JAMES Henderson was born in the city of Glasgow on 11th August 1909. Both his parents were natives of Sanna, Ardnamurchan, Argyllshire. His father, Hugh, on leaving his native village, came to Glasgow and began a seafaring life. He also began to attend the services in St. Jude’s Church, under the ministry of the Rev. Neil Cameron, where, in due time, he was awakened to a true sense of his sins against God. He obtained a saving knowledge of the Saviour through a sermon preached on a Sabbath morning from the words, “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal life,” (John 3:14, 15). In 1924, Hugh Henderson became a deacon in the congregation and was held in high esteem by the people of God there. The message he left with his family when he died was this: “The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.”
James’s mother was a communicant in the Free Church before the founding of the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland in 1893. Once she saw the clear need for a faithful stand on the side of the Word of God, she cast in her lot with the Free Presbyterian Church, and became a communicant in St. Jude’s Congregation. She was a lively and spiritually-minded Christian, and the present writer spent many happy hours in her company.
James thus enjoyed the inestimable privilege of being brought up in a godly home, where true piety was evidently set before him. Such a privilege, though precious, is not sufficient of itself to turn sinners from the error of their ways, and James, who had decided to follow his father’s footsteps as a seafarer, remained unconcerned about the welfare of his soul in his early years.
One Sabbath evening in 1936, however, he suggested to his sister that they should go to church to please the “old lady”, a term he used to refer to his mother. The preacher that evening was the Rev. Donald Beaton, Oban, and James was arrested by the power of the Holy Spirit accompanying the sermon. He came under deep conviction of sin, and saw his need of salvation. After some time in this condition, his soul found a resting place as he was reading his Bible in private. The portion made precious to him on that occasion was, “For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus, our Lord.” (Rom 8:38, 39).
James’s conscience, being purged by the blood of Christ from dead works, was now tender with respect to the Word of God. The Sabbath work involved in his seafaring life at that time, caused him to feel that he could no longer continue in that career. As a result he did not complete the voyage for which he was engaged in 1937. He took up work in a shipyard with a much lower pay and inferior status. Peace of conscience was more precious to him than worldly gain of any sort.
In 1938 he went before the Kirk-Session of St. Jude’s Congregation, and was welcomed as a communicant there. About this time, a group of young men in the congregation used to meet together for a private prayer-meeting in the home of an eminently pious lady, Miss Morton. She was a daughter of Thomas Morton, who had been an elder in the congregation of the renowned Rev. J. R. Anderson of Glasgow. James joined this group. With the outbreak of the Second World War, the group was broken up as each of the young men was called up for war service. (Now, only two remain of those who enjoyed much fellowship in the grace of prayer. One is the present writer; the other is the Rev. Alexander McPherson, Perth).
On being called up in 1941 for war service, he was appointed the captain of a ship, and was preserved in safety during these war years. When he was discharged in 1946, he became the Captain of a Fishery cruiser, which policed the seas to prevent illegal fishing. Later, he became the Commodore of the Fishery Fleet.
In 1943 he married Miss Margaret MacDonald, a native of Applecross, who proved to be a true helpmeet to him in every way.
They had a family of one daughter and three sons.
In September 1956 he was ordained as an elder in St. Jude’s Congregation, Glasgow, and carried out the duties of that office to the satisfaction of all. In 1975 he moved house to Dumbarton, and in due course was inducted as an elder in the Dumbarton Congregation.
Like all the Lord’s people, James had his share of troubles in this world. While still in his prime, his strong frame was shaken by a severe stomach operation which, to a considerable extent, affected and limited his activities from then on. The death, in 1992, of his youngest son James, was very deeply felt, as he had been a very dutiful son to his parents.
James was a loyal Free Presbyterian. Of this none could be in doubt who had any personal knowledge of him. His interest in each congregation where he had been an elder was deep and prayerful. The difficulties which arose in the Dumbarton Congregation in recent times he found to be painful indeed. He was a bulwark to those in Dumbarton who appreciated the position of the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland when others turned their backs on its testimony and went their own way. Although of an outwardly stern demeanour, James was in fact a most affable and pleasant companion. He and his like-minded wife were very happy when the Lord’s people would gather at communion seasons and enjoy the hospitality of their home.
Although he was carrying on his duties as elder and treasurer in his congregation, it began to be evident to all that his strength was almost gone. He was eventually taken to hospital, where he enjoyed great peace, and seemed to be feeding on Psalm 51. On 10th April, 1996, he passed away to his eternal rest. “Help Lord, for the godly man ceaseth; for the faithful fail from among the children of men,” (Psalm 12:1).
To his sorrowing widow and family we extend our sincere sympathy. May the One who is “a father of the fatherless and a judge of the widows,” be near to each one of them.
(Rev.) D. M.