Ballifary House, Inverness
Our Church Home of Rest at Inverness is presently under the care of a temporary Matron whose services the Committee are very thankful to have. It is desirable however that someone to hold the post on a permanent basis should be appointed soon. If there is anyone in the Church who feels attracted towards this essential and, we believe, rewarding task, the Home of Rest Committee would like to hear from her. It could well be that someone who feels she lacks certain formal qualifications may in fact be well suited to the post, and consideration would be given to a married couple who might feel inclined to offer themselves on the understanding that the husband would follow his own employment.
At the present time there is no waiting list of applicants for admission as Residents in the Home and the opportunity is taken now of drawing this matter to the attention of persons who may be contemplating coming into the Home.
In the meantime however, it would be very much appreciated if anyone who feels disposed to taking up the duties of Matron would get in touch in the first instance, in a completely private and informal way, with the Convener of the Home, Rev. A. F. MacKay, 11 Auldcastle Road, Inverness (Phone: Inverness 31979) or with the Clerk to the Committee, Mr Angus A. MacKenzie, C.A., 1 View Place, Inverness (Phone: Inverness 35171 or 37711) or indeed with any member of the Committee.
A. F. MacKay,
Convener, Home of Rest Committee.
Church General Secretary
“The Synod at its meeting in May agreed in principle to the appointment of a Church General Secretary to attend to the general secretarial work of the Church and to assist the General Treasurer etc. The exact functions of this Secretary would be determined after interview with the Church Interests Committee.
The Committee has examined a proposal that one of the rooms in the new Church now purchased by our congregation in Glasgow should be used as a General Office and Bookroom and found this satisfactory.
Having obtained suitable premises, the Committee have now decided to advertise this post in the Free Presbyterian Magazine and will be pleased to hear from anyone, male or female, who would desire to serve the Church in this capacity. There is a small but commodious flat in the Church building consisting of two bedrooms, a living room, kitchen and bathroom. It is proposed that this flat would be made available to the General Secretary, if so desired. As several alterations to the proposed Office and Bookroom have to be made and extensive renovations have to be carried out to the Church itself, an approximate commencing date for this appointment would be June 1975 (D.V.).
Applicants who wished to be considered for this post should write to the Clerk of the Committee, Rev. R. R. Sinclair, Free Presbyterian Manse, Wick, Caithness.”
Church Deputies to Canada
Rev. J. A. and Mrs MacDonald who left this country on Friday, 4th October, for Toronto, Canada, are expected to return on Monday, 18th November (D.V.). We trust that, in the Lord’s good providence, they will be brought back again in safety. Rev. Moshe Radcliff who had been supplying Winnipeg for the past three months returned home safely a week before Mr MacDonald left for Canada. Rev. Douglas Beattie continues to supply Vancouver. We pray that the Lord may richly bless the labours of the Church Deputies in Canada.
Presbytery Meetings (D.V.)
Western — At Sheildaig on Tuesday, 5th November, at 10.30 a.m.
Southern — At Glasgow on Tuesday, 12th November, at 6 p.m.
Northern — At Lairg on Tuesday, 3rd December, at 2.30 p.m.
Suicides
According to a report given in to a meeting convened by the Royal Society of Health, it is claimed that in recent years there was a considerable drop in the number of suicides in this country. It is also claimed that this was due to the counselling and advice service of the Samaritans.
If this report is correct then it is an encouraging one indeed, as previously there was every indication that suicides were increasing. The Samaritans are doing a good work if through their counselling they have been able to prevent a large number of disturbed people from taking their own life. This sin of self-murder appears, however, in some areas at least, to be on the increase and is a sign of the withdrawal of restraining grace from men. May the day not be too far distant when sinners will be so aware of the realities of the eternal world that there would be nothing they would dread more than hurrying themselves into a lost eternity.