Roman Catholic Cardinal GORDON GRAY, who has just retired says: “The most significant thing I have seen is the coming together of the various Christian Churches in the ecumenical movement.” He attributes this coming together to the use of the media by the Roman Catholic Church “to allow fellow Christians to learn more about our Church and to allay their fears of us.” How successful the Church of Rome has been in this is only too well known.
One example of the advance of ecumenism was seen in a special service at Dunblane Cathedral on 1 September which is said to mark a new era of ecumenical cooperation between Churches of different denominations. The service was to mark the inauguration of Action of Churches Together in Scotland, ACTS, as it is called. Nine major denominations are involved along with groups like YWCA, YMCA and the National Bible Society of Scotland. The first Convener of ACTS will be R.C. Bishop Conti with Vice-Conveners, Episcopalian ‘Rev.’ Kathleen Dall and Church of Scotland minister, Rev. Robin Barbour.
We might well ask ourselves where this motley crew are heading. One thing is sure, they are not heading along the same path as that trodden by those apostles whose acts are recorded in the Acts of the Apostles. The ecumenical leaders and all who blindly follow them are on the high road to Rome. In this action these leaders are abandoning the true Gospel of Jesus Christ and leading souls astray for eternity.
Mission News
Teaching service in the John Tallach School offers a rare opportunity to young Christian teachers to seek to further the Cause of Christ in Zimbabwe.
Needless to say, there are problems as there are elsewhere. In a circular letter Miss Marion Graham says, “The most pressing problem has been the lack of qualified staff. The Government appoints all local staff. This session five of our qualified staff were promoted, and replaced with unqualified youngsters. The only teachers we could be sure of keeping would be overseas staff.
Another problem has been the curriculum. So much Marxism was to be included in the new syllabi that we knew we would be unable to follow their requirements. In English literature the moral tone of the recommended texts was totally unacceptable to us. However, in the last few weeks an alternative syllabus has been offered which we find more acceptable.
There is still plenty opportunity to influence our young people through Bible Classes, as well as through personal conversation and example.”
As will be known to readers of the Magazine Mr Dick Vermeulen has rendered excellent and devoted service in Malawi and Kenya during the past two years. He has just completed another six months’ term. In Mr Vermeulen’s latest letter to the Committee he writes of preaching at Thyolo. There were 54 adults and 27 children present. To quote Mr Vermeulen, “In the Thyolo congregation, Malawi, there is the father of one of the Government ministers. He told us that he would take us to see his son and get his son to help with the registration of the Church which was very slow in being expedited. On our second meeting the minister told us, ‘Your church will be registered before long. If there are any hold-ups please let me know.’ So that was good news.” The next item that Mr Vermeulen mentions is that he helped the people at Bangwe, one of the preaching stations, to purchase a piece of land for a church. All the main centres of our church in Malawi now have a good sized piece of land, big enough for a church and manse. There is one piece at Ngabi of 2½ acres.
An interesting letter has come from Mr Neil Murray who, during July, accompanied the Rev. B. B. Dube and the Rev. Z. Mazvabo on a preaching tour of part of Malawi and Kenya. On the date they arrived in Malawi it was Independence Day and it would have been an offence to engage in any work. On the following day they attended a very sad funeral, that of a young woman who had lost her little boy the previous week. Hundreds attended the funeral. All the shops were closed and buses stopped and their passengers alighted and lined the road as the procession passed. The sympathy and the solemnity shown was very impressive. The following Sabbath the Rev. Z. Mazvabo preached on, ‘Be ye also ready’, to an attentive audience. After further services in the Shiré Valley and in Blantyre our friends travelled to the Mozambique border where they visited one of the Refugee Camps. There were about 7000 people in this Camp. About 70 attended the Service, and listened well. They had built a small church, but had no money to roof it. They sold their blankets and bought thatching grass to thatch it. Our men were touched when some of the men in the Camp said they hoped to return one day to their homes in Mozambique and would like our people to go to preach to them.
Our ministers and Neil Murray now proceeded by air to Kenya. They stopped off in Nairobi which they thought a beautiful city. From there they had a six hour drive to Sengera where the little hospital stands, awaiting a missionary-hearted doctor or two nurses.
In Sengera it had been arranged to hold the first Communion. Sessions were held all week and the usual preparatory services towards the end of the week. Mr Murray writes. ‘How eager the people were to hear the Gospel preached to them!’
On Monday seventeen adults and twenty-five children were baptised. ‘The Harvest truly is plenteous . . . the labourers are few. . . .’
On Monday afternoon Mr Vermeulen took our friends to see Lake Victoria, a beautiful sight. A boat laden with passengers was leaving for Uganda. Mr Dube said it reminded him of the Ullapool boat leaving for Stornoway!
Our ministers and Neil Murray returned to Zimbabwe early in August, very tired, but thankful for safety in travelling, and for the privilege of preaching to so many, praying that the Lord would bless His Word and keep His people.
Mr Vermeulen accompanied them to Zimbabwe, and after visiting the Mission friends flew home to New Zealand. J. N.
The following is an extract from Mr Dick Vermeulen’s letter to the Editor:—
In Malawi we visited many of the congregations, going right down south to the Manhkhokwe Refugee Camp Congregation among others. We did not have Kirk Sessions there, because the Ministers felt more time was needed on account of the long distances involved. For this reason they intend to spend longer in Malawi next time D.V. in order to have Kirk Sessions with a view to accept members. In Kenya however we had Kirk Sessions . . . so that the full membership now stands at 39. There were also 15 adults accepted for baptism and 27 children were also baptised on the Monday of the Communion making a total of 42 who were baptised. We had a very nice Communion season which was enjoyed very much by all concerned. One man said, there were not enough words to express his enjoyment of it. Another man, said he would never forget it. Mr Mazvabo’s table text was also very nice. It was on Mephibosheth sitting at the Kings table with the Kings sons, although he was lame at both feet. He also mentioned, that although he was lame, his lameness was not evident when he sat at the table. So it is with those that sit at the table with Christ their King.
The Ministers and Mr Neil Murray enjoyed their time in Kenya and Malawi although it was hard work all the time with either travelling and preaching or as in Kenya when starting from Monday afternoon and not finishing until Saturday afternoon, having Kirk Sessions every day, going from about 8 a.m. to 6.30 p.m. every day with only a short break for lunch. This in particular left us mentally completely exhausted because to be fair to the people it was necessary that our questions were framed in such a way, that they understood as to what was being asked. Particularly as those people have not been brought up in the truth from their youth. One certainly comes to understand something of the great blessing in the Lord’s Providence of being brought up in the truth from one’s youth, which next to salvation is the greatest blessing one can receive. It is difficult to understand what a handicap it also is for the many that cannot read or write.
On the Tuesday we travelled to Nairobi, where on the Wednesday some last minute matters were dealt with and on the Thursday we left for Harare and then on to Bulawayo.
Church Notes
Presbytery Meetings (D.V.)
CANADIAN: At Inverness on 2nd October at 9 p.m.
ZIMBABWE: At Bulawayo on 9th October at 2 p.m.
SKYE: At Portree on 16th October at 11 a.m.
OUTER ISLES: At Stornoway on 16th October at 12 noon.
AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND: At Gisborne on 19th October at 2.30 p.m.
WESTERN: At Laide on 11th December at 6 p.m.
Committee Meetings (D.V.)
The following Committees will meet at Inverness Church:
Tuesday, 2nd October
| 9.00 a.m. – 10.00 a.m. | Church Centenary Committee |
|————————-|—————————-|
| 10.00 a.m. – 11.00 a.m. | Church Interests |
| 11.00 a.m. – 12 noon | Church Magazines |
| 12 noon – 1.00 p.m. | Publications |
| 2.00 p.m. – 3.00 p.m. | Welfare of Youth |
| 2.00 p.m. – 4.30 p.m. | Finance |
| 3.00 p.m. – 4.00 p.m. | Sabbath Observance |
| 4.30 p.m. – 5.30 p.m. | Dominions and Overseas |
| 4.30 p.m. – 5.30 p.m. | Religion and Morals |
| 7.00 p.m. – 9.00 p.m. | Foreign Mission |