This General Assembly met also on Tuesday, 20th May, 1958, and Rev. W. R. MacKay, B.Sc., of Kingussie, was appointed the new Moderator.
FINANCE.
The Convener of the Finance and Law and Advisory Committee reported an increase in income of 7 per cent, which was mainly in the Sustentation Fund. He pointed out that those who preach the gospel should live by the gospel. Their ministers and professors were not sufficiently paid, he said. Their aim was a ministerial stipend at present of £520.
A Special Committee reported on the finances of the College which appeared to be in a serious state. The Convener of this Committee, Major W. MacKay, would like to see the professors paid more. Plans for augmenting the College Fund were proposed and agreed to. But before this was done, Professor Finlayson reminded the Assembly that when the last appointment of a Professor was made, he had pointed out the inability of the College finances to maintain a full staff. Mr. John Munro, Inverness, said that he felt that the College was now over-staffed. Professor Renwick felt apprehensive about doing away with the College dinners as an economy measure.
Undoubtedly an organised College with its own staff is an expensive adjunct to any Church today. Yet with students few in number, one professor could surely manage to teach in two subjects in certain cases. But when professors are appointed who is to stand down to reduce the number to save money in the College?
EVANGELISM.
It was reported from the Committee on Evangelism that fruitless efforts were put forth to obtain a full-time evangelist. Rev. J. M. MacLeod, Leith, agreed to serve in this capacity for a year. Mr. Fergus MacDonald, M.A., representing the Highways and Byways Mission, said great numbers of people were ignorant even of the historical facts of the gospel.
We interpose here to suggest that one essential way by which this can be remedied is by putting a Bible into the hands of these people; and then who is to make them read and study it? This is the land of the Bible, so-called, Bibles are cheap, Bibles are lying in many homes unopened. Yet therein are the historical facts of the gospel to be obtained. We are neither fatalistic nor hyper-Calvanistic, yet it will take nothing but the power of God to bring the minds of this irreligious generation back to the Bible and the gospel. Where the gospel is at the door of multitudes from Sabbath to Sabbath and week to week, it is but the few, the very few, relatively, who trouble themselves to give their ear to it; and some of the absentees are those receiving personal pastoral supervision. The power accompanying Whitefield and later Brownlow North in their evangelism is what is needed and to be prayed for.
A DAY OF HUMILIATION AND PRAYER.
The Caithness Presbytery in overturing the Assembly to appoint such a day, gave a needful lead to the Assembly in view of the deplorable state of affairs, morally and religiously, in the nation.
VISIT OF THE LORD HIGH COMMISSIONER.
The Duke of Hamilton, representing Her Majesty, the Queen, paid the customary visit to the Free Church Assembly, and was received in the usual manner. The Duke referred to the Free Church and the Church of Scotland as having the same Mother Church of their Reformed Faith. But where is the Reformed Faith in the Church of Scotland today? It is practically non-existent.
The Free Church Moderator thanked the Duke for his message. And, by the way, the Bishop of Bombay accompanied the Lord High Commissioner to the Free Church Assembly.
MINISTER’S APPLICATION FOR ADMISSION.
Quite a discussion arose over the application for admission to the Free Church by Rev. Kenneth N. Taylor. This came up by Petition from the Presbytery of Lorn. Mr. Taylor, although not a Scotsman, studied as a student in the Free Church College, Edinburgh, and then was connected with the Methodist Church, south of the border, and apparently returned to supply the Free Church congregation of Ardnamurchan, Argyll.
Rev. Alex. Ross, D.D., said that the applicant was, to his personal knowledge, an attractive personality, an ardent Christian and a diligent student. Others in the Assembly spoke after a similar manner, taking up other points in his favour. But the opposition was strong, seemingly lead by Rev. William MacLeod, M.A., Dornoch and Principal Clerk of Assembly, who moved that the Assembly, not being satisfied with the suitability of Mr. Taylor for the Free Church ministry, dismiss the application.
Before we go further, we would suggest that Rev. William MacLeod, Dornoch, puts a difference between the Free Church ministry and the Free Church pulpit. Rev. Mr. MacLeod has had in his own pulpit, the Church of Scotland minister of the Canongate, Edinburgh, when the minister from the Canongate was called the “Radio Padre,” during the war. More recently he had in his pulpit at Dornoch, Rev. Dr. Leslie Hope, of Renfield Street Church of Scotland, Glasgow. By saying this we are not supporting the action ultimately taken by the Assembly, on a narrow majority, in admitting Mr. Taylor into the Free Church as a minister. But what we are surprised at is that there was any opposition at all to his admission.
Rev. Kenneth MacKay, Perth, touched a point most relevant to the situation obtaining in the Free Church, when he observed: “If they accepted Rev. William MacLeod’s amendment, no one could go out on supply for the Free Church unless he was considered to be fit for the ministry of the Free Church; this was the logical conclusion.” In other words, we understand Mr. MacKay, Perth, to mean that there are men, maybe ministers, who are not Free Churchmen and who are preaching as supply in the pulpits of the Free Church, if and when needed and invited to do so. Inconsistency will frequently bring division and trouble sooner or later.
Mr. Taylor enters the Free Church with practically the half of the May, 1958, Assembly opposed to him. Not a very happy entry.
THE MODERATOR’S CLOSING ADDRESS.
Rev. W. R. MacKay, B.Sc., Moderator, delivered his closing address at the end of a shorter Assembly than usual, according to pre-arranged changes in the order of meetings. He dealt with the problem of Juvenile Delinquency, Marital Unfaithfulness, Industrial Relationship, a Place of Responsibility for the Church, the Church to be a Witnessing Church and the fact that the Church must speak with a Voice of Authority.
In his concluding observations he asked: “Who is sufficient for these things?” This is a pertinent and great question.