Presbytery Meetings (D.V.)
Australia and New Zealand: At Auckland on 29th January at 2.30 p.m.
Outer Isles: At Stornoway on 9th February at 12 noon.
Skye: At Portree on 16th February at 11 a.m.
Southern: At Glasgow on 23rd February at 6 p.m.
Zimbabwe: At Bulawayo on 8th March.
Northern: At Dingwall on 8th March at 2 p.m.
Opening of Leverburgh Church
The new Church at Leverburgh will be opened, the Lord willing, on Friday, 12th February, 1988, at 7 p.m. The Rev. Donald MacLean, Glasgow, is expected to preach on the occasion. All are welcome.
The new residential Home will be opened earlier that day but due to space restriction that ceremony will have to be in private. An opportunity to viewing the Home will, however, be given to all attending the church opening service and tea, etc., will be served on the premises.
Church Deputies
Rev. L. MacLeod returned to this country from Canada on 25th November. Rev. F. Tallach was due in London from Hong Kong on 23rd December after four months as Church Deputy to Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
Rev. Donald Boyd is due to leave Gatwick Airport, London on 6th January (D.V.) en route to Auckland, New Zealand via Los Angeles, U.S.A. Dr. Boyd will also visit Australia during his four months overseas. He is due to return on 27th April (D.V.).
We have reason to acknowledge the Lord’s goodness in His safe-keeping of the Church Deputies on their long journeys and trust that the Lord will continue to preserve them from all harm as they travel to distant lands. Above all we desire that the Lord will abundantly bless their labours to the good of many souls.
Recent Missionary Deaths near Bulawayo
It was sad to hear of the deaths of missionaries and their families at a Pentecostal Mission a short distance south of Bulawayo. It brings to our notice once more the dangers to which our own Mission staff in Zimbabwe are exposed, Ingwenya being only thirty miles on the other side of Bulawayo. We trust that the Lord will graciously uphold and protect the Mission staff in all the stations and preserve them from the attacks of the men of violence. We have no doubt that this event will make the praying people of the Church more instant at a Throne of grace on their behalf.
The “Sunday” Sports Bill
There are strong moves at present to legalise horse racing and on/off course betting on the Lord’s Day. The “Sunday” Sports (No. 2) Bill, introduced for this purpose by Nicholas Soames MP, is now before the House of Commons and is to have its second reading on 29th January, 1987. We therefore urge you to write now to your Member of Parliament, requesting him or her to be present at the reading of this Bill and to speak and vote against it. In writing to your M.P. there are various points which may be raised: for example, the difficulties facing staff who do not wish to work on the Lord’s Day; the disturbance and nuisance caused on the Lord’s Day to some of those living near racing courses, and their being deprived of the one day of rest which they value; and the disturbance caused to church-goers in the vicinity of courses. But the most serious matter is the moral one of the transgressions of the Fourth Commandment, and the evils which flow from this transgression.
It is most important that your concern about this further threat to the Sabbath be expressed in writing. Even a brief note (and it is best to be brief), in which you simply say that you object to the Bill, will carry its own weight. We remind you of the defeat of the “The ‘Sunday’ Trading Bill”. There is no doubt that letters of protest helped, in God’s providence, to bring about that defeat.
Above all, we are to plead with the Lord that He would use the weak efforts of ourselves and others to thwart these purposes of godless men.
When you have written to your M.P. please encourage others to do likewise. Should you wish to write also to the person responsible for introducing this wicked Bill, then write to: Mr Nicholas Soames M.P., House of Commons, London SW1A 0AA.
For your information we mention that another and similar Bill has been presented to the House of Lords and received its second reading on 15th July 1986. We refer, of course, to the “Sunday” Sports (No. 1) Bill, for the legalising of horse racing and on/off course betting on the Lord’s Day. It was introduced by Lord Wyatt and is yet before the House of Lords. It was amended on 5th November and therefore now requires that betting shops remain closed on the Lord’s Day and that staff be not required to work on the Lord’s Day against their wishes. Lord Wyatt evidently hopes to yet find a way of bringing a clause for the opening of betting shops back into the Bill. Lord Wyatt’s address is: Lord Woodrow Wyatt, House of Lords, London SW1A 0AA.
Having said that, our chief concern is that you would write to your M.P. protesting against the “Sunday” Sport (No. 2) Bill.
Rev. D. A. Ross
Clerk, Sabbath Observance Committee