Miss Kate MacAskill, Portree
Miss Kate MacAskill was born in Claddach, Kirkibost, North Uist, on 10th February, 1900. She was the youngest of a family of nine, and lost her mother in early childhood. Of that worthy ‘mother in Israel’, it is related that she would gather her little ones together at bedtime, and sing to them, with her eyes bathed in tears, while she commended them to God’s care. It seems that she had a premonition that she would not be long with them. It would appear that on the night before she died, she told her husband that by that time the following evening, she would have passed from this world, but she had a good hope that all her children would meet at the Lord’s right hand on the day of judgment. Much given to prayer, she, at the early age of 37 passed on to enjoy uninterrupted communion with God in Christ. Her youngest daughter, Kate, the subject of this short obituary, was well known in the church militant here. It was her privilege to grow up in an atmosphere, where true piety was exemplified. Her godly father was a noted missionary in the Free Presbyterian Church, and her brother, Alexander, the much loved pastor of the Lochinver congregation.
After college training in Glasgow, Kate duly became a school teacher, and was posted at Braes, Raasay, Torrin, and Glendale respectively. Many of those privileged to be under her instruction testified that she made a real impact for good upon her pupils. A sweet blend of patience, kindness and intelligence, adorned and harnessed by the grace of God, made her a general favourite.
As to her conversion it would appear that she was graciously visited by the blessed Holy Spirit in the days of her youth. The gradual nature of her spiritual experience was often a stumbling block to herself, but none who knew her intimately doubted the power and reality of her grace. Her great desire for purity and prosperity in Zion could not be hid, and her readiness to reprove the unfruitful works of darkness stemmed from her love to her Saviour, and to perishing sinners. A lack of assurance, coupled with a reticent and retiring disposition prevented her from speaking much about her conversion, and the things which lay nearest to her heart. This feature of her character was more than compensated for by her godly example and bearing which spoke continually. Not until near the end of her pilgrimage did she feel constrained to unveil some of the secrets of her heart. Towards the end, she complained with evident anguish and anxiety that the Word of God was a closed book to her. Did you ever feel like that she enquired earnestly. ‘Many a time’ the writer replied ‘and it is accompanied by a distressing aversion to the Word itself.’ She seemed relieved. To another friend she expressed herself in similar vein. It emerged from this conversation that despite her present anxiety, many years before, she had gone to pray on coming home from school, when the Word spoke to her with power and comfort — ‘Thine they were and thou gavest them me’. Our dear friend frequently expressed doubts as to her election and great concern because plagued with fearful thoughts about God. Her horrors at the presence of these unwelcomed visitors, she could not disguise, but Satan was evidently trying to rob her of all her comfort and joy. She longed for a glimpse of her Saviour, and a touch of His hand, and that was afforded her. ‘I wept much yesterday’ she said, but ‘the tears in my eyes were nothing compared to the tears in my heart.’ She greatly desired assurance of being savingly united to the Lamb, but was again assaulted. One suggested to her that her fears were due to the work of the devil to which she replied ‘but with me they are legion, for they are many’.
The final phase of her earthly pilgrimage, in the kindly and efficient care of Mrs MacDonald, Staffin House, brought her no little degree of comfort. Miss MacAskill saw and appreciated the hand of God in this Providence. She loved her church dearly and deeply cherished the heroic stand made by Rev D. MacFarlane and Rev D. MacDonald. How happy she would have been to attend the Centenary Celebrations in Edinburgh, but this was not to be. In October, 1992, she was called into the presence of the Lamb who is King of Kings and Lord of Lords, to be among the called, the chosen and the faithful. By her death the Portree congregation particularly, and the church at large, lost a loving and faithful friend. To her sorrowing relatives we extend our sympathy.
F.M.
Mr Donald MacAskill, Elder, Bracadale
One of the strongest links with an earlier era of our Church history was broken with the death of Donald MacAskill who was an elder in the Bracadale congregation for over forty years. Donald was well known to the older people of the Church, indeed he outlived most of his contemporaries. In addition his keen interest in the young assured him a place in the affections of many of them as he continued to travel throughout the Church till he was well advanced in years. He departed this life in October 1990, at the Ballifary Home of Rest, to be forever with the Lord whom he had followed for so many years in the world and to whose saving grace he had testified for so long.
Donald MacAskill was born in Carbost Beg, Carbost, Isle of Skye, on 7th March, 1898 and he was to spend the greater part of his life there though he travelled widely throughout the United Kingdom. In 1898 the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland was still in its infancy but resolute among its followers were Donald’s parents and his Uncle John who was to be one of its illustrious laymen. John MacAskill served the Church as an elder and missionary whose adherence to the testimony raised in 1893 was to leave an indelible mark on the Skye people of his own and following generations. Donald, as a boy, was often in the company of his uncle and in future years the early impressions were to prove their abiding nature.
Though Donald was thus well taught from his youth he was well into his twenties before he was savingly taught his true condition as a sinner. After demobilisation from the Merchant Navy in 1918, he continued as a seaman mostly on one or other of the Coast Lines which then plied round the Coasts of Scotland, England and Ireland. It was to a weekend spent in Glasgow during this period that he dated his spiritual birthday. He often recalled how he went to hear Rev Neil Cameron on a particular Sabbath evening in St Jude’s Church. As to Donald’s consciousness, he went from a sense of duty coupled with a good opinion of his own righteousness. In his own eyes he was not a Sabbath breaker but one who attended public worship twice, whenever possible, though he lived some distance from the Church. But that night in the Glasgow Church a meeting took place which had been arranged from eternity. Mr Cameron took as his text, Psalm 7: 12, “If he (the wicked) turn not, he (God) will whet his sword.” As the minister of Christ began to open out his first head “Who the wicked are,” Donald became more and more uncomfortable as the arrow of the true conviction of sin fixed itself ever firmer in his soul. He left St Jude’s that night as sure of his sin and his accountability as of his existence. Gone was his self-righteousness and his good opinion of himself and he could scarcely wait to get home to throw himself on his knees and cry for the first time, in sincerity, “God be merciful to me a sinner”. In God’s sovereignty, Donald was left for some time in that condition, but the time came when his bonds were broken. This took place at an unspecified service where the preacher was the Rev D. N. Macleod, Ullapool, who spoke from the words, “Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.” That day Donald MacAskill came to receive and rest upon Christ alone for salvation and knew in himself that he had been healed.
We would not like to give the impression by what has been said that our late friend spoke with unwonted freedom in any way indiscriminately of his spiritual experience. Indeed, the very opposite was the case. These details were gleaned only bit by bit over a period of almost thirty years of close friendship.
Family circumstances forced Donald to leave Glasgow and his beloved minister and to return to Skye. There he unexpectedly found another source of spiritual feeding in the preaching of Alistair Beaton, Struan, by then the lay missionary of the Carbost/Portnalong section of the Bracadale congregation. He often spoke appreciatively of Alistair Beaton’s discourses and seemed to have had some special blessing through an address on the words, “A name which is above every name.” It was during the ministry of the late, esteemed, Rev M. MacSween that Donald professed publicly for the first time and in due course he was elected a deacon and then an elder in Bracadale. One cannot but think of how favoured Skye was then in thinking that the three elders ordained that Sabbath day, in Struan, were Peter Beaton, Struan, Donald MacAskill and Donald Morrison, Port-nalong. They were truly “men of renown” and these were being added to a Kirk Session which already contained, Alistair Beaton, Kenneth MacAskill, Alan Beaton and others. The office of the eldership Donald MacAskill discharged faithfully through some extremely trying times for the Cause of Christ in Skye, till old age and failing health made it impossible for him to continue. He was pre-deceased by all his fellow office-bearers whom we have mentioned and keenly felt the absence of their fellowship and counsel in times of crisis. We believe that these were the “Golden Years” of our friend’s spiritual pilgrimage when he attended Communion Seasons in the company of his fellow-elders we have mentioned, as well as such as Mr Alick MacKay (Staffin), not to mention such gracious ladies as Maggie Gillies, the MacAskill sisters, Mrs Macdonald (Uignish) and others too numerous to mention. The preaching of Revs J. P. MacQueen, J. Colquhoun, D. Campbell and latterly M. MacSween and D. MacLean gave food to their souls and exercise to their minds.
In his Christian life Donald MacAskill was firstly a man of prayer. How often he gave that as a mark of Grace at Fellowship meetings, “It is as natural for the soul that is born again to pray as it is for the new born infant to cry.” No matter how often we heard this said it made an impression for we knew it came from a man who had seen his need of prayer and in prayer often had communion with his Saviour. He prayed much and he prayed often and his prayers covered not only Bracadale and Skye but reached to the ends of the earth focussing often on the missionary endeavours of the Church in Africa. It was a particular delight for him to meet, converse with and listen to the ministry of our Zimbabwean ministers and elders.
Yet in honesty we cannot but mention that in spiritual things Donald was very practical. The advent of the television to Skye was marked by a noticeable decline in Church attendance. This drove our friend to his knees often and whenever he could see the connection between a television set being installed in a home and a marked indifference towards the Means of Grace, he did not hesitate to go to the homes concerned and lovingly but firmly testify to the family of the harm they were doing their own souls and the inevitable eternal consequences if they did not repent. It says much for the respect in which he was held in his own community that very few took offence at his rebuking. It has been said that in his neighbourhood, “the name of Donald MacAskill was synonymous with godliness” and we saw the truth of that for many years. This was true of people of all churches and even of those who did not attend church at all. They saw him as he was in truth, a man who was not of this world at all. Only recently we were reminded by one of our senior ministers of Donald’s often-repeated expression. “The Christian is not at home in this world and would not want to be but he is going home and his mind often goes before him.” Our friend was not naturally bold nor courageous but when the glory of God, in His Word or His Cause was under attack he was fearless. Often he would say when having to contend for the faith, “Why should I be afraid of a man who may be in the dust before me.” Though of a timid disposition Donald was made strong through grace.
Donald MacAskill, as all who knew him will testify was an accomplished speaker in Gaelic and English though to the end he was more at home in his native tongue. His contributions to Fellowship Meetings throughout the Church were appreciated by the spiritually minded. It is remarkable on reflection to those of us who heard him speak so often that he always seemed to have fresh thoughts. This could not be attributed to any natural gift but was the fruit of much gleaning in the Truth and of being much in prayer and meditation. It would serve as a rebuke to some of us if we could know the number of Bibles he wore out by constant usage over the years. As one who was often sorely tried by the adversary and had frequent deliverances from the One Who was to him, “A very present help in trouble”, Donald could speak to the hearts of the Lord’s poor ones, as well as being able at times to say with full assurance, “I know whom I have believed”.
One fitting description of our late friend would be, “a lover of good men” for he loved the company of his fellow-believers and had some of his happiest times in this world with his brethren gathered in groups at Communion seasons, throughout the Church. It was at one such season in Tarbert in the early 1960s that we first met Donald and he made a very distinct impression upon us as an exercised and informed Christian who sought to occupy his heart and words with the things which “concern the King”. The appointed days passed only too quickly as the themes of the preaching at that season were “Christ crucified” and “Christ in you, the hope of glory” and these topics were echoed time and again in the company of the brethren among whom were Revs D. Campbell (Edinburgh), J. Martin (Staffin), A. MacKay (then of Tarbert), with such gifted and worthy laymen as J. MacInnes (Kyles, Scalpay), Edward Morrison, Donald Campbell (Finsbay), to name only a few and Donald MacAskill, not to mention the presence of many godly and exercised women. How bare are our islands now of such choice company! However, having said that we must remember that the Lord Who raised up bright lights in His Church in the past is in our day still, “Mighty to save,” and is able to raise up a seed to Himself at this time also.
For many years the duty of supplying the pulpit in Carbost fell to Donald MacAskill, as the only professing man in that section of the congregation. It was no small tribute to his ability and his earnest proclaiming of the Word that the attendance in the congregation was so well maintained during long years of vacancy. We are reliably informed that Donald first conducted services at Staffin at the request of Mr Alick MacKay the missionary there who was at the time in indifferent health. Donald did not undertake this duty lightly but after prayerful consideration he felt it was the leading of the Lord and he consented. As time went on the calls on Donald’s services became more frequent and though often urged to it by ministerial brethren for whom he had a high regard he never became a missionary. Yet he carried out the duties of a lay-preacher throughout Skye and beyond. At one stage he felt that he could not attend to Sabbath duties and attending at Communion seasons and carry on his employment as a shepherd. After many struggles and no doubt many encouragements also he gave up his work for he felt that it was his duty like Matthew to leave all and follow Jesus in the way. It should not surprise us to discover that though he was never rich, Donald’s needs were supplied to the end of his sojourn here. Though the Portnalong congregation from time to time made known by temporal presentations their appreciation of his work in the Gospel among them, Donald regarded it as their greatest tribute to him that when there was a division in the Church in 1989 not one person of that section of the congregation left. As he laboured on, feeling the burden of advancing years and failing bodily powers he cried earnestly in private and in public for a minister to be set over the Bracadale congregation again, who would rightly divide the Word and take the pastoral oversight of their souls. In the inscrutable wisdom of the Lord this petition was not granted till our friend had passed beyond the veil. He also prayed earnestly and urgently for the young of our Church and particularly the young of Bracadale and Skye. How we long to see these prayers answered also.
From his youth Donald MacAskill had an intelligent and firm personal grasp of the Scriptural principles which are the foundation of the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland. To these principles he clung tenaciously in the midst of every trial to which the Church was subjected at many levels throughout his long life. None of the troubles through which the Church passed was more severe or bewildering to him than the secession which took place in 1989. He grasped the principles at issue with his characteristic clarity, but was disturbed to see others forsaking the testimony especially those with whom he had had fellowship over the years. Donald, however, was more discerning than many gave him credit for and was not surprised or disappointed as far as the younger section of those who departed were concerned. The last time we spoke to him, just two months before his death, he enquired closely of the Portree Communion which we had just attended. In clearly spoken words he expressed gladness and thankfulness to the Lord for the ‘good report’ we were honestly able to give.
We as individuals and as a Church are the poorer for his passing. Another light has gone out. The prayers of another saint have ended but we believe one more soul has joined in the “Song of Moses and the Lamb”. Donald MacAskill was called by God’s grace to follow Christ. He was called to walk in a way beset with trials and temptations in which he discovered that vain is the help of man. Yet in this way he was kept till at last he was called to lay aside all his burdens and we feel sure he would never have wished a greater epitaph than this, “Kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation.”
D. J. MacD.