Rev. D. A. Ross
AS was intimated in the August issue of this magazine, I left for Fornaci di Barga in Italy on Saturday, 15th July, accompanied by Mr Lucio Strata. However, while Mr Strata arrived there that day, I was unable to do so because of long delays. Fog at Inverness Airport delayed my flight and resulted in my missing my connection flight from London to Pisa. There were no other flights to Pisa but I took a flight to Verona instead in the hope that a train would take me from there to Fornaci di Barga before the Sabbath. However, this flight to Verona was also badly delayed. Indeed there were several other delays from the time I left Inverness. In the providence of God, I got as far as Bologna, and here I had to stay for the weekend because going further on my journey would have eventually involved unnecessary Sabbath travel. I then got in contact with Mr Strata by telephone and asked him to conduct the services on Sabbath, and this he kindly agreed to do.
While in Bologna over the Sabbath I sought out a place of worship. The list of places of worship I was given showed very many Roman Catholic churches and about a dozen other churches, including a Mormon church and a Jehovah’s Witnesses hall. Also listed were four churches described as “Evangelical”. I went to one of these but discovered by and by that it was Elim Pentecostal. To read about certain Pentecostal errors is disturbing enough but they impinge on the mind all the more when one actually comes in contact with them. I waited for an opportunity to speak to the pastor about the unscriptural nature of their so-called worship. I then spoke to him and to others who were with him — his assistant and a visiting preacher from Sri Lanka, and a few people of the congregation.
The pastor and the visiting preacher could speak a little English, but I also had the help of a person from the congregation who interpreted for us. As they listened to me respectfully, I noted that the pastor was distinctly ill at ease. I hope and pray that my pointing out various Pentecostal errors was taken to heart by them.
I was told by the pastor that the other “Evangelical” congregations in Bologna were similar to themselves and that there were no Calvinistic churches in Bologna. This fact, and also the experience I had that Sabbath, left me convinced more than ever of the need that our Church would have a presence in Italy.
On Monday I arrived safely at Fornaci Di Barga and held a prayer meeting that evening in Mr and Mrs Campani’s home. I addressed the people from John 10:11, “I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.”
I was informed that Mr Strata’s conducting of the services on the previous Sabbath went smoothly and that he spoke very acceptably.
We had two Bible class meetings in which we studied John 10: 1-18. The studies engendered much interest and gave rise to intense questioning at times. Everyone, I think, felt the exercise to be very useful.
Mr Strata and I spent two days at his family home in Casella and for the first time I was able to give a short address from the Word of God to some members of his family. I spoke on, “I am the door of the sheep,” John 10:7.
We returned to Fornaci Di Barga and prepared for the Sabbath services. On Sabbath we gathered for public worship in the hotel room which was booked some time ago for the occasion. I preached on John 12:20 in the morning, and Acts 8: 35 in the evening. There was one newcomer at the evening service (she also attended one meeting of the Bible class). For twenty years the Jehovah’s Witnesses have been endeavouring to entice this woman into their fold, but she has a grip of the doctrine of the divinity of Christ and for that reason has not been swayed. She is a Roman Catholic and we hope her being introduced to the pure gospel in which Christ is exalted will be blessed to her. Between the two services the Marchi family kindly entertained us for dinner, as they did Mr Strata on the previous Sabbath. We are much indebted to them and to the Campani family for showing us much kindness.
We arrived home safely, but not without another long delay. A wait of five hours at Pisa Airport meant that we had to fly overnight, arriving at Gatwick at about 3am. While Mr Strata headed for his home and family in London, I went to Heathrow for my flight to Inverness. We acknowledge the Lord’s great goodness in watching over us and undertaking for us.
Our prayer is that the Lord would graciously countenance this small work in Italy; a work beset by trying and unusual providences from time to time since the Church first sent out a visiting minister in 1968. However, during our going there in recent years we have been encouraged by the people adopting the singing of Psalms in public worship, and by their contributing financially to the work. For this we are thankful and trust that the Lord will maintain the work and bless it to the bringing of sinners out of the kingdom of Satan and into the Kingdom of His dear Son, and to the spiritual feeding of the Lord’s people there.
“Do good in Thy good pleasure unto Zion: build Thou the walls of Jerusalem,” Psalm 51: 18.