Communions.
January—Fourth Sabbath, Inverness. February—First Sabbath, Dingwall, third, Stornoway; fourth, North Uist. March—First Sabbath, Ullapool; second, Ness and Portree; third, Finsbay and Lochinver; fourth, Kinlochbervie; fifth, London and North Tolsta. April—First Sabbath, Breasclete, Portnalong and Fort William; third, Greenock; fourth, Glasgow and Wick. May—First Sabbath, Kames and Oban; second, Scourie; third, Edinburgh and Broadford. June—First Sabbath, Tarbert, Applecross, Coigach; second, Shieldaig; third, Lochcarron, Glendale, Helmsdale, Dornoch and Uig; fourth, Gairloch and Inverness. July—First Sabbath, Lairg, Raasay and Beauly; second, Staffin, Tomatin and Tain; third, Halkirk, Rogart, Flashadder and Daviot; fourth, Achmore, Bracadale, North Uist and Plockton. August—First Sabbath, Dingwall and Vancouver (Canada); second, Portree and Stratherrick; third, Bonar, Finsbay and Laide; fourth, Vatten and Thurso; fifth, Stornoway. September—First Sabbath, Ullapool and Breasclete; second, Strathy; third, Tarbert and Stoer; fourth, Applecross. October—First Sabbath, Tolsta and Lochcarron; second, Gairloch and Ness; 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.—All changes in Communion dates for year 1959, should be sent AT ONCE to the Editor, that the above List may be corrected. This will save inconvenience later on.—Editor.
The late issue of Magazines.
As our readers at home will know, this issue of the Magazine—July— has been held up by the printers’ strike throughout the Nation. It is also likely that August Magazines and Synod Proceedings will be late in coming out. We regret these delays.
Mr. Alfred E. MacDonald, Student, to be ordained.
At the recent meeting of Synod, the Outer Isles Presbytery petitioned the Synod to take into consideration the question of ordaining Mr. Alfred MacDonald, M.A., Divinity Student, prior to his proposed departure to Rhodesia to labour in the Mission field there for a period. The Synod granted the crave of the Petition and gave permission to the Presbytery to take the necessary steps to ordain Mr. MacDonald before going abroad.
This new arrangement has, of necessity, altered the original proposal of the Committee and, accordingly, the date of Mr. MacDonald’s sailing has been altered. Mr. MacDonald is at present completing the following subjects in Divinity with Rev. M. MacSween, M.A., Tutor in Oban:—Pastoral Theology; Church Law; and the Confession of Faith. It is expected (DV) that Mr. MacDonald will be ready to sail about the beginning of August and he will remain in Rhodesia until the end of 1961.
The Committee are very much indebted to Mr. MacDonald for his willingness to step in and help in the difficult circumstances which have arisen due to the lamented death of the late Rev. J. S. Fraser.
Mr. MacDonald, himself, is a fully-trained and experienced teacher and his going out to the Mission will be a great encouragement to our staff there who are being very much over-worked as they do their utmost to serve the needs of the Africans. We would ask the Lord’s people to remember Mr. MacDonald at the Throne of Grace so that he would not only complete his journey in safety but that his going to the Mission would prove a blessing to all concerned.—Donald MacLean, Clerk to the Jewish and Foreign Mission Committee.
Outer Isles Presbytery and Collecting Cards.
The Outer Isles Presbytery met in Stornoway on Tuesday 21st April 1959, and passed the following motion:—
It has become a practice with some congregations in need of funds to send collecting cards to private individuals belonging to other congregations, for the purpose of obtaining help, while the generosity of all who contribute in this way is greatly appreciated, yet the Outer Isles Presbytery wish to point out that this practice is not strictly in order. No collection should be made in any congregation, without the prior knowledge of the Deacons Court of that congregation, and with the consent of this court. The Court desired that this notice should be inserted in the columns of the magazine.
—Fraser Macdonald, Clerk.
Day of Prayer.
Will Ministers and Missionaries at home, and congregations abroad take note of the following Notice from the Synod of MAY, 1959, viz:—
“That a day of Humiliation and Prayer be observed on the 14th or 15th October, 1959, because of the serious state of affairs internationally and the widespread moral and religious backsliding within our nation.”—Robert R. Sinclair, Clerk of Synod.