Ian Ross Tallach was born in Rhodesia where his father, Rev. John Tallach, was missionary. Later the family lived in Oban. He was nurtured in a truly Christian home. In February, 1966, Mr. Tallach was received as a student, preparing for the ministry of the Church. 1972 was the year of his licencing, and on 6th March, 1973, he was ordained and inducted to the pastoral oversight of the Church Extension Charges of Perth, Stirling and Dundee. By his sudden death on Saturday, 28th April, 1979, our friend passed into the unseen world, and his ministry became a memory.
Mr. Tallach approached the work of the ministry conscious of the sacred nature and dignity of its calling. An able preacher, rightly dividing the Word, he was painstaking and thorough in his preparation. His discourses were, as a consequence, marked by carefulness of language, setting out accurate Scriptural teaching and doctrine. He was widely read, and while he did not use this for the purpose of display, it gave point and force to his utterances.
The congregations over which he was placed found in him an approachable pastor with whom they could converse freely. His firm grasp of the central Gospel themes of the Love of God in Christ, the necessity and Sufficiency of the Atonement and of the Regenerating Power of the Holy Spirit, made him a safe and helpful guide. The extent of the loss sustained by his passing can be more fully realised by his absence from our meetings. We record our appreciation of his interest and activity in the promotion and furtherance of the Redeemer’s kingdom, and our prayer is that fruit will be found following his sojourn amongst us.
We mourn his passing with sorrow, and commend his widow, family, mother and other relatives to God and to the Word of his grace, which is able to build them up and give them an inheritance among all them which are sanctified.