Mr John Buchanan, Uig
The subject of this obituary, Mr John Buchanan, served as an elder in the Uig congregation for nearly 50 years. John was born in Breanish, in the parish of Uig, Isle of Lewis, on 9 January 1925. He enlisted in the Royal Navy during the Second World War but was invalided out towards the end of that conflict. Thereafter he spent most of his life in his native parish working as a crofter and weaver. John’s parents had been adherents in the Uig congregation and carefully instructed their children, keeping family worship regularly as was so common in communities such as Uig during the earlier part of the twentieth century. The privileges of growing up in an environment where the Word and worship of God were honoured were not inconsiderable, yet these outward blessings in and of themselves were not enough to effect the new birth.
The great change in John’s life, however, occurred through the work of the Holy Spirit blessing the public means of grace to his precious soul. The instrument used by the Lord was Mr Donald MacDonald (Dòmhnull Rudair), a worthy elder from Ness, who was supplying the Uig congregation on one occasion. As far as we know, this occurred in the 1950s, during the period of Rev Lachlan Macleod’s ministry in Uig. John was enabled to profess Christ publicly for the first time at the Uig communion in June 1963 and it is no exaggeration to say that he adorned that profession for almost 52 years in this world, until his death at the age of 90 on Sabbath, 10 May 2015. He married Joan MacLeod, from Aird, Uig, in 1960, and the Lord blessed them with a family of one son and three daughters.
John was elected to the office of deacon in 1965, and in the following year he was ordained to the eldership. He served on the courts of the Church over many years and particularly enjoyed attending the meetings of Synod, where he could meet with like-minded brethren from other congregations of the Church. Though John Buchanan was a reticent and humble man, yet he was firm and solid in his witness for the Saviour and consistent and careful as an office-bearer in the Church. He was fully resolved to maintain the biblical principles and practice which he had inherited and, though there are few left in Uig nowadays who value those principles, yet we believe that John’s witness will never be forgotten by Him who has a book of remembrance for those who fear His name.
It was noticeable at the time of his funeral – from the various testimonies to his sterling worth coming from different sources – that we had lost one whose quiet, unassuming walk in life was “known and read of all men”. He was much loved in his own family; he was esteemed and admired by his brethren in the Church; but he also had a “good report of them which are without”, for he was looked up to in the place where he lived. One man in the community mentioned to us how much fatherly kindness John showed him when he started in the world of work.
John Buchanan was firmly attached to the testimony of the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland and in his public exercises manifested a concern for the welfare of precious souls and a love for the glory of God revealed in the gospel of Jesus Christ. We used to be struck in the prayer meeting with his frequent use of the words, “Thoir dhachaidh oirnn . . .” (Bring home to us . . .), at the beginning of many of his petitions in prayer. This further demonstrated that Divine and eternal things were real to our late friend.
John was able to attend public worship regularly until his last day on earth, travelling over the narrow and winding road from Islivaig to Miavaig. His journey through the wilderness of this world is now at an end, and we fully believe that our late friend has been brought peacefully and safely to the haven which he desired to see for so many years, to that glorious habitation where the worship of God will never cease to all eternity. “And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as bride adorned for her husband” (Rev 21:2).
(Rev) A W MacColl
Miss Ina Macdonald, North Uist
The late Ina Macdonald was born on 8 July 1924, the youngest of a family of 10. Her father was the late William Macdonald, Old Inn, Tigharry, a noted elder in the North Uist congregation. Her mother was the late Flora
Janet Macdonald from Hougharry. One of her brothers, Donald Ewen Macdonald, was also an elder in this congregation.
She along with her brothers and sisters were brought up in a godly environment. She attended the local primary school in Tigharry, then transferring to Paible Junior Secondary for the first three years of secondary education, before going on to Portree High School to complete her education. The Bible and The Shorter Catechism were taught in the local schools in those days.
She went to Aberdeen University, graduating in 1945. She started her teaching career in Balnain Junior Secondary School in Inverness-shire, where she spent two years, followed by three years in Alyth, Perthshire. She then moved to Barrhead High School, where she spent the rest of her career, teaching English and Latin. She retired at the age of 60, after a total of 38 years in the teaching profession.
Like many others, she was long in a state of nature, and as she would often say to me, “I was in the world and of it”. She had two major operations, the first when she was still teaching. It was during her first illness that she came under soul concern. Under the ministry of Rev Donald MacLean, Glasgow, she received the liberty of the gospel as he preached from the text, “A bruised reed shall He not break, and the smoking flax shall He not quench: He shall bring forth judgement unto truth” (Is 42:3). She received encouragement to go forward to the Lord’s table through another sermon by Mr MacLean on the Song of Solomon 2:3, particularly the words, “I sat down under His shadow with great delight, and His fruit was sweet to my taste”. She professed faith in Glasgow for the first time at the communion season in November 1979.
She came back to North Uist after the death of her sister Margaret in December 1998, just before the death of Rev Alexander Morrison in March 1999. I got to know her well over these 16 years and enjoyed fellowship with her on many occasions.
She remained remarkably fit despite her previous illness and operations; she was in the means of grace, Sabbath and weekday, almost to the end. When visiting her, especially during the last two years of her life, I would often ask her how she was and inevitably her reply was, “Another day on mercy’s ground”. She was choice company and a praying woman; she loved the cause of Christ and the testimony our Church stood for.
Another light has gone out in North Uist and in the local congregation here. She passed away in the Western Isles Hospital on Friday, 31 July 2016. Her older sister, Dolina Macdonald, predeceased her in March of the previous year and we believe they are now gathered in to their people among the spirits of just men made perfect. To all her nieces and nephews and extended
family we extend our sincere sympathy and hope and pray that they will come out on the side of the Saviour. (Rev) Donald Macdonald