Induction at Staffin
On 26th August, 1969, the Western Presbytery met in Staffin Church for the purpose of ordaining and inducting Mr John MacDonald, Preacher of the Gospel, to the pastoral charge. The Church was full, almost to capacity, friends having gathered from all parts of Skye and some were there from the mainland and from the Outer Islands. Rev. Malcolm MacInnes, M.A., Moderator of Presbytery, preached from Acts x. 33 (last part of the verse). Public worship being ended, the usual Questions were put to Mr MacDonald, and he, having satisfactorily answered the same, and having signed the Formula in presence of the Congregation, was solemnly ordained and inducted to the pastoral charge and given the right hand of fellowship by the members of Presbytery and other ministers who were associated with the Presbytery. There was a touch of sadness in the proceedings at the recollection of the first pastor of the Staffin Congregation, Rev. John Martin, whose savoury ministry which began on 13th September, 1960, came suddenly to an end on 25th December, 1964, after he had gained the affections of his congregation and the respect of outsiders. May the ministry now begun be fruitful through the blessing of the Lord, and may many souls be given to Mr MacDonald for his hire.
J. COLQUHOUN (Clerk).
Kirk-Session and Deacons’ Court Records
The above Congregational Records are to be forwarded to Clerks of respective Presbyteries by January, 1970, with a view to their being examined.
ROBERT R. SINCLAIR, Clerk of Synod.
Congregational Financial Statements
Treasurers of Congregations are to forward their Financial Statements for year ended 31st December, 1969, to Clerks of respective Presbyteries, by January, 1970, or as soon as possible thereafter, with a view to their being examined. No copy is to be sent to General Treasurer, Glasgow.
ROBERT R. SINCLAIR, Clerk of Synod.
Meeting with Dutch Mbuma Mission Committee
Some time ago it was agreed that members of the Church’s Foreign Mission Committee should occasionally meet with the members of the Dutch Mbuma Mission Committee to discuss matters of common interest relative to the large sums of money being sent to Rhodesia for our Mission there by our Dutch friends. Such a meeting was held in London earlier this year.
At the request of the Dutch Committee, the Church’s Foreign Mission Committee appointed Rev. Robert R. Sinclair and Rev. Donald MacLean to visit Holland on the 14th October, 1969. We went by air from Glasgow via Newcastle to Amsterdam on the morning of the 14th October, and arrived about noon. Mr C. van Waveren, the secretary of the Mbuma Mission Committee and another member of that Committee met us and took us by car to the above Committee member’s farmhouse some distance outside Amsterdam, where other members of the Mbuma Committee were awaiting us. We were most kindly entertained to a meal by our hostess; and thereafter we sat down to business following upon prayer. The president, secretary and treasurer, with other three members of the Mbuma Committee were present.
We were informed of the large sums of money being sent from Holland to our Mission, amounting this year to £23,000. We were told that there are groups of Christian friends now interested in collecting for the Mission in different parts of Holland. It was stated that there appears a definite increase in the interest of friends in Holland in the Mission in Rhodesia and that donations have increased also. A number of practical points were raised and discussed; this occupying most of the time at our disposal.
We from Scotland, at the close of the meeting, expressed the deep appreciation and gratitude of the Free Presbyterian Church for the large and generous support being given to the Cause of Christ in Rhodesia. We also expressed the sense which we felt of spiritual and warm fellowship with our Dutch friends which arose from our common interest in the Word of God and the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, in its fulness. After singing together the 121st Psalm and prayer by the President of the Dutch Committee, we parted, after a most useful and enjoyable meeting.
Our Dutch friends kindly drove us back to the airport near Amsterdam. We left at 5 p.m., for Glasgow via London, arriving back in Glasgow that same day at 8 o’clock in the evening, feeling that our visit to Holland was most helpful and profitable, under the good hand of the Lord.
Church Extension Committee
The Synod at its meeting in May appointed a Church Extension Committee to seek to provide services for such as may desire them and who are not resident near a stated place of worship belonging to the Free Presbyterian Church. The Committee feel that there must be many who are placed in the providence of God in places where there are no services held by our Church. If such would send their names and addresses to the Clerk of the Committee every endeavour would be made to arrange services in places suitable to them. The Committee would also like to hear from relatives or friends of such as are placed in the above-mentioned situation. They should send the names and addresses of such to the Committee so that services could be arranged for them also in a convenient place.
The Committee will be interested in receiving names and addresses from any part of the country in both Scotland and England.
The Committee would emphasise that the success of this venture will depend very much indeed upon the earnest and prayerful co-operation of our people in giving names and addresses. We exhort them to do their utmost to comply with the Committee’s request.
“Enlarge the place of thy tent and let them stretch forth the curtains of their habitations; spare not, lengthen thy cords and strengthen thy stakes; For thou shalt break forth on the right hand and on the left; and thy seed shall inherit the Gentiles, and make the desolate cities to be inhabited.” Is. 54, vs. 2 and 3.
Footnote
The Church Extension Committee met in Inverness on the 7th October, 1969. The Committee considered two requests for holding services in places that are not near a stated place of worship belonging to the Free Presbyterian Church. We will now make every endeavour to help to arrange services for those who wrote to us. Our hope and prayer is that the Lord will open the way and that a blessing may follow.
The Committee, however, feel that there are others who could have written to us. Having this in mind we agreed that the Committee’s Resolution which appeared in the July issue of the Free Presbyterian Magazine be sent again for publication. It would be desirable if Ministers and Missionaries in charge of congregations read this Resolution to their congregations and to forward the names and addresses of people leaving their homes to the Clerk of the Committee. Further, the Committee would earnestly desire that all praying people throughout our Church would remember the Committee’s work at a Throne of Grace. His Word will not return unto Him void.
Rev. D. A. MACLEAN,
Clerk to the Committee,
F.P. Manse, Halkirk, Caithness.