at some of our meetings. During fifteen weeks I tried to set life and death before sinners there, and whatever the effect that it may have had on them, my desire and prayer for them is that they would make choice of life.
As I had arranged to be in Detroit for the last three Sabbaths of April, I left Winnipeg on Tuesday after the 1st Sabbath of April, and reached Detroit the following Friday. I was met on my arrival by Dr. Holdom, staying while there with her sister, Miss MacKenzie. The MacKenzies, as is known to most of our ministers, belonged to Ontario, where their worthy father for many years as a layman preached the unsearchable riches of Christ to perishing men. I was pleased to meet Mrs. R. S. MacKenzie and family, having heard so much about her late godly husband. We had large gatherings at the afternoon and evening services, but the morning service might be better attended. Our people there, as in Canada, showed much kindness to me, and may they be rewarded a hundredfold. I was sorry that I could not go, as expected, for a Sabbath to Rodney, Ontario, as I had booked my passage to Glasgow by the S.S. “Athenia,” sailing on the 2nd day of May. It was arranged, however, that Rev. W. Grant would go for a Sabbath to Rodney. Let me say in conclusion that there are a few in the large city of Detroit, who live a life becoming the gospel of Jesus Christ, and will at last stand in their place without shame before His face. Leaving on Tuesday morning for Toronto, I preached there in the Reformed Presbyterian Church, Wednesday evening, and joined the “Athenia” at Montreal, Friday morning.
The following arrangement I think would go a long way to meet our obligations to our people in Canada (1) that two ministers, or one minister and a student, be sent out yearly; (2) that one Deputy be confined to Vancouver, Calgary, and Saskatoon, giving at least nine months there, and (3) that the other Deputy be sent to Detroit and Winnipeg, for three and six months respectively.
As to the financial part of my report, the various congregations to which I preached paid to the General Treasurer the sum of £58 10s., and, also, paid the rest of my expenses, such as train fare, and supply during my absence.
Let me close the report by acknowledging the Lord’s great goodness to my family and myself during the ten months we were separated, and for bringing me back safely to my congregation and them. It should be an evidence to us of His interest in us, and should make us more willing in the future to do the work to which He may call us.