Communions
January—Fourth Sabbath, Inverness. February—First Sabbath, Dingwall; third, Stornoway; fourth, North Uist, Kyle of Lochalsh. March—First Sabbath, Ullapool; second, Ness, Portree and Tarbert; third, Finsbay, Lochinver; fourth, Kinlochbervie; fifth, London and North Tolsta. April—First Sabbath, Brasclete, Portnalong, Fort-William and Stoer; third, Greenock; fourth, Glasgow, Wick. May—First Sabbath, Kames and Oban; second, Scourie; third, Edinburgh and Broadford. June—First Sabbath, Applecross; second, Shieldaig; third, Lochcarron, Glendale, Helmsdale, Dornoch and Uig; fourth, Gairloch and Inverness. July—First Sabbath, Lairg, Raasay and Bealy; second, Staffin, Tomatin and Tain; third, Halkirk, Rogart, Flashadder and Daviot; fourth, Achmore, Bracadale, North Uist and Plockton. August—First Sabbath, Dingwall; second, Portree and Stratherrick; third, Bonar, Finsbay and Laide; fourth, Thurso, Vatten; fifth, Stornoway. September—First Sabbath, Ullapool, Breascleate; second, Strathy; third, Tarbert, Stoer and Vancouver (Canada); fourth, Applecross. October—First Sabbath, Tolsta, Lochcarron, Fort-William; second, Gairloch and Ness; third, Halkirk; fourth, Greenock, Lochinver and Wick. November—First Sabbath, Oban and Raasay; second, Glasgow; third, Edinburgh, Dornoch, Staffin and Uig. December—First Sabbath, London.
The New Year
The unchangeableness of the divine Saviour of Sinners and Head of the Church, is one of the great and comforting truths of the Gospel to the Lord’s people in the midst of all their experiences and as they look to future days, not knowing what may befall them. “Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, to-day and for ever,” is He to whom they can turn in every time of need. May our believing readers be helped to derive encouragement from this precious truth at the outset of the year, 1965. May they and we be abundantly favoured with a large measure of the Spirit of prayer for those in our congregations at Home, in Canada, U.S.A., New Zealand, Australia and Rhodesia, who are without Christ and without hope in the World; that during this year 1965, the fruit of the Holy Spirit’s work may be seen in precious souls seeking Christ Jesus in the means of grace and true believers being added to the Church everywhere. And 1965 will be another year of difficulty for our Congregations without Pastors. May such be enabled to wait prayerfully and patiently upon the Lord in the public means of grace which they have. And for any of our readers in distress and affliction, we trust the strong consolations which are in Christ Jesus may be made real and precious. “So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.” (Ps. 90: 12).
An Explanation
In October, 1964, issue of The Free Presbyterian Magazine an article appeared on “Creed and Practice of the Church in Scotland.” In it there was quoted the following Notice from The Oban Times of 2nd July, 1964, viz.: “A Thanksgiving Service will be held on Sunday afternoon at 3 p.m., which will be conducted by Rev. Donald MacKenzie, Oban Free High Church, assisted by Rev. D. MacNeill, Oban Baptist Church. Items of praise will be rendered by the Choir of Christ’s Church, Dunollie, and addresses will be given by Sir William Duthie, and Rev. Robin D. Buchanan-Smith, Christ’s Church, Dunollie.” Observations were made on the basis of this public Notice. But Rev. Donald MacKenzie, Oban Free High Church, has written us stating that he was not present at the service mentioned in the aforesaid Notice in The Oban Times. Therefore observations made do not apply to him.
Ordination and Induction of Rev. Fraser Tallach, M.A.
The Northern Presbytery met in the Inverness Church in an adjourned meeting on the evening of Tuesday, 17th November, 1964, to carry out the Ordination and Induction of Mr Fraser Tallach, M.A., at the request of the Dominions & Colonial Committee in view of the early departure of Mr Tallach for Canada, to labour among our Canadian congregations, particularly at Winnipeg. At an earlier meeting arrangements were made for the service, and the Moderator, Rev. Alex. MacPherson, Dornoch, presided when the evening meeting opened at 7.30 in the Inverness Church, a large gathering of the people attending.
The Edict, duly signed and witnessed was returned, and the Moderator called upon Rev. R. R. Sinclair, to preach the Ordination and Induction sermon. Mr Sinclair chose as his text the words following the great commission, given by Christ to his disciples in Mark xvi, v. 20: “And they went forth everywhere, and preached, the Lord working with them and confirming the word with signs following. Amen,” dwelling particularly in his address upon the character of the servants thus sent forth; the chief work they were called to engage in; and the encouragement and divine assistance they were warranted in expecting to make their work a success.
The sermon being over, the clerk moved that Revs. D. Campbell, Edinburgh, A. MacKay, Tarbert, Harris and A. Murray, Applecross, who were present be associated with the Presbytery which was approved by the court. He then proceeded to give a brief narrative of the steps leading up to the evening’s service, and the Moderator then called upon Mr Tallach to stand when the usual questions were put to him and were satisfactorily answered. Thereafter, Mr Tallach signed the Formula. Mr Tallach then kneeled and the Moderator with imposition of hands in which he was joined by the ministerial members present, ordained him with solemn prayer to the office of the ministry, and in the name of the Presbytery and by authority of the Great Head of the Church inducted him to labour among our congregations in Canada. The right hand of fellowship was then given to Mr Tallach by the members present, and the Moderator addressed Mr Tallach on the duties of the ministerial office.
The clerk was then called upon by the Moderator to speak and in doing so referred to the conditions likely to face Mr Tallach in Winnipeg, and the encouragements he might nevertheless find in labouring among friendly and hospitable people of our congregation. Rev. D. Campbell, as Convener of the Dominions & Colonial Committee, then spoke thanking the Presbytery for carrying out the service of Ordination and Induction. Revs. A. MacKay and A. Murray also associated themselves with the remarks made, spoke of the pleasure it gave them to be present, and expressed the hope that Mr Tallach, who in opening his ministry among our Canadian people would be welcomed by our families, who still recall the visit of the late Rev. J. A. Tallach, who spent the first 2 years of his ministry in Winnipeg, and they hoped that Mr Tallach would be blessed in his labours in Canada. The Moderator concluded the service with singing some verses of Psalm lxxviii, the intimation of next meeting of Presbytery and the benediction.
Rev. Fraser Tallach left by plane from Prestwick on the afternoon of Friday, 27th November and we are glad to learn of his safe arrival and that he conducted the services on the Sabbath in the new church at Winnipeg. The Lord abundantly bless his services among our people and may our Canadian Cause be strengthened and prosper as a result.
A. F. M., Pres. Clerk.
Fifty Years in the Ministry
The month of August, 1964, saw the completion of 50 years’ continuous service in the ministry of the Gospel by the worthy and esteemed pastor of our Dingwall congregation, the Rev. D. A. MacFarlane, M.A. The Northern Presbytery at its meeting at Inverness on Tuesday, 17th November, 1964, decided to recognise the occasion by placing on record a Tribute which the Presbytery adopted. Mr MacFarlane expressed himself as deeply touched by the Tribute and wished that no publicity be given to it. But this was left to the discretion of the Presbytery.—A.F.M., Clerk.
TRIBUTE
“In August of this present year the senior ministerial member of this Court, Rev. Don. A. MacFarlane, the beloved minister of our Dingwall congregation, completed the long period of 50 years’ unbroken service in the ministry of the Free Presbyterian Church. This remarkable occasion, the Presbytery feel, should not be allowed to pass without being marked by some acknowledgment of the Lord’s goodness to the Church in sparing His servant throughout this long period of his ministry, and also of the valuable services he was able during these years to give the Church. In particular, the Presbytery feel that it falls to them to make some fitting mention of Mr MacFarlane’s ministry in the Church, especially as, apart from some 8 years spent in the South as minister of our Oban congregation, for the whole of his ministerial life, devoted to the Cause of the Redeemer, he was a member of the Northern Presbytery. Ordained and inducted to the large and widely scattered congregation, which in those days embraced Creich, Lairg, Rogart and Dornoch, by the Northern Presbytery in August, 1914, Mr MacFarlane laboured in this exacting and difficult field till his removal to Oban in June 1922. He returned to the North in May 1930, to succeed his name-sake of revered memory, the Late Rev. D. MacFarlane, the founding father of the Free Presbyterian Church, as minister of the Dingwall congregation, and to rejoin his former brethren of the Northern Presbytery. Mr MacFarlane has continued to the present day to uphold the banner of the Gospel which the Great Head of the Church has entrusted to those who fear Him, it being the work in which his soul most delights, to proclaim the whole counsel of God, as defined in the body of doctrines of the great Reformation document, the Westminster Confession of Faith. The Court takes this opportunity of extending to our beloved brother minister our sincere good wishes that he may be long spared to the Church on earth, and that he be granted strength and grace to continue to discharge the duties of his office with the same loving fidelity, zeal and humility which have accompanied his ministry for so long among us. His walk and conversation have exemplified the doctrines of the Redeemer he preached; ‘Be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity’—1 Tim. iv, v. 12; his pulpit services have been a well of consolation to the grieved and afflicted in spirit; and his sage and weighty counsels have made him an invaluable member of this court. We greatly regret that impaired health has of late years greatly curtailed his activities outside and to some extent inside his own congregation as well. The Lord be his strength in time of trouble, and supply his every need out of His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”
New Church Library
Rev. Donald MacLean, Glasgow, reports that the New Library has now reached the stage of having the walls and roof complete. Considerable difficulty was experienced in getting a contractor to undertake the project at a price thought to be reasonable. At one time it appeared as though the whole idea would need to be abandoned because of high cost. By a most remarkable turn of providence, in which the hand of the Lord was clearly seen, a contractor came forward to undertake most of the work. According to the present calculations, the cost of the Library will be in the region of £3,250. The sum contributed at the present date is about £1,300 leaving an outstanding balance of £1,950. We hope that interested friends will do their utmost to support the building of a Library in which the Church books can be stored and be available for distribution and where the classes in the General Arts Course run by the Church can be held. Contributions should be sent to the General Treasurer, Mr W. Fraser, 20 Daleview Avenue, Glasgow W.2. and marked “Library Fund.”