Communions.
January—Fifth Sabbath, Inverness. February—First Sabbath, Dingwall; third, Stornoway; fourth, North Uist. March—First Sabbath, Ullapool; second, Ness and Portree; third, Finsbay; fourth, Kinlochbervie and North Tolsta. April—First Sabbath, London, Portnalong, Achmore and Stoer; second, Fort William; third, Greenock; fourth, Glasgow; and fifth, Wick. May—First Sabbath, Kames and Oban; second, Scourie and Broadford; third, Edinburgh. June—First Sabbath, Tarbert, Applecross, Coigach; second, Shieldaig; third, Lochcarron, Glendale, Helmsdale, Dornoch and Uig; fourth, Inverness and Gairloch. July—First Sabbath, Lairg, Raasay and Beauly; second, Staffin, Tomatin and Tain; third, Halkirk, Rogart, Clashadder and Daviot; fourth, Bracadale, North Uist and Plockton; fifth, Achmore and Thurso. August—First Sabbath, Dingwall and Vancouver (Canada); second, Portree and Stratherrick; third, Bonar, Finsbay and Laide; fourth, Vatten and Stornoway. September—First Sabbath, Ullapool and Breasclete; second, Strathy; third, Tarbert and Stoer. October—First Sabbath, Tolsta and Lochcarron; second, Gairloch and Ness; third, Applecross; fourth, Greenock, Lochinver and Wick. November—First Sabbath, Oban and Raasay; second, Glasgow and Halkirk; third, Edinburgh, Dornoch and Uig. December—First Sabbath, London.
Special Notice.
We have published above all the Communion dates for the year 1956. Will ministers kindly check the list and forward a note of omissions or corrections to the Editor.
London Communion Services.
Sabbath, 1st April, 1956. At Eccleston Hall, Eccleston Street, Buckingham Palace Road, S.W.1. The following services have been arranged, to be conducted by Rev. D. J. Matheson, Glasgow, and Rev. D. M. MacLeod, Lairg (D.V.):—Thursday, 29th March, 7 p.m. Friday, 3.30 p.m. (Gaelic); 7 p.m. (Fellowship Meeting). Saturday, 3.30 p.m. and 6.30 p.m. (Prayer Meeting). Sabbath, 11 a.m., 3.30 p.m. (Gaelic), Upstairs Hall and English (Downstairs Hall), and 7 p.m. Monday, 3.30 p.m. (Gaelic) and 7 p.m. Services are held every Sabbath at 11 a.m., 3.45 p.m. (Gaelic), and 7 p.m. Weekly Prayer Meeting, Wednesday, 7 p.m.
Church Deputies to African Mission.
Rev. R. R. Sinclair, Clerk of Synod, and Rev. D. MacLean, Assistant Clerk, having been appointed by the Synod, in May, 1955, to visit the Church’s mission stations in Southern Rhodesia, Africa, have arranged, the Lord willing, to sail for Africa on Thursday, the 26th January, 1956, in the Union Castle liner the “Pretoria Castle.” These deputies have need of the prayers of the Lord’s people, that the Keeper of Israel would surround them in their travels with His divine and almighty care; and that He would guide and direct them during their sojourn in Africa, and make their visitation there a blessing. They intend (D.V.) to return to this country by the middle of April.
Magazine Business during Editor’s Absence.
As the Editor of the Free Presbyterian Magazine expects (D.V.) to be away from 26th January until the 20th April, 1956, all correspondence and articles for the Editor should be sent to Rev. James A. Tallach, Free Presbyterian Manse, James Street, Stornoway, Isle of Lewis, during the above period.
Synod Business during Clerk’s Absence.
The Clerk of Synod, Rev. R. R. Sinclair, Wick, expects (D.V.) to be abroad from 26th January until the 20th April, 1956, and hopes on his return to prepare business for the Synod meeting in May, if well. But during his absence the Rev. A. F. MacKay, M.A., Free Presbyterian Manse, 11 Auldeastle Road, Inverness, will receive and deal with any correspondence or business requiring attention.
Reports of Standing Committees.
The Synod decided at its meeting last May to return to the former practice of having Reports of all Standing Committees of the Church printed and sent out with Notice and Agenda of Synod Business to members. This means that Reports of Standing Committees should be in the hands of the Synod Clerk at the latest by the end of March. In the absence of the Synod Clerks in Southern Rhodesia, where they are on a visit to the foreign field, will Conveners of Standing Committees please forward their Reports to me not later than, it is again emphasised, the last week of March?—A. F. MACKAY, Clerk p.t.
Induction at Finsbay, Harris.
A large concourse of people gathered in the Church at Finsbay to witness the induction of the Rev. A. Cattanach, M.A. The large Church was comfortably filled, many coming from Lewis to swell the congregation. After the usual preliminaries on such an occasion the Rev. A. MacKay, Tarbert, conducted the service and preached a suitable sermon on II Tim. iv. 2: “Preach the Word: be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long-suffering and doctrine.”
(1) Two qualifications essential to all preachers:—(a) The effectual call of the Holy Spirit; (b) A personal call from the Lord to the ministry. (2) The commission given to Timothy—Preach the Word. (3) The manner in which he was to preach the word—earnestly. (4) Other duties—reprove, rebuke, exhort.
The sermon being finished, the usual questions were put to Mr. Cattanach and suitably answered, and the formula was signed.
Rev. W. MacLean, Ness, then addressed the newly inducted minister in suitable terms, basing his remarks on the words in II Chron. xxxi. 20-21. In the light of the context he outlined the factors which contributed to the success and prosperity with which the Lord favoured Hezekiah. It was furthermore emphasised to the young minister that he must strive to keep the purity of worship in the Free Presbyterian Church by reminding the people of the evils of the Declaratory Act.
The Rev. J. A. Tallach, in addressing the congregation, reminded them that they as a people needed more than a minister. The Holy Spirit was needed, and for that blessing they should earnestly pray. He also remarked that it was the duty of all who had called Mr. Cattanach to attend regularly and prayerfully on his ministry.
We pray that the Lord may richly bless and keep the new pastor of the South Harris congregation. The call was signed by 507 names.
B.B.C.’s “Pernicious” Teaching.
A protest against “pernicious and anti-scriptural teaching” of children by the B.B.C. has been sent to the B.B.C. and to the Postmaster General by the Outer Isles Presbytery of the Free Presbyterian Church. The message was prepared while the Presbytery was convened at Finsbay, Harris, at a recent induction. It says:—
“We, the Outer Isles Presbytery of the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland emphatically protest against a pernicious and anti-scriptural teaching propagated to schools by the B.B.C. in their talks on “How Things Began.” We resent with the strongest feelings of righteous indignation the poisoning of the minds of the beloved youth of our land with evolutionary fables. Such preposterous assumptions we utterly repudiate. They undermine the very foundations of the Christian Faith and lead to infidelity, atheism and Communism.
“We could name a list of noted scientists of international reputation in this country and abroad who reject the Theory of Organic Evolution in toto. Suffice it for our present purpose to quote the words of the late Sir Ambrose Fleming, M.A., D.Sc., F.R.S.: ‘At present we can say that although a number cling tenaciously to it as it enables them to dispense with any idea of special creation and although it has still a widespread popular vogue, yet many experts of high rank consider it to be invalid and no longer adhere to it.’ Sir Ambrose concluded this address with the words: ‘Experience shows that the only message which is effectual is the old yet ever new Gospel of the grace of God.’
“We respectfully request that the propagating of falsehood in the name of truth be immediately banned.”
Sabbath Work at Dounreay.
At a recent meeting of the Northern Presbytery a report from the Rev. R. R. Sinclair was read. According to the report large numbers of men are employed at the Atomic Power Station, Dounreay, every Lord’s Day. These include men resident on the station as well as others taken to and from their work by bus from different parts of the county. In the course of the report the following quotation from a letter of 23rd June, 1954, from the former Minister of Works, Sir David Eccles, anent this question to the Clerk of Synod is given, viz., Inter alia, “The need for continuity and economy on big building operations may well make it necessary to have recourse to Sunday work—perhaps only by a few men—at certain times. You may, however, be sure that the Department will proceed prudently in this matter and that the considerations you mention will be clearly borne in mind in planning the work.”
The Presbytery therefore resolve to protest, and do herewith protest, to the Minister of Works and to the Atomic Energy Commission against this extensive and continual employment of labour on work of
an unnecessary nature on the Lord’s Day during normal peace-time conditions, which in the view of the Presbytery is a flagrant breach of the divine Law, relative to the Fourth Commandment; and also out of harmony with the terms of Sir David Eccles’ letter; and which work is also condemned by sections of the community on account of the financial outlay in higher wages paid for work done on the Lord’s Day, taxpayers’ money being involved; and which work has been publicly criticised by other Churches and the County Council of Caithness.
Copies of the above protest were sent to the Minister of Works, the Secretary of State for Scotland, and Sir David Robertson, M.P. for Caithness and Sutherland.
Foreign Mission, Shangani.
At Mbuma, where Rev. J. Fraser and Miss MacAulay are labouring, there is a large tract of land under cultivation. The produce helps to feed the scholars while the work is of an instructional nature very necessary among an agricultural people. November is the usual month for sowing. The result depends very much upon the rainfall. In contrast to the previous year, the November of 1955 was very dry, and the results are consequently not very promising. Without timely showers the seed sown simply rots in the ground and great hardship may result. The gardens directly connected with the school, and worked by the scholars under supervision, are not so dependent on rain water. There is a bore-hole (well), the property of the Mission, in this case 300 feet deep, where there is an abundant supply of water. The water is raised to the surface by a pump and engine. In all there are 117 plots, each 12 feet by 4 feet (the most convenient size for watering), and each student is responsible for the cultivation of three of these. Because water is plentiful there is usually a fine show of vegetables when in season—tomatoes, onions, carrots, cabbage, beans and spinach.
On December the 7th the schools closed, and on the night previous all met together to bid farewell to the students who had finished the Teacher Training Course and were going out to take up appointments in various places. As this was the first batch of teachers trained by Mr. Fraser under the auspices of the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland, the occasion, we are sure, was quite a memorable one. In a letter dated 12th December, 1955, Mr. Fraser writes, “May the Lord uphold them and keep them in the many temptations with which they will be beset. They need our prayers.”
Mr. Fraser is to be congratulated on the successful completion of the first two years’ course, and we hope and pray that these young teachers may not only be kept themselves, but may prove under the blessing of God an influence for good among their fellows wherever they go.