Church Notes

Southern Presbytery Tribute to the late Rev. M. MacSween

The Rev. Malcolm MacSween was born on January 10th, 1904, at Marches Cottage, Carminish, Strond, Harris. While yet a child, his parents moved to Portree and then to Raasay, where his father was a missionary of the Church for many years. In 1919, Malcolm returned to Portree to pursue his secondary education at Portree School. On completing his course there six years later, he proceeded to the West of Scotland Agricultural College in Glasgow, where he qualified with the College Diploma in Agriculture. The year 1929 saw him take up the post of Estate Manager in British Central Africa. It was during his stay in that dark continent that he became convinced, not only of his need of God’s constant care and protection, but also of the vanity of everything under the sun apart from the salvation of his soul. Having left his native country fired with the ambition of making a fortune, Malcolm returned to Raasay in 1932 a new man in Christ Jesus, an heir of eternal life. Two years later, he was received into full membership of the Raasay congregation. Soon afterwards, he had a compelling desire to offer himself as a candidate for the ministry in the Church, and accordingly he was received as a student by the Western Presbytery at Applecross in September, 1935. The following month, he began his Arts course in Glasgow University, where he graduated M.A. in 1938. In November of that year, he proceeded to the Divinity course in Oban, which he completed three years later in Dingwall. On July 21st, 1942, he was ordained and inducted to his first charge, at Bracadale, Isle of Skye. There he laboured for fourteen years with diligence and acceptance until his transference to Oban. During this period of his life, Mr MacSween served as Church Deputy to Canada and the U.S.A. in 1946-47, and as Moderator of Synod in 1949-50, and was appointed Theological Tutor in Hebrew and Church History in May, 1952. On December 19th, 1956, he was inducted to the charge at Oban, where he laboured until his sudden death on March 29th, 1978. Between 1957 and 1974, Mr MacSween served as Clerk of the Southern Presbytery, and for a period from 1958, he was Convener of the Sabbath Observance Committee. In both Bracadale and Oban, he was loved by his congregations and respected by the communities.

As a pastor, Malcolm MacSween fed the flock over which the Holy Ghost had made him overseer with the sincere milk of the Word. Well equipped both spiritually and intellectually, his exercises were of a high standard — clear yet profound. The main theme of his preaching may be described in the divinely-inspired words: ‘Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound’ (Rom. 5:20). He discovered not only the enormity of sin but also the all-sufficiency of Christ to save. To him, Christ was all and in all.

As a man, Mr MacSween was endowed with an amiable disposition, and other characteristics which endear a man to his friends. He was a man of peace, who abstained from all appearance of evil. As a Christian, he was deeply exercised though naturally reserved — he would not cast his pearls before swine. He adorned the doctrine of God his Saviour. In the general administration of the Church he took an active part, with characteristic competence and thoroughness. As a tutor he rendered excellent service, for which the whole Church should thank God. His students loved and admired him, and the knowledge he imparted is reflected in their exercises.

To his sorrowing widow, son, daughter-in-law and grandchildren, we extend our sincere sympathy. To his congregation, we offer our condolence in their great loss.

‘Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright, for the end of that man is peace’ (Psalm 37:37).

Induction at Glendale

Under most favourable weather conditions, a large congregation from many parts of Skye and some from the mainland, gathered in the Glendale Church on Tuesday, 25th April 1978. The occasion was the induction of the Rev. Donald Nicolson to the pastoral charge of the Duirinish congregation. The congregation had been vacant since the retiral of the late Rev. John Colquhoun in 1974.

The proceedings followed the normal pattern for such a service. The unanimous decision made at the previous meeting of Presbytery to induct Mr Nicolson was read, the Edict was returned, duly served, and proclamation was made in the usual manner at the door of the Church.

The presence of Rev. Alexander Murray, Clerk to the Western Presbytery, with that of Rev. J. W. Ross, reminded the Court of its previous links with the ‘parent’ presbytery. Rev. Fraser Macdonald preached from 2nd Corinthians chapter 4 verse 5; after which the Moderator gave a summary of proceedings relative to filling the vacancy. Mr Nicolson then stood, and the Moderator asked him the questions required to be put to ministers at the time of their induction to a charge. Mr Nicolson answered these questions satisfactorily; thereafter he signed the Formula in presence of the congregation. After solemn prayer by the Moderator, Mr Nicolson was inducted by authority of the Divine Head of the Church, and in the name of the Presbytery to the pastoral charge of the Duirinish congregation, and given the right hand of fellowship by all his co-presbyters. Rev. D. J. Macdonald addressed the newly inducted minister in apposite terms, and Rev. S. F. Tallach suitably exhorted the favoured congregation.

At the close of the service the congregation were given the opportunity to shake hands with their newly inducted pastor.

Our satisfaction over the settlement was tinged with sympathy for the Raasay congregation now bereft of a faithful minister of the Gospel. It is our fervent prayer that the ministry begun in Duirinish will be greatly owned of the Lord in the awakening of sinners, and the edification of saints.

FRASER MACDONALD (Clerk, Skye Presbytery).

Presbytery Meetings (D.V.)

Western: At Laide on 6th June at 12 noon.
Southern: At Glasgow on 13th June at 6 p.m.
Skye: At Portree on 20th June at 11 a.m.
Outer Isles: At Stornoway on 20th June at 11.30 a.m.
Northern: At Dingwall on 20th June at 6 p.m.

Barnoldswick Communion

Services for the Barnoldswick Communion will be as follows, (D.V.): Thursday, 8th June, 7.45 p.m.; Friday, 9th June, 7.45 p.m.; Saturday, 10th June, 3 p.m.; Sabbath, 11th June, 10.45 a.m. and 6.30 p.m.; Monday, 12th June, 7.45 p.m. The ministers expected are Rev. J. MacLeod, Stornoway and Rev. J. Brentnall, Dumbarton (D.V.). Will anyone wishing to have accommodation provided please contact Rev. J. Brentnall in good time.

Helmsdale Communion

The Helmsdale Communion will be held (D.V.) on the 2nd Sabbath of June. The services are as follows:—Thursday, 7 p.m.; Saturday, 12 noon; Sabbath 12 noon.

Southern Presbytery Letter on Religious Education

Dear Madam,
I am instructed to express the deep concern of this Presbytery over your proposed termination of compulsory Religious Instruction in schools. Our education system has already capitulated in many areas to humanism and multi-racialism by failing to provide a specifically Christian education in practice. It is now to be further corrupted by seeing the law changed in favour of non-Christian religions and philosophies which had been admitted illegally into our schools. This Presbytery therefore opposes the proposed Act on the following grounds:

1. It is morally indefensible to change the law in favour of law-breakers rather than enforce the law by punishing them. Should your proposed action take place on behalf of thieves and murderers, nothing but moral anarchy would ensue. When the law is changed for the sake of non-Christian religions and philosophies, nothing but spiritual anarchy can be expected.

2. We are bound as a nation, both by the dictates of natural and revealed religion, and by our constitution, to worship the only true and living God. By admitting the worship of false gods into the land, and by providing for instruction in false religion, we are countenancing idolatry and superstition; and by giving a place to anti-Christian philosophies, we are paving the way for skepticism, polytheism and even atheism. In ancient Israel, whose constitution was the model for our own, every adopted stranger or alien was required to profess the religion of the land of his adoption; so should it be with us. In both the Old Testament and the New (Deut. 17:18-20 and Rom. 13:1-4), national rulers are enjoined to exercise their God-given authority only in the interests of true religion, and to remove idolatry from the nation over which God has placed them.

3. The proposal to divorce ethics from Christian doctrine is contrary to the teaching of the whole Bible, as is clear from the Preface to the Ten Commandments, where the knowledge of the true God is made the basis of Israel’s obedience to Him (Exod. 20: 1-3), from the Introduction to the Sermon on the Mount, where discipleship is presupposed as the ground of Christian behaviour (Matt. 5-7), and from the Epistles of Paul, where a belief of true doctrine provides the foundation for all his subsequent ethical teaching (Rom. 1-11, 12-16; Eph. 1-3, 4-6).

In the light of these fundamental educational principles, this Presbytery urges you to abandon all plans to legalise the teaching of false religions, and to implement the present law by ensuring that the religion of the Bible is taught in all our schools. — Yours sincerely,

J. M. BRENTNALL.

Reply from the Department of Education and Science

Dear Mr Brentnall,
Thank you for your letter of 23rd January, addressed to the Secretary of State, about Religious Education in schools.

I can assure you that there is no substance in the claim made in recent newspaper reports that the requirements for Religious Education in schools are to be changed.

In reply to a question in the House of Commons on 13 January 1978, the Secretary of State stated ‘I have repeatedly made clear that I have no plans at present to change the law in this respect’. — Yours sincerely,

(Mrs) K. F. Briggs, Schools Branch III.