By REV. R. MACDONALD, M.B., Ch.B.
4010 St. Catherine St.,
Vancouver 10, B.C.
12th July, 1956.
Dear Mr. Sinclair,
I was very pleased to have your letter and to know that you are enjoying a fair measure of health. I trust you have found your visit to the Mission a tonic both physically and spiritually. I have received a letter from Miss Nicolson, and she tells how much they all enjoyed your visit. I can well understand how thrilled both Europeans and Africans would be to have you and Mr. Maclean with them. It is a pity that the harmony of the past has been broken; on the other hand it is remarkable that the great Disturber of the peace of the Church had been restrained for so long. May the Lord continue to bless Ingwenya and Shangani, and may those who have remained faithful find a closer fellowship in the spirit of the Gospel.
I have been remiss in not writing to the Synod. The time passed ere I was aware, but this is no excuse.
The Lord has been good to us here in Vancouver in many ways. The year has passed without any breach or breaking in upon us, and for this we ought to be thankful. One young man passed from among us giving on his death-bed some reason to hope that it was well with him.
The congregation here is ageing. Many who were children when the congregation was formed have married or moved away and there has not been that natural numerical increase that could have been expected. We remain small in numbers. For those members and adherents who do attend, do so with remarkable regularity, and listen to the Word with great attention. More than this I dare not say. It is to be hoped that some at least are hearing to their eternal gain, even if we do not seem to be manifesting much growth outwardly.
We had the Communion on the first Sabbath of August, 1955, and had with us the Rev. A. Murray from Winnipeg, and Tom Macdonald, elder, from Saskatchewan and this was a great uplift for us all. It was Tom’s first visit to Vancouver and this bright and lively Christian made a great impression on all.
I had a letter from Rev. A. Mackay, Inverness, about this time last year asking me to supply Winnipeg for some months in the winter. I laid this letter before the Kirk Session (with which Rev. A. Murray and Mr. Macdonald were associated) pointing out some difficulties I had in complying with Mr. Mackay’s request. Mr. Macdonald volunteered to supply Winnipeg, which in due time he did.
I have here a letter from Dr. Gee, Victoria, Vancouver Island. (He was over in Britain last year and joined the Church in Edinburgh.) When he went to Victoria he thought it might be possible to gather a few people there and hold services, with occasional visits from Vancouver of myself or one of the elders. He finds, however, that there is not much prospect of this, as he says, all that people there are concerned with is sailing and other sports. This is indeed true, and is the situation to be met with everywhere in this country. He says further that he intends to leave Victoria to go to Calgary.
I know how difficult it is to gain favour for our doctrine and mode of worship, how difficult it is even in the case of those brought up in it, in the Old Country, to maintain their interest in it. Mr. Beaton in Calgary has for years virtually pleaded with such Highlanders in that town with little success, and I fear that we might fare little better with newcomers. The spirit that is abroad in this land is blatantly materialistic and pleasure-loving, and many of whom better things might be expected are soon affected by it.
Our people here have heard of the passing of the Rev. F. Macleod with deep regret as he was well-known to and greatly liked by them. Those who are older remember Mr. Donald Matheson who was so long with them in the early days and whose services here were greatly appreciated by them; and they regret his passing. The death of Rev. J. Tallach I feel as a personal loss. I have it on my mind to write something about him which some day might be published, only I feel inadequate to do it.
We hope to have the Communion on the first Sabbath of next month. I might also mention that on Dr. Gee’s return from Britain he had three of his children baptised here.
My wife and children are well. The boys are all now grown, though the younger two still attend school.
Best wishes.
Yours sincerely,
R. MACDONALD.