The late Rev. D. M. MacDonald, Portree
(Tribute by Western Presbytery)
It is with sincere sorrow that the Presbytery records the passing away of the Rev. Donald Malcolm MacDonald, late of Portree, on the 1st day of September 1968, three days before attaining his 86th birthday. Mr MacDonald was received as a student of the Church in August 1903, and was licensed on 24th April 1914. On the same evening he was ordained to labour in the Canadian Mission Field, where he remained for over two years. On 1st August 1916 he was inducted at Bayhead, North Uist, and on 8th July 1919 to Portree, Isle of Skye, where he remained until 30th November 1948, when he resigned his charge owing to ill-health. Until his resignation he acted as Clerk of the Western Presbytery, and for a long number of years he acted as Convener of the Religion and Morals Committee of the Church. The work of this Committee he carried on in a most efficient manner, so that his annual Reports, when read at the Synod, were listened to with breathless interest. Though afflicted with extreme deafness for many years, and thus more dependent on what he read than on what was conveyed to
him otherwise, he had a facile pen and a clear mind, and could convey his thoughts in a very edifying manner. He was of a very bright and peaceable disposition, an excellent conversationalist, and from the fact that his mind dwelt most on spiritual and eternal realities he was very edifying in congenial company.
We take this opportunity of extending to his son, and three daughters and his sons-in-law our sincere sympathy with them in their great loss and sorrow, but would rejoice, and would ask them to rejoice, that their sorrow is not the sorrow of those who have no hope, “For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.” (I Thess. iv. 14).
On behalf of the Presbytery,
John Colquhoun, Clerk.
London Communion Services
The services will be as follows (D.V.):— Thursday, 3rd April, 11 a.m. and 7 p.m.; Friday, 4th April, 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. (Fellowship Meeting); Saturday, 5th April, 3.30 p.m. and 6.30 p.m. (Prayer Meeting); Sabbath, 6th April, 11 a.m. and 6.30 p.m.; Monday, 7th April, 7 p.m.
The weekday services will be held in the Bridewell Hall (London City Mission), Eccleston Place, S.W.1.: and the Sabbath services in St. Michael’s Hall, Eccleston Place (opposite Victoria Coach Station) — Rev. R. R. Sinclair, Wick, and Rev. Alfred MacDonald, M.A., Gairloch, are expected to assist at the Communion (D.V.).
Letter to the Archbishop of Canterbury
20th January 1969.
Dr Ramsay,
Archbishop of Canterbury,
Lambeth Palace,
London, S.E.1.
Dear Sir,
We wish to protest against your intended presence at St. Paul’s Cathedral to welcome Cardinal Heenan, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Westminster, when he arrives there to preach on the evening of January 22nd during the 1969 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. Your presence at the Cathedral on the occasion of the Cardinal’s visit, cannot fail to be interpreted as sanctioning the action of the responsible church authorities in extending such an invitation to the Cardinal.
We deeply regret the many inroads which have already been made on the Protestant witness of the Church of England, and we are further saddened by this renewed departure from that witness. From the Protestant standpoint Cardinal Heenan is a blind
leader of the blind, being still immersed in all the darkness and delusion of the anti-Christian system. In the matter of religious belief he makes no secret where he stands. He stands foursquare with the tenets of the Romish faith. Such doctrines as papal infallibility, the mass, priestly absolution, mariolatry, with all the other Romish heresies, he owns as his avowed beliefs, and assiduously propagates them in this country through the Roman Catholic organisation over which he rules. However true it may be that some of these heresies have been, by art and subtlety, introduced into sections of the Church of England, yet they form no part of the historic Protestant faith of that church.
Deeply concerned for the preservation of the Protestant faith and liberties bequeathed to us through the Reformation, we call on you, Sir, and the leaders of the Church of England to abandon your present perilous ecumenical course as it can only lead to unity at the expense of truth and at the sacrifice of Protestant principles. We urge a return to the true faith of the Gospel, rejection of the blasphemous and anti-Christian doctrines of the Roman Catholic Church, and refusal to recognise as true servants of Jesus Christ any who cordially embrace her hateful dogmas.
On behalf, etc. . . . (Sgd.) D. B. Macleod, Convener.
Reply
22nd January 1969.
Lambeth Palace, S.E.1.
Dear Mr Macleod,
Thank you for your letter. I am well aware of the serious differences between the doctrines of the Roman Catholic Church and those of your own church and mine. I believe however that it is right for Christians to pray together on the strength of those beliefs which they do share, such as the Blessed Trinity and the divinity of Our Lord, and to work together as fellow Christians in spite of their differences.
Yours sincerely,
(Sgd.) Michael Cantuar.
Letter to the Dean of St. Paul’s
20th January 1969.
The Dean of St. Paul’s,
St. Paul’s Deanery,
London, E.C.4.
Dear Sir,
We wish to protest against the action of the Church authorities in St. Paul’s Cathedral in extending an invitation to Cardinal Heenan, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Westminster, to preach in the Cathedral on January 22nd during the 1969 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. This action, we believe, will only serve to beguile the minds of people as to the true nature of the Roman
Catholic system. At the same time it is, we believe, an affront to persons of Protestant convictions, and an undermining of the Protestant character of the Church of England.
We enclose a copy of a letter sent to the Archbishop of Canterbury protesting against his intended presence at the Cathedral on the occasion of the Cardinal’s visit.
On behalf of the Religion and Morals Committee, etc.,
(Sgd.) D. B. Macleod, Convener.
Mbuma Mission Hospital
Miss C. Tallach has intimated to the Committee that she does not intend to return to Rhodesia. Dr James Tallach expects (D.V.) to go to Mbuma in March and with his arrival there will be some expansion to the work in the Hospital. Dr Tallach hopes to open a theatre as soon as possible after his arrival.
There are two vacancies for nurses at Mbuma Hospital and the Committee will be very pleased to hear from nurses belonging to the Church who feel they would like to serve Christ in the Mission Field in Rhodesia.
Applicants should get in touch with the Clerk of this Committee as soon as possible. — (Rev.) Donald MacLean, Clerk to the Jewish and Foreign Mission Committee, 13 Kingsborough Gardens, Glasgow, W.2.