Rev J MacLeod
On Saturday, April 30, the annual mission-day meeting of the Mbuma Zending was held. The more central and more convenient Geldermalsen venue being now permanently unavailable on account of the redevelopment of the site, the gathering this year took place in Utrecht. The change of venue, however, does not appear to have significantly affected the numbers attending and, by the time proceedings started at 10.30 am, over 4000 people were already seated in the arena.
As usual, the Mbuma Zending Board Chairman, Ds Tj de Jong, gave the opening address, in the course of which he extended a warm welcome to me as representing the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland among them. He referred to the work being done in Zimbabwe and Kenya and intimated that Mbuma Zending had recently increased its quarterly contributions to the work by 15%. Addresses were given by several ministers and one layman, who spoke more particularly to the children present. Apart from the writer’s
2John Gair was a relative of the celebrated Alexander Gair. A curious anecdote concerning him is given in John Noble, Religious Life in Ross, Inverness, 1909, pp 157-8.
3John M’Nuctar was “a pious and useful” catechist. See Religious Life in Ross, p 159.
4Donald Mitchell was catechist of Kilmuir, and regarded as one of the brightest Christians in Ross-shire, see Religious Life in Ross, pp 142-3, and John Kennedy, Days of the Fathers in Ross-shire, Inverness, 1897, pp 102-3. He died in 1833.
5Hector Holm was the “Gaius” of the Men of Ross-shire. He lived near the ferry at Invergordon and extended hospitality to many. John Macdonald, Ferintosh, stayed with him as a student on his way from Caithness to Aberdeen, and Hector was later instrumental in securing his call to Ferintosh. He was still alive in 1830; see John Kennedy, Apostle of the North, Inverness, 1932, pp 19,39,150,152; Religious Life in Ross, pp 201-3; Days of the Fathers, p 221.
6Hugh Ross or Buie, though unable to read, was one of the most eminent Men of Ross-shire. He died suddenly during dinner on Sabbath afternoon at Donald Sage’s manse at the age of 98, perhaps about 1830. In his early years he had been a hearer of James Fraser of Alness, author of the work on Sanctification; see Donald Sage, Memorabilia Domestica, Wick, 1899, pp 317-8; Religious Life in Ross, pp 47-53; Days of the Fathers, pp 99-102.
address, and some brief remarks by Ds Tj de Jong at the beginning of the meeting, all the proceedings were in Dutch. The writer is unable to comment on the content of these addresses, but he can say that the atmosphere was cordial and that the support of our Dutch friends continues unabated. This was the forty-second consecutive mission-day gathering and their help over the years is unmeasurable. This year – on this one day alone – the sum collected was £22 000.
At the gathering, it was a pleasure to meet three members of our staff, all nursing sisters, who were home in Holland on well-earned furloughs: Peta van de Ridder, Gilia van Wijngaarden and Petra Beukers.
With Mr van den Breejen acting as precentor, the singing of the selected psalms by the thousands present – unaccompanied by instrumental music – was melodious and impressive. We would like to pay tribute again to the work done behind the scenes by Mr H van Vliet, the Secretary of Mbuma Zending. It is he who is largely responsible for organising these annual meetings, and the fact that everything goes so well, year after year, bears testimony to his ability. To him and his wife and also Mr and Mrs Slabberkoorn, in whose hospitable home we stayed overnight, we are especially grateful.
Address: To begin with, I would like to thank the Mbuma Zending Board for inviting me to attend this meeting and for giving me the opportunity of addressing once again this large gathering of people. Your continuing support of the mission work of the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland is, I assure you, much appreciated by the Foreign Missions Committee and by many throughout the Church, in the United Kingdom and abroad. It is appropriate that I should take this opportunity of thanking you most sincerely. There are many in Africa today who have benefited from the educational and medical facilities which the Church has provided, largely as a result of your generosity. But while we would all wish to see poor children in Africa given the same chance as children in Holland and Britain to receive a good education – and likewise sick people to receive help and treatment – we, above all, desire the salvation of never-dying souls. We hope that we are following in the footsteps of those who were first of all commissioned by the Saviour to “go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature”. This is the duty that the great Head of the Church has laid upon us; but it is only through the blessing of the Holy Spirit that our preaching will lead sinners to repentance and salvation.
The prophet Isaiah, after labouring for many years, was found enquiring: “Who hath believed our report, and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed”. The report is, of course, the gospel, as the Apostle Paul tells us in his Epistle to the Romans. “But they have not all obeyed the gospel,” he wrote, as moved
by the Spirit of God, “for Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report? So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” A report is something that is spread abroad and therefore heard. The gospel is the most wonderful and glorious report ever heard in this fallen world. It is “the gospel of peace”, “glad tidings of good things”; it is the report of what has been accomplished by God’s righteous Servant, the Lord Jesus Christ, in coming to save lost and ruined sinners.
That is what we all are by nature, every one of us present here, whether we are young or old; by nature we are alienated from God and exposed to His wrath and curse on account of our sins. The gospel is a report of the amazing love of God to sinners. We teach that the eternal salvation of that multitude which no man can number of the race of Adam, whom Christ came to save, is to be traced back to His sovereign purpose, love and grace. We are told that those redeemed by the shed blood of Christ are to be “out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation”. Repentance and remission of sins are therefore to be preached in His name among all nations. The gospel is a report of the most wonderful events that this world has seen – events which are linked to man’s highest interests for eternity. It makes known the way of salvation through the incarnation, life, death and resurrection of the Son of God, the Lord of glory.
Since there is none righteous by nature – all having sinned and having come short of the glory of God – poor sinners need Christ as their Saviour, whatever their background, nationality or colour of skin may be. If they are to be saved, they must believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. “There is none other name given under heaven among men, whereby we must be saved.” But sinners cannot believe in one of whom they have not heard. Faith cometh by hearing, and it is the Word of God that they are to hear. That Word is the record that God has given to us of His Son. Moses and the Prophets spoke of His sufferings and the glory that was to follow – that is what they were instrumental in revealing – and it is the same theme that was taken up by the Apostles. “Unto whom it was revealed,” Peter wrote, “that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.”
We seek to follow Paul’s example. Whatever opposition he met with – from the Jews, who regarded the preaching of the cross as a stumbling block; and from the Greeks, who regarded it as foolishness – he steadfastly continued to “preach Christ crucified”. This was the gospel which was preached by Scottish ministers of old, some of whom found refuge in Holland in times of persecution. We firmly believe that the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland,
whose mission work you support, is the true representative of the Reformation Church of Scotland. We are not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is “the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth”. That gospel remains as unchanging as its Author – Jesus Christ, who is “the same yesterday, today, and for ever”. When accompanied with power, it is “the arm of the Lord revealed”.
We appeal to the praying people of God present here to seek, at the throne of grace, that that mighty arm would be revealed in Zimbabwe and in Kenya – and, yes, also, throughout the nations of the world, Holland and Britain included. Nothing short of that is going to bring men to faith and repentance! May the One who has been given all power in heaven and in earth hasten the time when “the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.”