Induction of the Rev John Goldby, MA, at Sengera, Kenya
THE Synod agreed in May, 1996, that the Rev John Goldby be released from his charge in Scotland in order to serve the Church as an ordained missionary in Kenya, and it was left with the Zimbabwe Presbytery and the Jewish and Foreign Missions Committee to make arrangements for his settlement in his new charge. Our mission in Kenya does not have the status of a ‘sanctioned charge’ and there was, therefore, no Call from a congregation to be placed in Mr Goldby’s hands. It was, however, agreed that an induction service would be arranged and that the normal procedure adopted in settling ministers would be adhered to as far as was possible in the circumstances.
The Presbytery, accordingly, decided that the Rev John Goldby would be inducted on Wednesday, the 25th day of September, 1996, in the Sengera church. It was agreed that the Rev A. Ndebele and Mr B. Mziya would travel to Kenya and that two members of the Jewish and Foreign Missions Committee, the Rev John MacLeod and Mr Ian MacLean, would also be present to make up the quorum. Regrettably, on account of injuries sustained in Zimbabwe as a result of being knocked down by a bus, Mr Ndebele was not able to go, and the Rev P Mzamo agreed to go in his place.
The Zimbabwe Presbytery duly met on the day appointed. Mr B Mziya was appointed Officer of Court and after the return of the Edict, attested as having been duly served, he was instructed to go to the main door of the Church and there make the usual proclamation three times. This being done and there being no objectors, the Rev P Mzamo, as Moderator of the Presbytery, preached an appropriate discourse from Romans 1, verse 16, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth; to the Jew first, but also to the Greek.”
After Mr Mzamo brought this part of the service to a close, the Clerk pro tempore, the Rev J. MacLeod, read a narrative of the proceedings which led to this induction taking place and then, at the request of the Moderator, read to Mr Goldby the Questions appointed to be put to ministers before their induction to a pastoral charge. To these questions Mr Goldby returned satisfactory answers and immediately thereafter he signed the Formula in the presence of the congregation. The Moderator then, after engaging in prayer, did, in the name of the Presbytery and by the authority of the Divine Head of the Church, admit the Rev John Goldby to the pastoral charge of the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland’s Mission in Kenya.
The Rev J MacLeod, at the Moderator’s request, then addressed, in turn, the newly inducted minister and the assembled congregation. Messages of good will from various people were then read and intimated, and after the singing of some verses of a psalm the proceedings were brought to an end. The Rev John Goldby shook hands with the people as they left the Church.
After the service soft drinks and cakes were distributed to all present; the children, in the nearby school, and the adults, within the church. We are grateful to the ladies of our Mission staff for making this provision.
It was reckoned that over 500 souls were present at the service, of whom more than half were children. Some adults came from as far as Kuria, which is over two hours’ drive away; others walked considerable distances in order to be present. Some said that they were very impressed by what they saw and heard and we can only hope that the impression will remain. This door has been opened to us in Kenya, and now that a minister of the Gospel is settled there, we hope and pray that his labours will be greatly blessed so that, in the not too distant future, it will be said, “What hath God wrought!”
(Rev) John MacLeod, Clerk pro tem
Meetings of Presbyteries (D.V.)
NORTHERN: At Dingwall on Tuesday, 18th February, 1997, at 2.00 pm.
SOUTHERN: At Glasgow on Tuesday, 18th February, 1997, at 6.00 pm.
WESTERN: At Laide on Tuesday, 17th December, at 6.00 pm.
SKYE: At Portree on Tuesday, 11th February, 1997, at 11.00 am.
OUTER ISLES: At Stornoway on Tuesday, 10th December, at 1.00 pm.
AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND: At Auckland on Friday, 24th January, 1997, at 2.30 pm.
Day of Humiliation and Prayer
IT was agreed at the meeting of Synod in May, that Wednesday, 11th December, be kept as a day of humiliation and prayer throughout the bounds of the Church, to pray, and confess our national and personal sins, “and to cry to God for divine and gracious intervention in His way and to His glory.”
THEOLOGICAL CONFERENCE – 1996
THE THEOLOGICAL CONFERENCE will be held in Inverness Free Presbyterian Church as follows, D.V.
Tuesday, 3rd December
2.30 pm: Alexander Henderson, Rev. K. D. MacLeod, Leverburgh
7.00 pm: The Church of Rome at the Bar of History, Rev J MacLeod, Stornoway. (This meeting will be held in public)
Wednesday, 4th December
10.00 am: The Toronto Blessing, Rev. K. M. Watkins, London
2.30 pm: Personal Piety, Rev. Alex. McPherson, Perth
7.00 pm: The Need for Creeds and Confessions, Rev. Donald MacLean, Glasgow. (This meeting will be held in public)
(Rev) D.J. MacDonald
Secretarial / Administrative Assistant
Applications are invited for the full-time position of Secretary / Administrative Assistant to the Church’s General Treasurer, to be based in Glasgow. In order to fulfil the wide-ranging duties envisaged for this role, the applicant should be:
- an accomplished typist, preferably with audio typing skills
- computer literate, especially in word processing
- proficient to a high standard in written English
- polite and helpful, with a good telephone manner
- motivated, disciplined, reliable and of undoubted integrity
- in full sympathy with the principles of the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland.
Remuneration, which can include membership of a non-contributory pension scheme, will be dependent on qualifications and experience. For an application form, please write to or telephone Mr R. A. Campbell, 133 Woodlands Road, Glasgow G3 6LE (Tel. 0141 332 9283). Closing date for applications: 31 December, 1996.
(Rev.) K. M. Watkins, Convener, Finance Committee
Notice to Congregational Treasurers
The General Treasurer requests Congregational Treasurers to send their final remittances for 1996 to him no later than Friday, 27th December, 1996, to allow these to be banked by 31st December, 1996. All payments not banked by the end of the year will be treated as receipts for 1997.
R. A. Campbell, General Treasurer
List of Communions
THE list of Communions on the inside of the front cover of this magazine has been corrected for 1997. The editor would be glad to hear of any further changes which may require to be made.
Details of Congregations
IT has been drawn to the notice of the editor that some entries under “Free Presbyterian Places of Worship”, on the back cover of the Magazine, are incorrect or incomplete. The editor cannot act until he is contacted by the congregations concerned. He would be glad therefore to hear from ministers or Kirk-Sessions about any necessary updating of entries.
Note: Because of lack of space some articles are held over until next month.
Acknowledgements of Donations
THE GENERAL TREASURER acknowledges with sincere thanks the following donations:
Bookroom Fund: J.W.S.D. (Orkney), £50; R.M. (North Uist), £32; both per M.M.
Eastern Europe (Romania): Anon £40; Miss M. Robertson $100 US; Free Church Friend, £5; London Friends, £5; Anon, London, £25; Friend, Perth, £30; all per Rev. D.A.R.
Foreign Mission Fund: Anon (Oct), $100 Canadian.
Welfare of Youth Fund: Youth Conference lecture tapes sales, £75.
CONGREGATIONAL TREASURERS acknowledge with sincere thanks the following donations:
Aberdeen: Bookroom Fund: Anon, envelope in collection plate, £20, per R.R. Bruce.
Barnoldswick: Where Most Needed: Anon, £5; Anon, £35; Anon, £5; all per envelope in plate.
Communion Expenses: Anon, £60, per General Treasurer; Anon, £5; E.K., £50, both per envelope. Welfare of Youth Committee Fund: From Youth Conference tapes sales (1995), £10, per envelope. Towards Cost of Hot Water Installation: £13, per envelope in collection plate.
F.P. Cause in U.K.: Dutch Friend, £20, per envelope in collection plate.
Bracadale – Strath: Where most Needed: Miss M. MacAskill, £1.50; A friend, £60; both per Rev. G. G. H. Broadford F.P. Church Sustentation Fund: Mrs J. Curtain, Heasta, “in loving memory of my dear husband,” £700. Bible distribution: Mrs J. Curtain, Heasta, “In loving memory of my dear husband,” £300; both per the Treasurer.
Daviot, Stratherrick, Tomatin: Communion Expenses: Anon, £20, per envelope in plate.
Dingwall and Beauly: Eastern Europe Fund: A friend, £100, per Rev. N.M.R.
Dornoch, Bonar Bridge: Hearing Aid Systems: Anon, £100, per Treasurer.
Gairloch: Congregational Funds: Anon, £20, per J.M.; Anon, £20; Anon, £50; Anon, £200; Anon, £60; Friend, £10; Friend, £20; all per Rev. A. E. W. MacDonald.
Glasgow: Sustentation Fund: Miss N. H., £40; Stornoway friends, £15; both per Rev. D. M.; Mrs B., £22, per I.Mck.; Anon, £25; Anon, £13; Mrs N. C., £10; Anon, £100. Congregational Fund: Executor of the will of Mrs Taylor, £1000; Mrs C. M., £100; Anon, £25 for maintenance of hearing aid system. Bus Fund: Anon, £20; Anon, £40. Eastern Europe and T.B.S. Fund: Anon, £40; Anon, £40; Anon, £40. Eastern Europe Fund: Anon, £55; Interested, £100; Anon, £100; Anon, £10. Eastern Europe and African Missions Funds: Anon, £210. Foreign Mission Fund: Anon, £100
North Harris: Communion Expenses: Friends, Stockinish, £20; Friend, Kyles, £10; both per Rev. R.McL.
Portree: Where needed: In memory of the late Donnie Morrison, £500, per F.M.; Church Bus: Anon, Braes, £50, per envelope in plate. Sustentation Fund: Friend, £10, per S.Y.M.
Shieldaig: Where most needed: “In memory of a beloved husband and father,” £100
Staffin: Where most needed: Anon, £40, per envelope in plate.
Stornoway: Sustentation: K.A.McL., £120; Friend, £10; Friend, £10; all per Rev. J.McL.; Anon, £100, per church plate. Unspecified: Anon, “In memory of Donald and Effie Macleod of Stornoway and Oakland, California, and Donald Murdoch Macleod of Stornoway and his wife Helen, both of Long Island, New York,” £25, per church plate. Where Most Needed: Friend, £3, per church plate. Communion Expenses: Friend of the Cause, Breasclete, £10; Anon, £5; both per church plate.
Uig, Isle of Lewis: Communion Expenses: Anon, £50; Anon, £40; Anon, £20; Anon, £10; Anon, £10; per church door collection; C.M. Valtos, £20, per D.A. McK.