The Record - June/July 2021 by Free Church of Scotland

THE

RECORD

MONTHLY MAGAZINE OF THE FREE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND JUNE/JULY 2021 • £2.00

Editor • John Macdonald The Editor, Free Church Offices, 15 North Bank Street, The Mound, Edinburgh, EH1 2LS editor@freechurch.org News Editor • Dayspring MacLeod dayspring.macleod@icloud.com 07974 261567 Missions News • Sarah Johnson Free Church Offices, 15 North Bank Street, Edinburgh, EH1 2LS sarah@freechurch.org WfM Editor • Fiona Macaskill 8 Campsie Drive, Glasgow, G61 3HY rfmacaskill@me.com Gaelic Editor • Janet MacPhail 24 North Bragar, Isle of Lewis, HS2 9DA 01851 710354 Seminary News • Rev. Thomas Davis St. Columba's Free Church, Johnston Terrace Edinburgh, EH1 2PW thomas@stcolumbas.freechurch.org Prayer Diary • Dayspring Macleod dayspring.macleod@icloud.com Design & Layout • Fin Macrae @DUFI Art www.dufi-art.com The Record • ISSN 2042-2970 Published • The Record is produced by The Free Church of Scotland, Free Church Offices, 15 North Bank Street, The Mound, Edinburgh, EH1 2LS 0131 226 5286 offices@freechurch.org This QR Code will direct you to the digital version of the magazine on ISSUU. Available for 30 days for current print subscribers.

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Cover: Photo Joshua Hoehne on Unsplashf

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CONTENTS

WELCOME TO THE JUNE/JULY RECORD

n this month’s edition, you will find a report from

04 REPORT FROM THE 2021 GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE FREE CHURCH The Editor

the 2021 general assembly of the free church.

The commissioners met online over three days. They heard some very encouraging reports, not least from the Mission Board and Board of Ministry. They also discussed the vital issue of improving communication to the Church’s members, and to our society as a whole. The way the Free Church relates to, and seeks to influence, the Government became one of the themes of this year’s Assembly. The Assembly took up the Moderator's challenge to get 'match fit' as we get back on the mission field after COVID. This month marks the centenary of the arrival of J. Calvin Mackay in Cajamarca, Peru to begin missionary work whose effects are still felt today. We begin to reflect on this work and its legacy in the current issue, and will return to it in the coming months. I want to express my sincere thanks to the Rev. Thomas Davis, who writes the last of his informative and inspiring articles on ETS this month. Thomas has been an enormous support and encouragement to me since I started editing The Record. Beginning in August’s magazine, the ETS News will be coordinated by Willie MacKenzie. Willie sits on the Seminary Board and is also Director of Publishing at Christian Focus. •

THE CHURCH AND THE STATE The Editor

WHAT CAN WE LEARN FROM THE PERUVIAN CHURCH?

TELLING A STORY THAT NEEDED TO BE TOLD Iain Fraser Grigor

FREE CHURCH NEWS

REMEMBERING ELIZABETH GRAHAM

OBITUARIES

WORLD NEWS UK, US, Haiti, South Sudan, India

ETS NEWS Thomas Davis

PRAYER DIARY

HEART APOLOGETICS: SUFFERING Dayspring MacLeod

If you have any news articles please send them to dayspring.macleod@icloud.com.

I'D KNOW THAT VOICE ANYWHERE David Randall

Yours in Christ

PAGES FROM ADAM'S DIARY CHRISTIANS IN A DISTANT TOWN

POETRY PAGE John Bunyan

BOOK REVIEWS Free Church Books

MISSION MATTERS David Meredith

AR FEAR-CUIDEACHAIDH Janet MacPhail

John

40 POST TENEBRAS LUX Catriona Murray

That in all things he might have the pre-eminence Colossians 1:18 2021

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REPORT FROM THE 2021 GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE FREE CHURCH BY THE EDITOR The 2021 General Assembly sat from Monday 17th until Wednesday 19th May. The Fathers and Brethren considered the Free Church’s mission in today’s world and its vision to have a ‘healthy gospel church for every community in Scotland’. MODERATORS’ MESSAGE

He told the Assembly that various kinds of ministry are described in Acts: ministry in both urban and rural areas; ministry to crowds and to individuals; ministry which included all people-groups; and both local and global mission. We, too, must pursue all of these. They are not competing or conflicting ministries, but they are all part of one mission to make disciples of all nations. Mr MacDonald observed that we should use the Free Church’s voice to pursue justice and solve social problems, but there is one message which the church proclaims — and concentrates on above all else — and that is the good news of the Kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ.

The two Moderators used their addresses to commend a firm focus on mission. They were clear that the proclamation of the gospel must be the Free Church’s primary work, and that the Church’s ministers and elders must equip their people for this task. Their message set the scene for the deliberations to come.

READY FOR MISSION The Retiring Moderator, Rev. Donnie G. MacDonald, opened the Assembly by preaching from Acts chapter 8. He observed that the chapter describes a church which was ministering in hard times, and shows the kind of ministry that we, as a church, should be involved in.

Retiring Moderator, Rev. Donnie G MacDonald

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He concluded by describing the sort of missionaries we ought to be. In Acts 8, Philip proves to be willing to do anything. He will serve, wait tables, preach, and speak with individuals. And he is willing to go anywhere – from the city to the desert. He is full of the Spirit and of wisdom. He is capable of preaching and of explaining the Word clearly and powerfully, in a way people can understand. He is also obedient to God. In the same way, and proclaiming the same good news, we must be willing to go wherever God sends.

going to stop us. Our aim should be to finish the race and complete the task that Jesus has given us. And yet, we have been worn out by the pandemic. There is tension between the never-ceasing call to mission and the fact that, as labourers, we at times feel weary and tired. It is hard going. But, if we stop mission, the Moderator said, we stop being the church. Paul knew he couldn’t give up on the task of mission. We know we can’t give up. What we do is vital. Heaven and Hell, life and eternity, are at stake.

HANDING OVER

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After his sermon, Mr MacDonald nominated the Rev. Neil MacMillan, minister of Cornerstone, Edinburgh, as Moderator of the 2021 General Assembly. The Rev. Dr Bob Akroyd, in seconding the nomination, told the Assembly of Mr MacMillan’s passion, commitment, perseverance in ministry, and his experience reaching out with the gospel. He added that Mr MacMillan shows ETS students what mission looks like from a practitioner’s perspective, and that he presents our denomination well as he pursues the mission to plant churches. Following his election, the new Moderator said, ‘I love the Free Church. I have been part of the Free Church all of my life. But that’s not what counts in the end. What counts is that the Free Church is a denomination that loves the gospel and loves Jesus Christ deeply. That is what unites us and gives us true fellowship as we seek to serve Jesus and make him known.’ Mr MacMillan thanked Donnie G. MacDonald for his outstanding service to the Church as Moderator. He expressed gratitude on behalf of the Assembly that Mr MacDonald had continued in the role for two years, carrying it through the COVID pandemic. Donnie G. brought kindness, positivity and great pastoral wisdom during a difficult season in which the denomination needed to be encouraged and to be pointed, again and again, to Jesus.

PRESENCE

A TASK UNFINISHED

GROUNDED IN THE TRUTH

In his own address to the Assembly, the Moderator preached from Acts 20:22-24. Mr MacMillan said that we are involved in ‘a task unfinished’. Less than 3% of Scots define themselves as evangelical Christians, and we have an evangelistic task of great urgency. We are the church of Jesus Christ on mission, in Scotland, in the 21st century. And we really need to push on with the mission of the gospel and be determined that nothing is

Mr MacMillan asked the Assembly to think about the kind of people we are sending out on mission. The contemporary mission movement has been undermined by a lack of teaching and discipleship, he argued. People have been told to go out into the culture with the gospel, but the culture has evangelised them rather than the other way around. Faith has been eroded, and some have fallen away. To stop this, we have to create ‘cultures of

So, as we emerge from lockdown, Mr MacMillan sought to understand two things. First, how do we get match-fit when we feel so weary? And second, how should we play when we get back on the pitch? His answers were Presence and Partnership. To get ready for mission again, he said, we need to think deeply about what it means to live in the presence of God. Mission is God’s work. And he chooses to do it through us and with us. So, in our weakness and weariness, we must turn to God. There are challenges posed by absence — because our culture tells us that God is not present; and distraction — because invasive technologies constantly demand our attention. Both of these push against us as we try to be in God’s presence. But Jesus said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations… And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age’ (Matthew 28:19-20). From this promise, the Moderator drew the conclusion that ‘Mission is always accompanied by the covenanted presence of God with his people.’ This, then, is how we get match-fit and mission-ready: by seeking more of the presence of God in our own lives. By living more deliberately, clearly, and thoughtfully before the face of God. We need more of Jesus if we want to do more mission.

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deep discipleship’. The Moderator challenged the Church to answer some fundamental questions: Where do our people go to learn more about the Bible, Christian doctrine, evangelism, apologetics and pastoral care? Where do they linger together over the Word? And where do they linger together in fellowship and community? How do we make Sunday a feast day with well-crafted liturgy, deep theology and joyful worship — a day that sustains our people as they live on mission through the week? How do we keep their eyes fixed on Jesus, their hearts warm and their yoke easy? What place is there in the church for catechesis? ‘It has always been my hope,’ he continued, ‘if I was ever in a position to influence the Free Church, to be known as the man who campaigned for the catechism,’ because our people need to be deeply grounded in the truth. ‘For mission to go ahead, we need to slow down and think about how we and the people in our churches move more deeply into the inexhaustible riches that are in Christ Jesus our Lord. And as we do so, we create something that is a helpful witness. I would call it “slow evangelism”,’ in contrast to our fast-paced, distracted culture where people are anxious, exhausted and looking for rest. We need to talk about rest, Mr MacMillan advised, and to practise that restfulness in order to show others that the fulfilment they seek is ultimately found in the Lord.

anxious. But he is determined. His fellowship with the Ephesian church is precious and enriching. Paul always operated in partnership with others. If we have a big vision for mission in Scotland, then we’ll know that, as a denomination, we can’t fulfil that vision on our own. We are not the only believers in Scotland, and Mr MacMillan encouraged the Church to be thankful for so many other Christ-loving, God-glorifying brothers and sisters. The Moderator noted that his predecessor, Thomas Chalmers, was passionately committed to evangelical catholicity. He knew that he needed to cooperate. We should do likewise. Our vision from the Board of Trustees is to have a healthy gospel church for every community in Scotland. There are others who share our vision, who also want to see the country re-evangelised. Mr MacMillan reminded the Assembly that, in recent years, the Free Church has developed partnerships with Operation Mobilisation, OMF, Redeemer City to City, Acts 29, 20schemes, the UK Partnership, Cornhill Training, the Bonar Trust, Biblical Counselling UK, and the Solas Centre for Public Christianity. These partners strengthen us, and hopefully we are strengthening others, too. He commended ‘30 by 30’ as a great project, but said that Scotland needs hundreds, if not thousands, of new and revitalised churches. So we need to work well with those who share our gospel convictions. ‘The Free Church at its best is warmhearted, generous, evangelical, Christcentred and kind,’ Mr MacMillan said, ‘So let’s be great team players. Let’s be the kindest, most loving, most humble, most generous gospel church in Scotland.

PARTNERSHIP The Moderator asked the Free Church to think about the part we play in winning Scotland for Jesus. He argued that we must see ourselves as part of a bigger team. In Acts 20, Paul is in tears. He is tired and

New Moderator, Rev. Neil MacMillan

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WE WILL MAKE HIM KNOWN

‘We have exceptional training resources to offer to others. We have exceptional geographical reach. We have great theological stability through our unembarrassed commitment to the Westminster Confession. We have evangelistic passion. We are a praying church. We have ten thousand people. And we have a mighty God. We have many brothers and sisters in Jesus throughout Scotland who want to work with us for the glory of Jesus Christ. So let’s reach out to others around us who share our convictions and our love for Christ to work well. ‘There is a great mission; we cannot fulfil it on our own. There is an unfinished task. Let’s partner well.’

The Moderator concluded that, in the task of mission, the pandemic may have caused us to stumble or to lose heart. We may be in danger of fading out of the race. Therefore, we need to live close to Jesus more than ever. ‘The church exists for mission as a fire exists for burning,’ said Emil Brunner. ‘Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel,’ wrote Paul. ‘Jesus died for us and made us his children,’ said Mr MacMillan. ‘He has loved us with an everlasting love. We love him back. And because we love him, we will make him known. Because we love him, we bow in worship before him today.’ •

MISSION BOARD REPORT The Rev. Dr Bob Akroyd, who is stepping down from his role as Chairman of the Mission Board after a four-year term, introduced the Board’s report by recognising the team which is behind the huge amount of work being reported on. Dr Akroyd read from Isaiah 43:18-19, ‘Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.’ He told the Assembly, ‘Let’s never underestimate what God can do in the lives of his people, in the work of his church, in the mission of the gospel. Whether in the town of Kirkcaldy, Pulteney town in Wick, Ferguslie Park Paisley, Govan, Easterhouse, Niddrie, Muirhouse, Merkinch. In the big cities, in the rural districts. In the wealthy areas, in the poor districts. God has a vision that far exceeds our own. Let’s forget the former things. Let’s attempt great things for God. And let us expect great things from God.’ Dr Akroyd welcomed Abbeygreen Lesmahagow, the congregation having been admitted into the Free Church at the Commission of Assembly. He also highlighted the congregation of Campbeltown, seeking permission for a five-year reviewable appointment. Thanking the Rev. Rodger Crooks for his ministry in the congregation, Dr Akroyd said that God is at work in the church and in the community. He also expressed delight that the Cornerstone church plant in Edinburgh is applying to become a fully sanctioned charge. The Mission Board rejoices with the congregation over the growth and development of Cornerstone.

new churches have been planted. The Board hopes to approve at least three more church plants this year: Helensburgh from Glasgow City Free Church, led by the Rev. Duncan Murchison; Winchburgh from St Columba’s Free Church, led by Mr Robin Silson; and Galashiels, led by Mr Craig Anderson. In addition, work has begun to recruit church planters for Wick, Montrose and Chapelhall. The planned church plant in Wick is in partnership with Acts 29 Rural and 20schemes. Mrs Johnson told the Assembly that the biggest challenge facing the Church as it seeks to plant 30 churches will be recruiting enough church planters. She went on to express thanks for financial support that has been received by partners such as the UK Partnership. Mrs Johnson said that the Mission Board want the denomination to feel a part of the church-planting effort, and so is looking to communicate more with congregations. She asked the Church to pray that new people would be reached with the gospel, and that church planters will be called into the ministry. She also encouraged the Church to pray for our current church planters and their families. Finally, she gave an invitation to join the Mission Board’s vision weekend, being held from 24th to 26th September, in Edinburgh and online. Later in proceedings, the Assembly welcomed the appointment of the Moderator, the Rev. Neil MacMillan, as Church Planting Director to lead the 30 by 30 vision.

GLOBAL MISSION Mairi MacPherson, Mission Co-ordinator at the Mission Board, said that global mission work had been affected by the pandemic’s travel restrictions, lockdown rules and disruption to healthcare systems. However, Mrs MacPherson also reported that the Free Church has dedicated itself to prayer during COVID and more people have signed up to receive

CHURCH PLANTING Mission Co-ordinator Sarah Johnson addressed the work of church planting. She noted that, since the Mission Board’s aim to plant 30 churches by 2030 was endorsed by the 2017 General Assembly, four

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global mission prayer notes. She thanked people for setting aside the time to pray for global mission. She said that the Church has also been generous with its time, connecting virtually with brothers and sisters working around the world, inviting them to speak at prayer meetings and worship services and learn about their work. The Church has also been generous with its resources, organising fundraising to support, in particular, our partners in India, South African and Peru. Mrs MacPherson told the Assembly that the Free Church has formed a new partnership with OMF International, and more details on this will follow. The Board is working with the Hong Kong Ready initiative, led by Dr Krish Kandiah, which is preparing UK churches to welcome people who are expected to arrive from Hong Kong during 2021 as a result of political repression. The Board is encouraging local congregations to sign up to become a ‘Hong-KongReady’ church.

There are currently 18 churches making use of the Church Development Track to access help with planning, coaching and mentoring. The Board intend to hold a Rural Ministry Conference this year, and want to make rural ministry one of their ongoing priorities. The Assembly agreed that the post of Free Church Mission Director should be made a permanent position, with the Director appointed for a five-year term. Mr Meredith was reappointed to the role. The Assembly also accepted an amendment proposed by James Fraser concerned with the proposals from Education Scotland for teaching on relationships, sexual health and parenthood. These proposals lack any resources which are shaped by a Christian worldview. The Mission Board was tasked to work with other churches and sympathetic organisations to ensure that alternative resources are available to schools, teachers and parents. In welcoming the Mission Board’s report, the Rev. Thomas Davis paid tribute to the Mission Co-ordinators Sarah Johnson and Mairi MacPherson, the Camps Co-ordinator, Kirsten Macdonald, and the Camps Supervisor, Donald Macleod. Mr Davis said, ‘We have an amazing team who serve so faithfully. In Sarah, Mairi and Kirsten we have three missionaries pouring their hearts into spreading the good news of Jesus Christ. They have too much to do, and yet they carry that burden with amazing faithfulness and dedication.’

CHURCH DEVELOPMENT AND EQUIPPING The Free Church’s Mission Director, the Rev. David Meredith, noted that the work of church development can be slow and arduous. But, God can do it. In Ezekiel 37 God made the dry bones a great army. Mr Meredith reflected on developments that we have witnessed in the past. The Free Church congregations of Aberdeen, Buccleuch and Dundee were each close to closure at one stage, but are now strong and vibrant congregations. More recently, we have seen encouragements in Nairn, Kiltarlity and Burghead.

The Mission Board’s proposed deliverances were accepted by the Assembly. •

EDINBURGH THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY REPORT The report from Edinburgh Theological Seminary was presented by the Rev. Thomas Davis. Among the highlights he brought to the Assembly’s attention was the encouragement of ETS having taught 298 students in the last academic year. The work of teaching has been enabled by the dedication of the Seminary’s academic and administrative staff. Mr Davis was also grateful to Sharon Macleod for her help in delivering a much-improved website for ETS. The Centre for Mission, under the guidance of Alistair Wilson, also goes from strength to strength. Looking ahead, the Seminary is seeking to build stronger relationships with those who support the work both financially and in prayer through the ‘Friends of ETS’ initiative. ETS has agreed a policy by which research leave can be granted to full-time academic staff. Mr Davis reported that this is a positive step because ‘we would love to see the wisdom, experience and knowledge of our lecturers

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made more widely available through publications.’ In accepting the Seminary Board’s proposed deliverances, the General Assembly encouraged Free Church ministers to consider studying for the Master of Theology degree at ETS. The Assembly also recognised the key role of ETS, alongside Presbyteries, in preparing candidates for the ministry. Mr Davis reported that the Seminary will liaise with the Board of Ministry to ensure it can meet the training requirements for new ministers who are involved in the new four-year Minister-in-Training model. Mr Davis said that both the Board and the Seminary are really excited and committed to supporting this initiative. He assured the Assembly that ETS is in a position to provide ‘amazing support to this vision for a training programme which is more closely linked to the local church. ETS wants to give its all to help develop this.’ He concluded that it is wonderful to have an opportunity to work together with the Board of Ministry. •

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PSALMODY AND PRAISE COMMITTEE REPORT The Assembly accepted the Committee’s proposed deliverances, recognising the central place of psalm-singing in our worship services. The Assembly encouraged the Church to make use of the workshop service offered by the Committee to give practice in precenting and congregational singing and also encouraged congregations to arrange regular sessions for psalmody practice.

The Assembly adopted an amendment proposed by the Rev. Allan Shearer instructing the Psalmody and Praise Committee to expand its remit. The Assembly agreed the Committee should play a part in supporting excellence in public worship. •

BOARD OF TRUSTEES REPORT STRATEGY

Although the Board forecasts a deficit for 2021, Mr Forsyth reported that, as a result of sound financial stewardship over recent years, we can afford a short season of deficits. A deficit in the current year is ‘a better option than curtailing the work of the denomination,’ Mr Forsyth said, and is a result of conditions which should only last for a short time. To enable the Board to concentrate its financial support on areas which cannot proceed without intervention, the Trustees will be encouraging congregations to seek external funding for projects where it is available. The Assembly welcomed the encouraging report on the Church’s finances.

The Board of Trustees is commissioned by the General Assembly to oversee financial governance, legal compliance, and strategy on behalf of the Free Church. The new Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Donald Forsyth, noted that our strategy dictates how we manage our finances and compliance, and so is primary. The Assembly received, endorsed and adopted the Board’s proposed vision statement for the Church: ‘a healthy gospel church for every community in Scotland’. Mr Forsyth called this an ‘expansionist vision’ which calls us to reach the lost with the good news of Jesus Christ, equip disciples to live for Jesus Christ and plant, strengthen and revitalise churches. It is also internationalist, not parochial, because a healthy gospel church has a heart for the global fellowship of believers. In preparing to support the implementation of this vision, the Trustees are thinking through what will be needed to recruit and train ministers, support congregations, find others to work alongside, the best way to communicate and the financial model needed for growth. They now plan to contact Presbyteries and congregations to learn how all of this can best be done in the local church. Mr Forsyth said that the Board’s mindset is to help local congregations.

COMMUNICATION During their presentation, the Board of Trustees acknowledged that there is an urgent need to significantly improve the Free Church’s internal and external communication. The Board had previously established a Communications Oversight Group to write a strategy to improve this area of the Church’s work. As chair of the Oversight Group, the Rev. Thomas Davis highlighted to the Assembly Biblical Principles for Communication, a paper which had been presented to the 2019 Assembly and was formally adopted by the Assembly this year. The paper states that truth and integrity, humility and boldness, encouragement and up-building, excellence and caution, gospel and grace, unity and love are the foundational biblical principles of all our communication. Mr Davis called these Biblical Principles ‘the single most important document in front of you at this General Assembly’. He argued that the principles are essential as we seek to improve our communication in a God-honouring way. They are principles which

FINANCES The financial results for 2020 are better than could have been anticipated, resulting in an operating surplus of £131,000. The Board gave thanks to God for the generous congregational giving which allowed the Free Church to spend £3.4 million on ministry and mission, and a further £624,000 on ETS.

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should shape our conduct. They also stand as a test of whether values we proclaim — such as the importance of prayer, working together in unity, listening to each other — actually guide the way we communicate. He described the full report of the Oversight Group, Communicating with Grace and Wisdom, as a reference document to support improved communication. The Assembly agreed to adopt this report as a ‘roadmap’ which sets the direction for the development of communication within the Free Church. The Assembly gave its approval for a Communication

Group, under the oversight of the Board of Trustees, to lead the necessary improvements to communication across the Free Church. Then, following an Overture from the Presbytery of Inverness, Lochaber and Ross, the Assembly agreed to set up a Public Engagement Group, separate from the new Communications Group, which will be concerned with public policy and which will make representations to government on behalf of the Church. The Rev. Stephen Allison was appointed Public Engagement Coordinator, and will chair this group. •

BOARD OF MINISTRY REPORT The Free Church’s vision for healthy, gospel churches, its goal to plant 30 churches by the year 2030 and the ongoing work of church revitalisation cannot proceed without more ministers. The Rev. Paul Clarke, Chairman of the Board of Ministry, began his presentation of the Board’s report by reflecting on 2 Corinthians 4:1, and the fact that ‘the ministry in which we share is used by God the Holy Spirit to bring new life to people, to give them new hearts. It brings righteousness. It has permanent results. It allows people to behold the glory of God in the face of Christ. It transforms people into the likeness of Christ.’ The current work of the Mission Board is divided between two teams: the Student Team and the Ministry Team. Mr Clarke thanked the Rev. Ivor Macdonald and those who have worked alongside him on the Student Team. He also noted that, since the Commission of Assembly in March this year, five new ministry candidates have been approved by the Board. Mr Clarke thanked God for this answer to prayer. The next stage of the Student Team’s work is to write a full training plan to support candidates as they prepare for the ministry. The centrepiece of the Board’s report was the Journey into the Ministry Act, which proposed legislation to improve the application process and the support offered to candidates for the ministry. This includes an emphasis on testing and mentoring being provided by Kirk Sessions before a potential candidate makes a formal application. Mr Clarke also noted that, currently, there appears to be ‘a disconnect between Interim Moderators and students’ who are ready for a call. He suggested that the increasing number of students, and the fact that some are coming from churches which don’t have a long history in the

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Free Church, may partly explain this. The Ministry Team is led by the Rev. Derek Lamont. Over the past year, this team has agreed a clear set of aims for the pastoral care and further training of ministers and their families. The team is bringing together work such as in-service training and coaching so as to provide the best possible support to ministers. Mr Clarke’s goal is that the Board of Ministry is active in supporting Free Church ministers in their work. Following Mr Clarke’s presentation, an amendment was accepted which increased the minimum age for candidates to apply for the ministry from 18 to 21 years of age. The Rev. Ian Watson and the Rev. Callum Macleod proposed amendments to more clearly recognise the role and authority of Presbyteries in the process of approving ministry candidates, both of which were adopted by the Assembly. The Rev. Gordon Matheson proposed that support be provided to candidates coming into the Free Church from other denominations to help them understand the distinctives of our denomination and so that they may sign the Formula with a clear conscience. Mr Matheson said that the ministry of the Church has been enriched by the admission of ministers from other churches in recent years. Indeed, this year, the Assembly welcomed the Rev. Dr Cory Brock from the Presbyterian Church in America into the Free Church ministry. Mr Matheson’s proposal was welcomed by the Chairman of the Board of Ministry. The business of the General Assembly having been concluded, the Moderator thanked the Commissioners and closed with a benediction. The General Assembly agreed to meet again on Monday 23rd of May 2022 at 6pm. •

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debate on the relationship between the church and the government which has never been finally settled. In the 16th century, as the Crown and nobility sought to control the Kirk, Andrew Melville told the Monarch, ‘there are two Kings and two Kingdoms in Scotland. There is Christ Jesus the King, and his kingdom the Kirk, whose subject King James the Sixth is, and of whose kingdom not a king, nor a lord, nor a head, but a member.’ At the heart of the debate – then and now – is religious freedom. In Melville’s day, the Church sought to hold its own Assemblies and decide upon doctrine and discipline; whereas the King sought to declare himself, through an Act of Parliament, ‘absolute prince, judge and governor over all persons, estates, and causes, both spiritual and temporal’. Tyrants come and go, but their desire to control the church remains. In Nazi Germany, Karl Barth stood in Melville’s shoes when he wrote the Barmen Declaration. Today, the Chinese Communist Party uses the full force of modern technology in an attempt to monitor the church and dictate its message. We suffer no such oppression here, but neither do we enjoy some of the Scottish church’s former privileges. By the 17th century, Christianity was this country’s only significant religion and most Scots were members of the Kirk. The Westminster Confession of Faith demanded that the government protect religious liberty and not interfere in matters of faith. In such a time, the Establishment Principle’s application was fairly clear; and the presence of religious conflict made it a vital issue. And, even as recently as the 1921 Church of Scotland Act, the Principle has been affirmed as an important part of Scotland’s constitutional settlement.

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t was with boldness that the fathers and brethren of the 2021 general assembly awoke a sleeping giant

of ecclesiology. The nature of the relationship between the Church and the State has been left to lie in recent years. However, several items of business considered by this year’s commissioners brought it back to the fore.

DEEP ROOTS The Rev. Ian Watson and others submitted an Overture requesting that the Assembly establish a committee to interpret and apply the Establishment Principle in the 21st century, and to advise the Church on their conclusions. Mr Watson summarised the Establishment Principle as the agreement that the church and state ‘recognise and respect their separate jurisdictions. The state recognises that the church is free to define its doctrines, its mode of worship and its practise of discipline without any interference from the state. In turn, the church recognises and respects the responsibility of the state to legislate in matters outwith the spiritual sphere.’ In addition to this, the Principle – as it was originally applied – placed a responsibility on the government to assist the established Church, including by taking action to ‘maintain true religion and to suppress all idolatry and superstition’ (Scots Confession, 1560). The Establishment Principle, then, has deep roots in Scottish church history. But it has always been controversial. The Scottish Reformation launched a

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ANTIDISESTABLISHMENTARIANISM Today, however, the blessings of Parliamentary democracy and human rights legislation mean the Establishment Principle has become somewhat obscure. Yet, it remains part of our heritage. At the Disruption, Thomas Chalmers explained, ‘Though we quit the Establishment, we go out on the Establishment principle; we quit a vitiated Establishment but would rejoice in returning to a pure one. We are

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advocates for a national recognition of religion.’ And so it has remained. Returning to the 2021 General Assembly, it is the government-mandated closure of churches during the COVID pandemic which has brought the Principle to the fore for the Overture’s signatories. Mr Watson noted that there had been ‘willing acquiescence’ to this closure during the first lockdown, due to the seriousness of the situation. But the extended church closure during the second lockdown, continuing into 2021, was considered unnecessary by many in the Church, and also disproportionate given the possibility of gatherings in other settings. The text of the Overture itself notes that the Court of Session’s Judicial Review concluded, on the basis of this disproportionate treatment, that some of the restrictions on worship services were unlawful. Mr Watson allowed that no specific harm was intended by the government towards the church during the pandemic. But, he argued, the fact that the Scottish Government did not consider its obligations under the Establishment Principle in this instance suggests it sees the practise of faith as akin to a hobby rather than essential to the wellbeing of the nation. Mr Watson also said that he had found confusion in the Free Church about the application of the Establishment Principle when it came to the church closures. He is therefore concerned that future challenges to religious freedom may not be met with a clear response from the Church. In seconding the motion, the Rev. Benjamin Wilks noted that the Establishment Principle should also be considered beyond the problem of state interference with worship. It also demands that the church blesses the surrounding society by proclaiming biblical truth. Following discussion, the Assembly agreed that a committee should be set up to consider the Establishment Principle, acknowledging that clarity will help us to prepare for challenges to freedom of worship that we may face in the future. The Rev Gordon Matheson noted that exploring the Principle will be an opportunity to speak in a winsome way to government and society about the things we believe. Biblical truth is important to us because it is from God, and it blesses our society because it is for human flourishing.

to all in the Free Church of Scotland and to assure you of Her Majesty’s continued support.’ In response, the Assembly will send its Loyal and Dutiful Address to Her Majesty, which this year expresses condolences following the death of Prince Phillip, praises the rollout of the COVID vaccine, and assures the Queen of the ongoing prayers of the ministers and elders of the Free Church. Representatives of the Church and the State having duly, and politely, recognised each other’s place, the business of the Assembly continued.

PUBLIC QUESTIONS But, the Church was not yet finished with the State. An amendment was passed requiring the Mission Board to ensure that sex and relationship education resources written from a Christian perspective are made available to teachers and parents. This comes in response to the latest syllabus produced by Education Scotland, which approaches the subject from a secularist perspective. Then, an Overture from the Presbytery of Inverness, Lochaber and Ross, which was ultimately adopted by the Assembly, set up a Public Engagement Group to ‘speak on behalf of the Church’ on matters of public policy and legislation. The intention of the Overture’s authors was to take up the mantle of the Public Questions Committee, which was disbanded by the General Assembly in 2008. The Overture also instructs the Board of Trustees to appoint a Parliamentary Liaison Officer who will try to communicate the Free Church’s position on matters of public policy to members of Parliament and of our governments. Speaking on behalf of the Church is a weighty task. On the part of the Public Engagement Group, it will require prayer, research and consultation, and no doubt a great deal of discernment. If we would see this effort succeed, it also requires us, as members of the Free Church, to be switched on. So that we can properly inform the Public Engagement Group, we need to educate ourselves on the public policy questions of the day; to apply a biblical worldview to these matters; and to tell the Group how it should proceed on our behalf. On top of that, if we want our Church to be heard by the State, we need credibility. On some matters, that will require knowledge communicated graciously and persuasively. On others, there is no substitute for experience from the coal-face. We cannot tell the government how it should be looking after the stranger, the orphan or the widow unless we are prepared to look after them ourselves. The 2021 General Assembly was brave to revisit the Church’s relationship with the State. For our part, let’s pray for the Public Engagement Group and the Establishment Principle Committee as they go about their appointed tasks; and for ‘kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way’ (1 Timothy 2:2). •

LOYAL AND DUTIFUL In light of this discussion, it was interesting to see the Establishment Principle in practice later in proceedings, albeit ceremonially. The Moderator read a message from the Lord High Commissioner, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge (Earl of Strathearn in Scotland), who was unable to attend the General Assembly in person because it did not sit during the same week as the Church of Scotland General Assembly. He wrote, ‘I am pleased to pass on Her Majesty the Queen’s very best wishes

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What Can We Learn from the Peruvian Evangelical Church? By a former missionary to Peru

n 2021, churches planted and nurtured by free

Protestant evangelical church has been growing steadily across the nation for decades. Peruvian believers have faith that God will bless the church and bring more people into a living relationship with him because this is what they have experienced. Many have also seen God answering prayer for personal needs, such as provision of finances, healing or safe-keeping. It’s not all been a bed of roses and there are instances of church splits, disunity and unchristian behaviour among believers. Yet through it all there is a God-can-do-it attitude. Praising with passion Although it’s a stereotype that Latinos are more passionate than Europeans, in many cases it’s actually true. As far as Peruvians are concerned, this passion extends to football, driving, arguing, eating and, in the case of many believers, praising God. Surrounded by folks singing with gusto and freedom at church services is an incredibly powerful and uplifting experience. Studying God’s Word Before I lived in Peru I had no idea folks there were so studious. Although reading books is generally not the favourite pastime, Peruvians love doing courses and attending conferences. Many churches offer structured discipleship courses as well as a whole variety of meetings throughout the year. Now folks in Peru are delighted since they have access to online courses from across Latin America, which takes learning to a whole new dimension. Serving the whole person Getting involved in ministry and service is a big thing and everyone is expected to do something in the church. Peruvian believers are very conscious that many of their fellow-citizens live at or below the poverty line, and a lot of churches have some kind of mercy ministry, such as collecting nonperishable food for those in need or running a soup kitchen in a poor area. The church in Peru isn’t perfect, but it is being used by God to do great things. As we celebrate a hundred years of God’s people in Cajamarca, let’s look at the church in Peru as one of the jewels in our crown and be spurred on by their prayerfulness, evangelism, faith, praise, study and service. •

church of scotland missionaries in cajamarca, northern

peru,

are

celebrating

one

hundred

years of existence.

Protestant evangelical churches like these across Peru were birthed amid severe persecution, yet are now a flourishing presence throughout the country. As we celebrate the centenary with our brothers and sisters in Cajamarca, what can we learn from the evangelical church in Peru? Praying together in hard times My WhatsApp messages are jampacked with info from my friends in Peru. They include a mixture of prayer requests for family members and friends infected with COVID-19 or for those who have been bereaved, plus comments on the political situation. But mostly I receive Zoom invites to prayer meetings. Peruvians are suffering a severe health and economic crisis because of the coronavirus pandemic and facing political uncertainty due to controversial candidates running in presidential elections. When confronted with all this, the church’s first response is to pray. I remember being impressed by this focus on prayer when I lived in Peru, attending all-night vigils as well as weekly meetings with folks in my church. Peruvians have learned to pray and fast together in hard times through previous challenges, such as years of terrorism, political instability and financial upset, and the current crisis is no exception. Talking about Jesus Peruvian believers are usually not shy or scared to talk about Jesus. Of course, they live in a country where buses and taxis are emblazoned with signs saying, ‘The Lord is my Shepherd’ and religion is an everyday talking point. Yet evangelicals take advantage of this and share their faith through interactions in daily life as well as organised church outreach. Friends of mine often go on the bus in pairs, one to pray and the other to strike up a hopefully spiritual conversation with another passenger. Peruvian believers also talk about Jesus among themselves, often recounting answers to prayer or how God spoke into a specific situation through a Bible verse. Talking about Jesus is a natural part of conversation. Expecting God to work One reason Peruvian believers pray and witness is because they are expecting God to work. The

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Telling A Story That Needed to be Told BY IAIN FRASER GRIGOR

fter the trip, we loafed in the lounge of the

plan, at that point, was simply to put together a skeletal account of the story of the Free Church in the Andes. I took copious longhand and sometimes shorthand notes and typed them up in the evenings. (The shorthand, I noticed, still worked.) How, by the way, did I come to have shorthand? Back in the 1970s, when I was young and mad enough to write a book on the popular struggle for the 1886 Crofters’ Act, I taught myself Pitman’s shorthand, as it would speed the process of taking notes in libraries and archives. Guess what? You don’t need any of that old-fashioned nonsense nowadays. Oh no, not at all. You just take a photograph of the document in question with your mobile phone! An archivist in the National Records of Scotland showed me how, not so long ago... And then, it was the end of the year and everywhere was closed for the seasonal holidays. But of course, everywhere would soon be open again, as normal, for the whole twelve months of the coming new year. Why wouldn’t it, after all? I thought I might take myself to Peru at some point, and visit the fabled Moyobamba, so I spent much of January in Spain, with a view to improving my spoken Spanish. And in February, it was back to the Mitchell for the remainder of my research in The Record (with a trip or two to the National Library in Edinburgh, which seems to have a better holding for the Free Church missionary magazine From the Frontiers). I also made it to Edinburgh for a working lunch with Willie Mackay, and met Ronnie Christie in a Costa Coffee beside a railway station on the south side of Glasgow (rather, I like to think, like a pair of characters in a seedy spy-thriller). And then one evening in March, I finished the typing of my notes, and had indeed completed a skeletal account of the story of the Free Church missionaries in the mountains of Peru. The news outlets were full or reports about some sort of virus that was doing the rounds, something like the flu perhaps, but it didn’t really seem to be too important. I mean, I had finished my work in The Record, and had written an outline account of my subject. I had also, thanks to Amazon, put together quite a large collection of books and pamphlets relevant, to a greater or lesser extent, to my subject. That was a start, though it was not yet clear what it was a start to! After a couple of weeks, I woke up during the

estimable priory hotel and reminisced of what we knew of old beauly and the people who had lived

on the braes that placidly look down on it.

My mother’s cousin, Hilda Clow, and I had just completed the North Coast 500 and the month was October 2019. And nobody — nobody at all — foresaw the Great Lockdown that would roll over the country — the world, indeed — in a short matter of months. Of course, there are not so many of the original natives left up on the Braes nowadays. Most of today’s residents are worthy doctors in Raigmore hospital and such like. But my mother’s people came from Rheindown, and Hilda’s people came from a short way along the face of the hill, at Ruilick. In the lounge of the Priory that evening, we recalled that Beauly had supplied two missionaries for the Free Church hospital at Moyobamba in the mountains of northern Peru. One was my mother’s sister, Netta Fraser, and the other was Flora Matheson, daughter of the local Free Church minister, Norman Matheson. But how much else of the story did we know? Of course, the name of Moyobamba was an intensely exotic part of my childhood. At times too, a parcel would arrive from distant Peru containing pieces of Andean silverwork, or homespun baskets and bonnets and so on. But between Hilda and I, we knew not much else of the story of Free Church missionaries in the mountains of northern Peru. It seemed blindingly obvious, of course, that a full account was in print somewhere or other. So on return to Glasgow, I set out to find it, and send it over to Hilda in Perthshire. By now, we were into November and the Great Lockdown that nobody — nobody at all — had foreseen, had just moved a whole month closer. I started my research in the city’s Mitchell Library and soon discovered that there was no account in print that I could find — and searching the online catalogues of other senior libraries I found nothing either. (I made a mistake, here, though perhaps it was an understandable one. I was searching in English, so I did not pick up on the fact that the National Library in Edinburgh holds an account by Kessler on the evangelisation of Peru which is written in Spanish.) But the Mitchell does have a complete run of the (Monthly) Record for the 20th century, so I began to work my way through it, issue by issue. That was slow going, although it was certainly productive going, and the

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night and realised that what I had written was (with a lot more work) the introduction to a book on the story of the Free Church in the Andes. But — an important issue — what was the rest of the book going to consist of? (A point for all writers here. Sometimes, you must have absolute faith in your ideas — not matter how absurd they might, at times, appear.) And that was the week the Great Lockdown began, and libraries and archives and trains and Costa Coffees were resolutely closed for what, at times, began to look like forever. And so in these seriously difficult circumstances, The Free Church in the Andes was put together. (You have to believe in your projects, you see. And it was my view that the book ought to be done, and that nothing would prevent it from being produced. Nothing. At times, I suppose, I can be a bitty stubborn.) So the book had to be produced within the constraints of the Lockdown — and it had to be in print well before the centenary of J. Calvin Mackay’s arrival in the mountains of northern Peru, 100 years ago this summer. And so the book is as it is, because it couldn’t really be any other sort of book. It is, I think, competent as an introductory history, competent as some sort of Reader in mission studies. There was no time to go to any traditional publisher; they are far too slow, even when they are trying to be fast. And until the very last moment, there was no way of selling the book, until I found that it could be sold through the publisher’s website. The book was also blessed with the assistance of Free Church people, although from the start of Lockdown all contact was via e-mail. In fact, the book would not have happened without the assistance of Free Church

people. John MacPherson was unfailingly encouraging. So too was Willie Mackay. The latter made available two pamphlets relating to the story. He also made available the typescript memoir of his uncle, Dr Kenneth Mackay. Willie Mackay’s sister Margaret Fraser produced a tenthousand-word piece in a matter of days. So did Charlie Douglas. So did Ronnie Christie. That’s the fun thing about commissioning a ten-thousand-word piece from former editors. They have a profound understanding of the principle that the expression ‘when you can get it to me at your convenience’ is actually spelt y-e-s-t-e-r-da-y. And so the book, against all the odds, made in into print in time for this summer’s commemoration of the arrival of Free Church missionaries in the mountains of Peru. I hope it serves as a modest tribute to these very remarkable people. Perhaps more importantly, all the research material used in the preparation of the book is now archived in my Papers in the library of Sabhal Mor Ostaig on Skye. There are still some items to add. As I write this today, the libraries are still closed. But they begin to open tomorrow! As soon as I can, then, I will get to Edinburgh, find the Kessler book in the National Library, and photocopy the section on the Free Church in the Andes. I will then translate it, and add it to the archive on Skye. This archive is not, after all, without purpose. It is intended to assist young scholars to research at academic level the story of the Free Church in the Andes, whether at undergraduate or postgraduate level, whether in the context of mission studies or the wider context of church history. The story, after all, deserves it. •

‘One hundred years ago this year — on June 15th 1921 — the Rev. John Calvin Mackay of Kingussie left Lima for the mountains of the north...’ THE FREE CHURCH IN THE ANDES: Scottish Missionaries in the Mountains of 20th-Century Peru Edited and introduced by Iain Fraser Grigor. ‘The book deserves to be read not only by all Free Church of Scotland members, but also by all interested in the Scottish contribution to Latin American history.’ Rev. John MacPherson

The Free Church in the Andes is exclusively available at just £12.99 from Lumphanan Press. Search: ‘Free Church in the Andes’, visit bit.ly/AndesBook or phone 01339 880873. For every copy sold, we will add to the order — COMPLETELY FREE — a copy of John MacPherson’s epic story of the Free Church school in Lima!

2021

‘This book is for all who have a missionary interest. At £12.99 it is a bargain. I hope all who read this will buy a copy and enjoy it as much as I am enjoying it now.’ Professor Emeritus Donald Meek ‘The Monthly Record was the main source for this compelling book. Its contemporary reports “snatch from the jaws of oblivion” these Highland voices in the Andes. We are the better off for hearing them.’ David Ross, author of Highland Herald ‘Fhhuair mise mo thogail anns an Eaglais Shaor agus tha cuimhn’ agam air mòran dhe na h-ainmean - ainmean dhaoine agus aitichean [grave on the first a] — a tha a’ nochdadh anns an leabhar. Ach ged nach biodh ceangal agad ris an eaglais sin neo ri eaglais sam bith eile se leabhar a tha seo is fhiach a leughadh.’ Roddy John MacLeod, Lord Minginish

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FREE CHURCH NEWS DISASTER RELIEF FUND – COVID IN PERU AND INDIA

‘The Mission Board want to encourage God’s people in Scotland to pray for these vulnerable communities, that they would benefit physically from the food provided and that they would be blessed spiritually by this tangible token of Christian love and care.’ In addition, a £2,000 donation has been made to Emmanuel Hospital Association in India. Dr Akroyd continued, ‘Currently, India is experiencing a record number of COVID infections. The pressure on hospitals and especially the supplies of oxygen have been intense, and the results have been heart-breaking. One of our global partners in the field of medical mission is the Emmanuel Hospital Association. ‘The Kachhwa Christian Hospital in Northern India has a project to purchase an oxygen-generating machine to meet the needs of their patients. The cost of the machine is £20,000 and the need is urgent. The Free Church’s Disaster Relief Fund has donated £2,000 towards this cause. We stand with our partners prayerfully and practically and we pray that the love of Jesus would be seen and experienced by many in this time of global crisis.’ • You can donate to the Free Church Disaster Relief Fund via: freechurch.org/donate

he free church of scotland made two donations from its disaster relief fund in may.

£5,000 was donated to Operación San Andrés (OSA) in Peru. The mission of OSA is to alleviate the effects of poverty in the country by transforming families through the love of Christ. Mission Board Chairman Rev. Dr Bob Akroyd said, ‘COVID has affected almost every nation, but some have been harder hit than others. Peru has the unenviable distinction of leading the world in percentage of extra deaths due to the COVID pandemic. Deaths are running at 115% above normal. In addition, many communities which were already hard-pressed are in a desperate plight to meet their most basic needs. ‘OSA’s ministry efforts are focused on the residents of Collique, an underserved community located in the foothills of the Andes Mountains on the outskirts of Lima. David MacPherson, formerly minister of Bon Accord Free Church in Aberdeen, is overseeing a massive project to support 30 soup kitchens throughout Collique to feed more than 2,500 people. This has been ongoing for more than a year and is needed now more than ever.

OBAN MINISTER RETIRES AFTER 31 YEARS OF FAITHFUL SERVICE

he rev. james beaton retired on 30th april after

to Leith, Edinburgh in 1960 and it was there he began his formal education, attending Edinburgh University in 1976 to study Religion and Philosophy. He later pursued postgraduate studies at Robert Gordon’s in Aberdeen before commencing work for a number of years with Christian Focus. Having come to faith in 1972, the result of various influences, but particularly that of his cousin Charles, he was part of the leadership in the fledgling church plant at Smithton, Inverness. As an elder within the

31 years serving the congregation of oban free church.

Speaking at the preceding Presbytery meeting, Rev. Robert Macleod said it was both a ‘privilege and poignant moment as it seemed like bidding farewell to the backbone of ministry in rural Argyll after such a long, faithful and fruitful pastorate.’ James [Jimmy] was born in Ayr, where his father was the Free Church minister. The family later moved

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congregation, and particularly under the influence of Rev. David Meredith, his sense of call to Christian ministry was stirred and searched. James began studies at the (then) Free Church College in 1987 before going on to accept the call to the congregation in Oban, Argyll and to be inducted on 20th September 1990. His ministry also included the islands of Mull and Coll. It was marked by his committed pastoral heart, his faithful and ever-fresh exposition of the glorious gospel of grace, and a quiet and humble spirit. In an address entitled ‘Rural Churches Can Grow’ at a Christian Resources Exhibition in 2011, Donald Allister, the Church of England’s Bishop of Peterborough, noted that, ‘Village ministry is like old-fashioned church ministry; they want a person who is visible, who cares for them, who knows their names, who walks around the village, who knocks on doors, who says hello to people and spends time with them, passes the time of day.’ James epitomised that pastor and fulfilled that role over his many years of service. He had the opportunity to leave on a number of occasions, but always remained committed to Oban and the Isles whilst also giving service to the wider community in Argyll. Along with others, he was instrumental in organising the Oban [Keswick] Convention. James was, for 20 years, Chairperson of Oban Youth Cafe, and he supported Hope to Oban and the local Hope Kitchen. He served as Chaplain in the local schools and was able to communicate to the whole community through the Oban Times. These years have also witnessed him involved at many levels within the Free Church and its administration.

James leaves a rich legacy of faithful ministry and pastoral wisdom to the congregation of Oban Free Church. There are not a few who wished he’d continued on working. Most of all, they give thanks to God for his care, concern and love for them over many years. James, his gracious and winsome wife, Jenny, and their four daughters, Catriona, Rhoda, Joan and Marie, will not be forgotten in the congregation’s history. Allen T Stanton wrote that ‘Church vitality is not simply about growing a church, though that may be a natural outcome. Neither are these vital churches limited to the growing suburbs that surround our major cities. Thriving rural congregations have a deep commitment to seeing and being a part of what God is doing in the world around them. They offer a reminder that the narrative we often tell about rural ministry is misinformed. Being a rural church does not mean being a church on life support. Instead, they are places of meaningful and impactful transformation.’ James retires reminding us all of that truth. As the family moves to Skye, we wish them God’s richest blessing. •

SCOTTISH CHARITIES CALL FOR BETTER TREATMENT OF REFUGEES

ore than 75 scottish charities, religious groups,

and

community

New Plan to be replaced with a ‘fair and humane’ asylum system which allows the UK to resettle 10,000 refugees per year and ensures people seeking asylum can live in safety while their cases are considered. As a denomination, the Free Church understands that there is a clear biblical command to care for those in need and to look after the stranger. Jesus said: ‘For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ (Matthew 25:35-36). •

– of scotland – boris johnson,

organisations

including the free church

have written to the prime minister

home secretary priti patel, and secretary of state for scotland alister jack to oppose the uk government’s new plan for immigration.

Coordinated by the Scottish Refugee Council, the letter notes that the New Plan for Immigration poses a significant threat to the principles underlying the right to seek asylum in the UK, may mean the UK no longer complies with the UN Refugee Convention, and does not take seriously the often life-or-death decisions that refugees face. The letter calls for the

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REMEMBERING ELIZABETH GRAHAM We were so sad to hear of the passing of Elizabeth Graham and want to note the invaluable contribution she made to the work of Free Church mission and her involvement in WfM over many years. MEG MILLER has written a tribute to her work and life which we heard at our AGM in May and we want to share it with you here.

bank cheques. And this holistic care ensured she was well loved by the Xhosa people, who gave her the name Nolwazi, meaning ‘knowledge’. Elizabeth would joke that the Xhosa feminine prefix meant her name was actually ‘No-knowledge’! Well known in the community of King William’s Town, recognised and welcomed in villages and townships, Elizabeth was at home with, and had an interest in, everyone. She regularly visited the local hospital, distributing gospel literature, often with a word of encouragement and care for those she met. She would give a warm welcome to the missionary personnel family on Christmas Day, to visitors from Scotland and elsewhere on holiday or business throughout the year, and always provided a hearty home-cooked meal or a cuppa and baking — a true home from home. And so when her health called her back to Scotland in 1996 we were devastated to farewell her, but remain grateful to have had the privilege of being tutored by Elizabeth — practically in both the Xhosa language and the cultural church etiquette, but more deeply, in anchoring all aspects of life and service in her Lord and Saviour whom Elizabeth had followed from a young age. •

une 1989 saw two new couples join the missionary team in south africa, and we were all thankful to travel out to our new home accompanied by well-

& elizabeth graham, who had been in scotland for a short break. David and I were not seasoned missionaries bill

long married and the Grahams’ home became ours for six weeks as arrangements were made for us to settle in Transkei. During these weeks, and the following years we overlapped on the mission field, Elizabeth became a ‘mother in Israel’ to me. She had arrived in the Republic at a tense time in 1976, when much of the world was beginning to protest against the country’s apartheid system of government and the violence the system inflamed in its own peoples. Undeterred, Elizabeth set up home for her family, and supported Billy in the setting up of Dimbaza Bible School, later Dumisani Theological Institute. Through monthly gettogethers she encouraged Xhosa Biblewomen to carry out their village roles graciously and prayerfully, and she produced lesson booklets to enable these women to lead and teach others in the faith at regular Women’s Christian Association meetings locally. I recall at one of her final Biblewomen meetings she taught of Hezekiah spreading letters before the Lord as he looked for the Lord’s guidance, and I can picture Elizabeth spreading out her arms, visually emphasising that all God’s children can do likewise in times of perplexity. Her home on Maitland Road housed the first printing press by which literature in Xhosa and English was produced: Elizabeth didn’t seem to mind the din but was very glad when this machine found a place within the expanding Bible school property. Her practical nature was evident in many areas: she had established ways to keep food hot for unknown numbers of people that might turn up for training in Dumisani and expect to be fed lunch – like using sleeping bags to insulate huge pans of cabbage, chicken and potatoes! She ensured that courses newly developed for the first cohort of Xhosa ministerial students should contain practical lessons to equip them for life in postapartheid South Africa. From her they learned about changing electrical plugs and bulbs, and how to write

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WILLIAM MACLEOD (1935-2020) BY KIRK SESSION OF BACK FREE CHURCH

diligent seeking and attendance on the means of grace, he came to knowledge and appreciation of Christ as his own personal Saviour. He professed faith in Christ on 5th October 2003 and thereafter he was admitted and ordained as a deacon on 20th August 2006 and as an elder on 15th June 2008. In these offices he served diligently and faithfully, adorning his profession with characteristic wisdom, gentleness and kindness. The death of his dear wife Dolina was a severe blow to William but he continued to fulfil all his duties with diligence and a faithful adherence to his ordination vows. The community of Tong and the congregation of Back are particularly affected by the loss of one whose life and profession were marked with a spirit of humility and gentleness. His brethren on the Kirk Session are conscious of the absence of one whose wisdom, diligence and faithful adherence to the doctrines of grace will be sorely missed. We extend our sympathy to his son Donald and daughter-in-law Andrea, his daughter Allison Ann and son-in-law Gordon, his grandchildren and his sister Annie and her family as they mourn one who was so dear to them. Aig Dia ‘s ro phrìseal bàs a naomh. Precious in the Lord’s sight is the death of his saints. •

he news of the death of william macleod on monday 17th february 2020 was received with a profound sense of loss by his many friends and

acquaintances.

His brothers and sisters in Christ were particularly aware of the loss of a faithful witness for the Lord’s cause. William MacLeod was born at Aird Tong, Lewis on 23rd May 1935. After completing his early primary and secondary education at Tong School he served his apprenticeship as a joiner with Murdo MacLeod & Sons, Stornoway thereafter proceeding to do national service in the Royal Air Force. Returning to civilian life he resumed his employment as a joiner. After working for several local contractors, he and a colleague formed a company, Isles Construction Ltd. and as a result of this association he became better known as ‘Willie Isles’. In 1965 William married Dolina MacKay and this was the start of a long and happy marriage, which was blessed with a son, Donald, and a daughter, Alison Ann. Dolina became a communicant member of Back Free Church on 25th March 1973 and this had a profound influence on William. Although his own conduct and respect for the Lord’s people and the Gospel was exemplary, William realised that this was not sufficient for the salvation of his soul and gradually, as a result of

ALASDAIR STEWART (1935-2020) BY KIRK SESSION OF BACK FREE CHURCH

he was edified and encouraged to profess faith in Christ and did so publicly at the Spring communion at Back on 30th March 1969. Thereafter it was his prime concern to serve his master in every way possible as a precentor, Sabbath school teacher and by his regular attendance on the means of grace. In 1980 Alasdair married Jessie Graham and they set up home at 13 Upper Coll. Their home became a place of encouragement and edification for the many visitors who were welcomed there. His exemplary walk and conversation were noteworthy and he was elected as a deacon in 1981 and as an elder in 1992. Having been elected to the aforesaid offices he fulfilled his duties faithfully and with a dignity which was apparent to young and old. We mourn the loss of one who was a faithful witness and friend and who is sorely missed by all of us who were privileged to walk with him on life’s way. We extend our sincere condolences to his wife Jessie, his remaining sister Christina and the families of his late brother Donald and sister Etta as they mourn a loving husband, brother and uncle. Aig Dia ‘s ro phrìseal bàs a naomh. Precious in the Lord’s sight is the death of his saints. •

he departure of alasdair stewart on 4th march

2020 was recognized as a call to higher service and the fulfillment of his desire to be with the

lord.

His brothers and sisters in the Lord were also very conscious of the loss of a faithful witness for the Lord Jesus and a diligent servant in his kingdom here on earth. Alasdair was the second son of the family of Neil John and Margaret Stewart. He was born at Fort Francis, Ontario, Canada. Alasdair was only 18 months old when the family returned to Lewis and set up home at 16 Gress in the district of Back. After completing his education at Back school, Alasdair served his apprenticeship as a plasterer and roughcaster before national service with the Royal Air Force. On returning to civilian life he worked as a tradesman with various employers ultimately working as a self-employed tradesman and a Harris Tweed weaver before taking up employment as a driver of the mobile bank for the Royal Bank of Scotland serving all areas of Lewis and Harris. In all his areas of service Alasdair was ever dutiful and conscientious. Having always been diligent in his attendance on the means of grace it was not unexpected when Alasdair came under conviction of sin and concern for his soul. Under the preaching of the late Rev. Murdo MacAulay

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WORLD NEWS

AMERICAS AFRICA EUROPE ASIA AUSTRALASIA CONTESTED HERITAGE Justin Welby, the archbishop of Canterbury, called for a review of the Church of England’s estate following the Black Lives Matter protests last summer and the removal of a statue of slave trader Edward Colston in Bristol. ‘Some [monuments] will have to come down,’ Welby said at the time. Guidance has now been issued directing parishes and cathedrals to review their buildings and grounds for references to slavery and colonialism. Clergy are advised to consult local people before deciding whether to remove or alter monuments. Action has already been taken by some. Bristol Cathedral has removed a window dedication to Colston; St Margaret’s church, Rottingdean, Sussex has removed two gravestones which contained racist terms; and St Peter’s in Dorchester has covered up a plaque commemorating a plantation owner’s role in suppressing a slave rebellion, according to The Guardian. •

CLERGY ABDUCTIONS Kidnappings of clergy and church members are increasing in Haiti. In the most recent incident, ten people including priests and nuns were abducted as they were travelling to an installation service for a new parish priest. A ransom of $1 million was demanded by a gang called 400 Mazowo. All ten have now been released. It is unclear if the ransom was paid, but the Society of Priests of Saint Jacques thanked the US and French Ambassadors for their ‘discreet and effective diplomatic contribution’. Previously, in April, the pastor and three members of an evangelical church on the outskirts of Port-au Prince were kidnapped by armed men during a worship service. They were released three days later following the payment of an undisclosed ransom. Catholic Bishop, Jean Désinord, told Catholic charity, Aid to the Church in Need, ‘We are wondering who will be next…We are living in constant fear. ‘There is no quick or easy solution to the problem of such wanton abductions. The Church can only appeal to our political leaders to guarantee law and order. ‘But everybody knows that our politicians make use of criminal gangs to control certain areas. The boundary between organized crime and politics is quite fluid.’ A new prime minister was installed in the wake of the most recent kidnappings, but the political situation in Haiti remains unstable and the influence of armed gangs is growing, according to news agency, France24. •

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VACCINE TWINNING The Rev. Scott Patterson and his wife, Rowan, have launched a fundraising campaign called ‘Twin my Vaccine’ via JustGiving to widen access to COVID vaccination. They want to support efforts to distribute vaccines through the COVAX programme by encouraging those who have been vaccinated to donate the cost of the medication they received to Unicef. Rowan Patterson told Premier Christian News, ‘As quite a lot of our friends in the church were starting to say, “Hooray, I’m getting my vaccine!”, we thought…Why don’t we say: “If you get your vaccine, give to somebody who’s helping other people in poorer countries get the vaccine.”’ The Pattersons' campaign has raised almost £200,000 to date. •

SOUTHERN BAPTIST SHRINKING Membership in the largest Protestant denomination in the USA, the Southern Baptist Convention, has declined for the fourteenth year in a row, according to the SBC’s Annual Church Profile. Although church planting has increased in the United States and abroad, the number of baptisms the denomination has carried out fell by half last year – with the pandemic a major factor. The SBC is also in the midst of challenging internal debates about racial justice and women’s role in church leadership. Despite falling membership, giving remained steady at $11.5 billion. The SBC spent $1 billion on missions during 2020. •

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VACCINE NATIONALISM

PRIESTS ARRESTED FOR SHOOTING BISHOP

Representatives of Christian churches, including the World Communion of Reformed Churches, have joined with UN agencies and other humanitarian groups to issue a joint declaration against ‘vaccine nationalism’. The statement comes after a Christian Aid report warned of ‘vaccine apartheid’, with rich countries buying up supplies. The declaration states that ‘equitable vaccine distribution is a humanitarian imperative. ‘There is a choice. The world of the next ten years can be one of greater justice, abundance, and dignity. Or it can be one of conflict, insecurity, and poverty. We are at a turning point. ‘We need to build a world where each community, regardless of where they live, or who they are, has urgent access to vaccinations: not just for Covid-19, but also for the many other diseases that continue to harm and kill. As the pandemic has shown us, in our interdependent world no one is safe until everyone is safe.’ •

12 people, including three priests, have been arrested under suspicion of involvement in the shooting of the Italian-born Catholic Bishop-designate of Rumbek, South Sudan. The Tablet reports that Christian Carlassare, who was shot in the legs and is recovering is hospital has said, ‘It is a very sad story, but if it turns out church members are guilty, then the local church will have to repent and recognise its responsibility. ‘They were not there to steal or kill me because they would have killed me easily. The wounds will heal, but I am worried about whether the community can heal.’ Church officials suspect that a local priest wanted to be installed as Bishop. One of the priests who has been arrested has administered the Catholic Diocese of Rumbrek for nine years, since the last Bishop died. In 2019, the appointment of an Archbishop for Juba who was not from the city led to protests and demands that a local priest be installed instead. •

CONFLICT IN TIGRAY Fighting in the Tigray region in northern Ethiopia has resulted in the death of thousands of people. The political struggle descended in to conflict in November and witnesses have told Associated Press that civilians are being targeted in the battle between Tigray forces and the Ethiopian military. The conflict has also divided Christians. Patriarch Abune Mathias, leader of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church and a Tigrayan, took the unusual step of sharply criticising the Ethiopian government, claiming that its actions amount to genocide. But the government note that the conflict began when the Tigrayan People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) attacked the army in response to reforms which threatened their hold on power in the region. Ethiopian President Abiy Ahmed is a Protestant Pentecostal and was awarded the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize for enacting increased civil liberties and signing a peace accord with neighbouring Eritrea. But now the United Nations has reported violations by the Ethiopian army which could amount to crimes against humanity. Yoseph Mengistu, senior teaching fellow at the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London, told Christianity Today, ‘Sadly, at the moment, many are siding with either TPLF or the Ethiopian government without knowing the intricacies of the situation. The innocent and povertystricken peoples of Tigray are a bargaining chip and are caught up in the middle.’ Christianity Today also spoke to Ermias Mamo, deputy secretary-general of the Kale Heywet church. He said that, ‘Religious leaders are influenced by their ethnic roots. We are divided more than any time before. We are in a mess, hoping for the Lord to intervene. It is confusing and complicated. Please pray for us.’ •

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FREEDOM IN INDIA The Record has previously reported on the adoption of state-level anticonversion laws in India, but two recent court rulings have been handed down in favour of religious freedom. Last month, the Supreme Court rejected a petition to enact a nationwide law banning conversion, deciding that everyone over the age of 18 has the right to choose their religion. More recently, International Christian Concern reports that the Madras High Court declined an appeal to prevent Hindu processions in Muslimmajority areas, ruling that, ‘If religious intolerance is going to be allowed, it is not good for a secular country. Intolerance in any form by any religious group has to be curtailed and prohibited.’ However, this tolerant jurisprudence is often not enacted in practice. International Christian Concern is also reporting that a man has been killed and three others injured in an attack on a Christian family who refused to renounce their faith. Pastor Ramesh Bumbariya, one of the victims and the son of the murdered man, told ICC, ‘We gave up so much already for the sake of our faith. They took away our agricultural land, they destroyed our house, now they want our lives. ‘I believe God has a definite purpose in keeping me alive. I will carry on the ministry God has given to me.’ William Stark, ICC’s Regional Manager said, ‘the impunity enjoyed by radical Hindu nationalists in India has emboldened them to increase their attacks on Christians, in both number and severity. Authorities in India must do more to bring these radicals to justice.’ •

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ETS NEWS

BY REV. THOMAS DAVIS

FREE CHURCH MINISTERS IN TRAINING This month, we are introducing Record readers to our current Free Church Ministers in Training. We are so thankful to God that he is raising up men to preach the Good News and to pastor God’s flock. Please pray for them as they continue their training David Trimble Originally hailing from Belfast, after five years spent in St Andrews (four as an English Literature student and one as a ministry apprentice at the Free Church there) I now live in Glasgow and work alongside Jonathan de Groot at Christ Church Glasgow (CCG), which launched in September 2019. I began here as a second-year apprentice and student at the Cornhill Training Course. Currently, I am in my first year at ETS and am studying parttime with the hope that I will finish within four years. The rest of my time is spent as a minister-in-training at CCG, where I look after the student and men’s ministries alongside some preaching responsibilities, discipling some of the men in the church, and developing resources for our community group leaders to help them as they lead Bible studies each week. I am married to Ashton, who is currently in her first year working as a doctor. •

THE RECORD

John MacPherson My name is John MacPherson. I am married to Hilary and we have recently moved to St Andrews. I was born in Peru and grew up by the foothills of the Andes and the Amazonian rainforest; however, I’m also a proud Scot who has spent the last 12 years living in Aberdeen. Before becoming a Free Church candidate, I managed a mentoring programme for young offenders. And, for the last few years, I worked as a youth worker at Bon Accord Free Church and Aberdeen YMCA. I am in my first year of four at ETS and serving as a minister in training at St Andrews Free Church. • Geoff Murray My name is Geoff Murray. I’m 24 years old and originally from Anstruther in Fife. I currently live in Bruntsfield, Edinburgh, with my wife Maddie and our son Alistair, and we attend Cornerstone in Morningside. I am in my third of four years at ETS, studying part-time and working part-time for Cornerstone, which is a huge blessing, giving me vital experience practically in the local church. •

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David Ferguson I’m David Ferguson (although some of you may know me as Ferg) and I’m in my first year of study at ETS as a Free Church ministry candidate. I’m married to Catherine and we have a wee boy, Duncan, who is 7. We live in Invergordon, in the Highlands, and I’ve been a member and elder in Rosskeen Free Church for a number of years, although I’ve been attached to the Tain & Fearn congregation for mentoring since I started my studies. The plan is to study full-time for first and second year and then complete the final year of study across two years while attached to a training congregation. It hasn’t yet been finalised where that will be. First year has (as with everyone else) been online, but I hope to move to blended learning for second year and get a chance to actually meet people face to face. In my spare time you’re likely to find me with my nose in a book, watching the rugby or outside walking or gardening. I also enjoy fencing and hope to get back to that once restrictions allow. • James Thomas Blackwell My name is James Blackwell and I am a second-year student at ETS. I may not have been born in Scotland, but it is my home and I love it dearly and wish to see the gospel preached far and wide. My wife Claire and I moved to Stirling from Dingwall to serve in the church there and allow me to commute to Edinburgh for my studies. Having nearly completed my second year at ETS, I have a lot to be thankful for. This year has been a challenging one, but I’m grateful that God has gotten me through it. We also had the added complication of our first child being born in lockdown! Little Thomas is doing amazingly well and is a blessing from God. Claire is working in the care sector and is busier than ever. We’re very grateful for all your prayer and support – and would be thankful for prayer for the coming year. • Will Lind My name is Will Lind and I am married to Marianne, who works in the NHS. Like many of my fellow students we have young children who help keep our feet on the ground and our minds in need of lots of caffeine! We have two boys – Jonathan (3) and Michael (1). We are members of Grace Church Leith in Edinburgh and have been part of the church since we were married in 2016. I am in my final year of ETS and have just submitted my dissertation. The topic I chose was God’s common grace and I found it fascinating to explore. I have really enjoyed the opportunity to study over the past few years; it was something I had long wanted to do and it has been a real gift. Prior to my time at ETS I trained as a history teacher in London and taught in Aberdeen and Glasgow. •

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James Murray My name is James Murray. I have been married to my beautiful wife Bethany for eight years. We have two amazing wee boys: Isaac, who is three and a half, and Noah, who is two. I have worked in Christian ministry for seven years across Ireland and Scotland and I am currently working with St Columba’s Free Church & Esk Valley Free Church [Edinburgh]. I am in my third of five years of part-time study at ETS and serve at Esk Valley as a minister in training. I was born and raised in a small Presbyterian church in the rural countryside of Armagh, Northern Ireland. I became a Christian at the age of four despite not belonging to a Christian home. I, like many in Northern Ireland, was brought up in the church. My parents encouraged church attendance at everything from Boys Brigade to youth nights. I continued to grow up in the church and in faith. I have grown under different ministers and churches throughout the years and now feel a strong calling or conviction to do the same as was done for me: share the gospel, proclaim Jesus, and give assurance to the struggling saints. •

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Craig Anderson My name is Craig Anderson. I grew up in a Christian home in Morpeth, Northumberland. I’m married to Amy, who works as a dentist, and we have three children, Tabitha (4) and twins Charis and Peter (2). I first came to the Free Church as a student in 2008. Amy did so in 2005, and we have been part of St Peter’s in Dundee nearly that entire time. There was a short interlude before we were married where Amy worked in North Uist, and I trained at Chalmers Church Edinburgh. Following three years working for UCCF with the Christian Unions in the Universities in Dundee, I have spent the last four years serving as a ministerin-training in Charleston Community Church. This church is a plant from St Peter’s in a housing scheme in the city where we live. Over the last year, I have served as the Student Representative Council President at ETS. During this time, I have benefitted from sitting on several boards and learning how ETS works behind the scenes. As I write, I am now entering my last few weeks of classes at ETS; Lord willing, I’ll be completing my studies and graduating this summer. •

Angus Macleod My name is Angus Macleod. I am 28 years old, born and raised just outside Stornoway in the Isle of Lewis. I left school at 15 to start an apprenticeship as an electrician, working throughout the Highlands and Islands and eventually the rest of the UK. Things took an abrupt change in January 2016, when I became a Christian after a long, stubborn journey to faith. Moving home to Lewis, I joined the High Free Church in Stornoway. There I was discipled and encouraged to start at Cornhill Scotland, learning to teach the Bible, linked with a one-year placement with Stirling Free Church and a two-year apprenticeship with Chalmers Church Edinburgh. I am currently doing a degree at ETS, and in September past, I became a Free Church candidate and moved to Haddington Community Church as a minister in training. Part of my training is the continued opportunity to grow as a Christian and serve others as I grow in knowledge surrounded by a warm community. It has taken longer to get to know people with everything online, but our first limited service in person on Easter Sunday helped. I am grateful and surprised at God choosing to save me and continuing to use me. •

Phil Pickett I am a minister in training at St. Andrews Free Church while studying part-time at ETS, graduating in 2024. I grew up in Nepal before moving to Wales, with parents from England and America, so I have no idea where I’m from! Naturally I then moved to Scotland for university which has now become home. After studying chemistry in St Andrews University, I served at St Andrews Free Church as a ministry apprentice, while studying at Cornhill. I am now a minister in training, and l combine ETS studies with leading Bible studies, one-to-one discipleship, preaching, and other ministry responsibilities. Currently, I am enjoying helping to preach through Acts and tracing the unstoppable progress of the gospel through Christ’s Spirit-empowered church. Next year I plan to move churches to complete my final two years of ETS in a different ministry context. While I will miss the St Andrews church family, I am excited for this next chapter of training and service. l enjoy reading historical fiction, climbing, and walking in the mountains. I am getting married to my fiancée Helen in July, and we look forward to future ministry together in Scotland or abroad. •

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Neil Longwe My name is Neil Longwe, and I am an elder at Cumbernauld Free Church. I am married to Jillian and we are blessed with two wonderful children, Naomi (two years old) and Israel (two months). I am of dual heritage, born to a Scottish mother and a Malawian father. I was raised in Kirkmuirhill — a small, rural mining village in South Lanarkshire. I was discipled by the church community of Kirkmuirhill Parish Church and was saved at age 16, and am thankful to have sat under the ministry of both David Young and Ian Watson, who faithfully and powerfully preached the Word of God. I studied Building Surveying at Glasgow Caledonian University and worked in the public sector for the last 10 years. I had a sense of God’s call into ministry in my early twenties. It has been ten years of wrestling and praying over the call. I am thankful to God to be training for ministry with the Free Church of Scotland. It is a real privilege to be able to study God’s Word, deepening my knowledge of God and learning how to correctly handle the Word. • Ciarán Kelleher My name is Ciarán Kelleher. I am married to Sarah, who is finishing a PhD in Algebraic Geometry, and we have a one-year-old son named Tadhg (like Tiger but without the -er). As you can tell from my name and the name of my son, I am a proud Irishman. I have been living in the UK for over a decade and Scotland for nearly eight years. I was brought up Roman Catholic but walked away in my teens. In my early twenties I was converted in a non-denominational church in Chester, through the witness of housemates and the clear preaching of the Bible. I currently serve as an elder and Minister-in-Training at Broughty Ferry Presbyterian Church. I am in my final year (and few weeks) of part-time study at ETS. • Matthew Guy My name is Matty. I’m originally from Northern Ireland but I’ve lived away from there since 2009. In that time I spent five happy years in Newcastleupon-Tyne studying English Literature and, latterly, taking part in a ministry training scheme at my church there. After stints in Stirling and Glasgow, I moved to St Andrews in 2016 to take up the role of Staff Worker with UCCF and I continue to live here with my wife Jody. In 2019, after leaving UCCF staff, I began my part-time studies at ETS and I’m now coming to the end of my second of four years. Alongside study I’m on the staff team at St Andrews Free Church where I serve as an elder and Minister-in-Training, working primarily with undergrad students. I enjoy a good read and a good coffee, and I’m looking forward to being back in the ETS building when restrictions allow! •

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Joseph Hall I am Joe, married to Susy. we live in Edinburgh and are part of Grace Church Leith. I was raised in a Christian home, but came to trust Christ as my Saviour in my teenage years, by God’s grace. I moved from Essex to Scotland nearly nine years ago to study Social Anthropology at the University of Edinburgh. This helped me grow in my understanding of people and gave me tools to understand culture, but couldn’t give me answers to why things are the way they are or what to do about it. This ultimately led me to gospel ministry. After two years doing the Cornhill Training Course (Glasgow) and working as a ministry apprentice, I came to ETS as a Free Church candidate. I am now coming to the end of three years training and studying at ETS, and we are both looking forward to seeing what the Lord has for us next! •

Between 2008 and 2010 I co-founded a Christian music charity called aLive Ministry and worked with my brother-in-law to promote musical outreach events across the Highlands and into schools. Under the aLive banner I also embarked on three music ministry tours across England where I saw lots of people come to saving faith in Jesus. This experience gave me a zeal for music evangelism which has never gone away. Whilst studying theology in London I served as the contemporary musical co-ordinator for Methodist Central Hall Westminster, a very large multicultural church just outside the houses of Parliament. I also served as a team leader for its midweek gatherings and as a worship pastor for The Sanctuary, a gathering aimed at encouraging young adults in the faith. I moved back to the Highlands in 2013, where I assisted Joe Barnard and James Fraser in the work of church revitalisation at Kiltarlity Free Church. During this time we witnessed significant growth and revival. I completed a ministry apprenticeship with Kiltarlity in 2016 and, following my attendance at a Pathways Conference, I discerned the Lord’s call to work in church revitalisation full-time. I have been committed to this cause ever since, and in 2017 was accepted as a candidate for ministry with the Free Church. I didn’t expect to be finishing my last year in the midst of a global pandemic, but the Lord has been faithful through it all and I have acquired some new media skills as a result. I will be completing my final placement this year at Dingwall Free Church and, God willing, I will commence licencing trials this summer. •

John Wilson My name is John Wilson. I am from the Highlands, having grown up in the village of Beauly. I am married to Anna, who is from Northern Ireland, and we have a daughter, Annalise, who was born during the first lockdown in 2020. We also have a rather eccentric cat called Chunk. I currently serve as Minister in Training with Rosskeen Free Church and also work as the Musical Co-ordinator for its Capstone Centre in Alness. Prior to commencing my Licentiate studies at ETS in 2017, I completed an honours degree in theology at The London School of Theology (2013). Before this I attained a classical music degree from Edinburgh Napier University (2008).

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JULY/AUG 2021 PRAYER DIARY Please send requests to Dayspring MacLeod (dayspring.macleod@ icloud.com). This summer we will be remembering many of the things which were discussed at the General Assembly, as well as important international issues. Thurs 1st–Sun 4th With all the conflict and deaths in Israel and Gaza this spring, pray that the fragile peace will hold in the area. Ask the Lord to lead many among both peoples to himself, the true Messiah, that he might be the middle ground of peace between them.

Thurs 22nd-Sun 25th New Moderator Neil MacMillan spoke about our sense of need and weariness, trying to keep on with the business of evangelism after a long period of pandemic. Ask the Lord to give us rest in him, and also to open our eyes to the needs of those who are not only weary but also without hope. May we see them as Jesus does.

Mon 5th-Weds 7th Give thanks for the churches we have planted since 2017, when our 30 by 30 initiative started, including Cornerstone becoming a full-fledged congregation! Ask the Lord to lead the planters for our new churches with wisdom, grace and passion for the local people.

Mon 26th-Weds 28th Give thanks for our wonderful NHS vaccine programme that has so curtailed the spread of COVID-19. Remember though the countries that are still so desperately suffering – India, Nepal, Peru and Brazil are a few. Ask the Lord’s mercy on them. Is donating through ‘Twin My Vaccine’ something you could consider?

Thurs 8th-Sun 11th Remember the civil unrest and political injustice in Hong Kong, and pray for those who are expected to leave in the coming years. May the Lord prepare a place for them among us, where they can come to know him. Pray for the ‘Hong Kong Ready’ programme whereby churches can reach out to these dissidents.

Thurs 29th-1st Aug Remember the families of Alasdair Stewart and William Macleod, both elders from Back who passed on to glory in 2020. Even though time has passed, they are still dearly missed. Pray also for all those who have lost loved ones in the time of pandemic.

Mon 12th-Weds 14th Remember our ministers, elders and members involved in Rural Ministry – and especially pray for those whom they seek to reach in their communities. May the Lord make their hearts ready to receive the truth and beauty of the gospel so that these local areas will be transformed!

Mon 2nd-Weds 4th Pray for the Tigray region of Ethiopia, where many of the ordinary people are dying in clashes between the government and dissident armies. Pray that people would know the Lord is always good and always faithful even when people misuse his Name in the cause of violence. Ask him for mercy and justice for the victims.

Thurs 15th-Sun 18th Pray for our new Communication and Public Engagement groups – their work is sensitive, complicated, but provides so many new opportunities too. Ask that our leaders, and we as a people, would be open and loving in communicating with each other, and that our Public Engagement officers would be winsome and wise in speaking to power and the wider world.

Thurs 5th-Sun 8th We prayed previously over persecution of Christians in India – give thanks now for the official freedoms legislated by the government and courts there. But continue to pray for the protection of God’s people who nevertheless live among those who hate them. May they be powerful to spread the truth even in persecution and suffering.

Mon 19th-Weds 21st Pray also for our Establishment Principle Committee. It may sound complex, but is important for working out our relationship with our nation, and how we may bless it as well. Pray especially for that blessing, that we may know revival in Scotland and live with integrity and grace that will be a witness to all.

Mon 9th-Weds 11th Give thanks for the church in Peru, detailed in our correspondent’s article. What an encouraging picture of a vibrant church, still being perfected by the Lord but loving and passionate and generous! May we emulate our Peruvian brothers and sisters by caring for the poor and spreading the good news of Jesus among those in our own country.

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Heart Apologetics: Suffering DAYSPRING MACLEOD starts an investigation of the questions behind our questions.

I have never had what I would term a real crisis of faith; I would describe my experience more as ‘tickles’ of doubt. Tiny little tremors that come along when I notice some apparent discrepancy in the biblical accounts or logical fallacy in our received wisdom. The temptation has been to shrug these off as ‘some things we’ll never understand till heaven’ — but that tiny doubt remains like a pebble in my shoe that I haven’t gotten around to shaking out. What if the pebble is even harder and uglier and bigger than I first thought? What if, upon examination, I find that the pebble is indestructible — what if it grows into a boulder? Yet we know that God is light, and that his Word is a ‘light unto my path’. There is no question we can bring into his light which will be able to extinguish it. The Bible, and what it reveals of God, can bear any amount of examination. So I have resolved to take a careful look at some of the things which may give us pause, not to come up with forensic answers but to tease out the deeper questions of our hearts that lie beneath the superficial questions. Take, for instance, the question of suffering. I can cope, philosophically, with the evils of war and crime and abuse which people inflict on one another. God allows us to take the wrong path, with all the terrible consequences that can bear for other people. But what of natural disasters? Why does a good God allow children to die in tsunamis and earthquakes? In this question, which is usually stated in these terms — even when I ask it myself — we always specify ‘a good God’. Why does a good God allow…? The usual answer to this question is that mankind’s decision to sin introduced brokenness into the world. The world, ‘groaning under the curse’, injures and destroys unwillingly those who were meant as its benign rulers. Natural disasters are part and parcel of our unnatural world order of sin. This may be a valid theological explanation of how our world functions now, but it is entirely unsatisfactory for someone trying to understand who God is. When I was in uni, a friend said to me that we must always be listening for the question behind the question. And the real question of suffering is not ‘Why does God let this happen’, but ‘Is God really good’? I’m going to pause in thinking about suffering here in order to note a pattern in the way we question God. Here are a few of the apologetic issues on my mind, and some of the deeper questions that relate to them: • The Bible has factual discrepancies and historical anomalies. Is God, and his Word, trustworthy? • There is so much inconsistency, disunity and pervasive sin in churches. Is God really powerful to work in people? • The Bible is relatively silent on slavery, domestic abuse and polygamy, amongst other topics. Is God really just? • I don’t receive answers to my prayers, even when I’m praying for things that would glorify God. Is God really listening — or even there?

THE RECORD

ave you ever doubted your faith?

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In each of these cases, our questions come down to judging God by our standards, rather than allowing the Bible to explore our hearts and hold us up to God’s standards. This is particularly apparent in yet another question with which the Church is grappling: Are God’s commands regarding sexuality, gender and gender roles still relevant, or can we accept people on their own terms as they fit into modern culture? In other words, Is God moral? Or do we now know better than he does for our society and our individual happiness? This is a more flagrant example of humanity judging God, but really most of our doubts come down to a sort of human hubris. Back to suffering. Back to a woman finding her infant cold one morning of cot death. Back to abject poverty in the slums of South America. Back to civilians trapped in a war-ravaged city. Back to death camps for Jews in Germany, or Uighurs in China. Back to the loneliest moment of your soul, when not a single person understood your anguish and you felt like giving up. Where was God? He was refining us through these things, you say, giving us death-to-self that we might have more abundant life-throughhim. Yes. I find that to be true in my own That tiny doubt remains like a life. Suffering does produce gold, if you let pebble in my shoe that I haven’t it. But what about Alan Kurdi? If you don’t recognise that name, neither did I. He is the gotten around to shaking out. refugee child who drowned off the coast of Turkey, his tiny four-year-old body found on the beach near Bodrum. Consider Alan, who never knew of Jesus, whose death feels so arbitrary, so meaningless. Was God good toward that child? Here’s what I know. I know I feel compassion toward Alan Kurdi — and yet, in five minutes, I will go off and get a cup of coffee and a biscuit and forget all about him. I will feel sorry when I think of him again, but I won’t take action to stop it happening again. The problem is big and I am small; I am distracted, I have my own things to deal with, you have to pick your battles. My infinite God does not forget Alan. Not for an instant. My grief is limited to the single picture I saw on the news; I did The real question of suffering not stop that death, I was not with the child when he died, I will not prevent the same is not ‘Why does God let this thing happening to countless others, I did happen’, but ‘Is God really good’? not even know his name until I looked it up. My grief is merely an acknowledgment that such a thing is wrong — and I share in the guilt of it. Yet I am willing to measure God’s grief by my own: the grief of the One who made that child, who was with him in his death, who calls us to account for what we didn’t do to help these desperate people. What would it look like if God did stop bad things happening? If he did hold back the floodwaters, and extinguish the flames, and strike down the abusers even in the act? A benign world; instantaneous justice. Well, it would look like Paradise. It would look like the world we had, and broke. And we wouldn’t live in it, either, if justice was indeed so swift; if God gave no space for repentance. There would be no place for us there. My God, my good God, came to live in the brokenness, and oh, did he suffer. He could not be immune from the misery. He permitted it for himself, even as he permits it for others. He suffered for compassion’s sake, so that we would never be truly alone in our suffering. He suffered for justice’s sake, so that he might judge the sins we inflict on others and on ourselves; he even blessed his enemies. He suffered for mercy’s sake, so that we might be reconciled with him, and live in a place of no more suffering. There will be no more weeping in the new creation. Still, I wonder whether all of us sufferers will be permitted just one good cry of relief on Jesus’ shoulder when we are released from the loneliness and pain and struggle of this world. And I believe that is part of the plan — for our good God has promised to wipe away every tear from our eyes. •

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I'd know that voice anywhere In the This is my story devotional series, REV. DAVID J RANDALL imagines how some of the Bible’s characters might tell us their story. Some are not headline characters, but they all had a part to play in the great drama of God’s plan, given to us in Scripture. Hebrews 11:4 says of one character, ‘though he died, he still speaks’. May the stories of these Bible characters from yesterday help us today to trust, follow, love and serve the Character of the Bible.

eople thought i was out of my mind.

How could it possibly be Peter who was knocking at the door? He was locked up in prison, awaiting execution. Of course, the believers were praying fervently that God would rescue him from Herod’s murderous scheme, but Peter was still lying in the prison and none of us knew how things would turn out. That was the reality, and people just knew that it couldn’t possibly be Peter who was knocking at the door. According to them, I must have been hallucinating or it was just mistaken identity – some of them said I must have taken leave of my senses. But I would have known that voice anywhere. I might be just a servant girl, but I had listened often to Peter telling what he knew about Jesus to all who would listen. He would go back to the day when

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he was called from his fishing boat to follow a new Master, and we would be fascinated as he told us about the things Jesus said and did, right through to the time when he was arrested and put to death at Calvary. But then he would go on to the story of his resurrection, and the call to go out and make disciples all over the world. Who am I? My name is Rhoda and I work as a maid in Mary’s house. It’s quite a grand house, with plenty of space. There’s a room upstairs which is large enough to hold a fellowship meal, and there’s a sort of courtyard with an outer gate, which is where I went to answer the door that day. And there he was, large as life – the very man for whom we’d been praying.

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A few days earlier we had been shocked at the murder of James. King Herod had ordered James’ execution and it was terrible. But the king saw that it was a popular move with the enemies of Christ and his church, and, in a cynical play for more popularity, he planned to do an encore with Peter. But he also thought it politic to wait until after the feast of unleavened bread. So, Peter was held in prison, handcuffed and under guard. And, as we learned later, he had just closed his eyes and slept, even though it was possible he might be executed in the morning. What a faith that man has! But, whatever plans Herod had, they were overruled by God’s plans and Peter was miraculously led out of the prison. Don’t ask me how the chains fell off, or how the iron gate opened or how the guards didn’t hear anything – but that’s what happened. He told us later that the Lord’s angel woke him up. Light shone in the cell and the angel told him to put on his clothes and sandals and then to follow him – out past the guards to the iron gate, which miraculously opened for them. Peter thought he was dreaming, but eventually he found his way to this house that was so familiar to him. It was the place where, in the upper room, Jesus had prepared his disciples for his coming sacrifice and where his followers gathered often to hear the apostles’ teaching, to share fellowship, to break bread – and to pray. Yes, pray – that’s what we had been doing that night: earnestly praying that God would step in, that he would turn things around, that he would deliver Peter from the clutches of the enemy. So nobody should really have been surprised when Peter appeared at the outer door, should they? We heard the knocking outside, and when I went to the door, unsure what to expect, I heard him saying it was Peter. I knew his voice right away; there was no

mistaking it. I was so excited that I rushed in to tell the others that God had done it, that our prayers had been answered, that Peter was safe. Can you believe it? – I forgot to unlock the door but left him standing. And when I told everybody, did they immediately rejoice with hallelujahs and prayers of thanksgiving? No, that’s when they said I was out of my mind; I was told that if it wasn’t just my imagination and there really was someone that sounded like Peter, it must just be his guardian angel! The very thing for which we had been praying, and yet it seemed so unbelievable! But, as I said, I would have known that voice anywhere and I kept saying, ‘No, but it is Peter’ and when we (at last) opened the door, there he was, the very subject of our prayers, ready to tell of the amazing and unexplainable events of the night. Later on we heard that there were ructions at the prison. Herod was furious; he had the guards interrogated and then executed – Roman law was merciless to guards who lost their prisoners. So they suffered the fate that had been intended for Peter. But it wasn’t long before Herod himself, the erstwhile judge of Peter, had to appear before the judgment seat of a higher Power. It happened on a day when the proud king accepted to himself the kind of ascription of praise that should only be given to Almighty God, and the angel who earlier had prodded Peter awake now struck down the arrogant king. It was an amazing sequence of events. Peter used to tell us about the day when Jesus spoke about establishing his church against which even the gates of hell would not prevail. It reminded us of the Psalm we would often hear in the synagogue and now in Christ’s church – ‘His name for ever shall endure. Blessed be his glorious name to all eternity; the whole earth let his glory fill. Amen, so let it be.’ I only appear in this one episode of the Bible, and I guess it could seem rather a comical story – me being called crazy for telling them that the very thing they had been praying for had happened. But it taught us much about prayer, and especially about expectancy in prayer. We know God doesn’t always answer prayers in the way we want – we had prayed for James too – but we were encouraged to pray in faith and expectation. So, smile if you like, but consider also whether your prayers are just formal or whether you really believe that God is indeed able to do far more than we can ever ask or imagine. • Rev. David J. Randall spent forty years in pastoral ministry in Macduff before retiring in 2010. He has served in a number of locumships, written several books and is a member of the Free Church congregation in Broughty Ferry.

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PAGES FROM ADAM’S DIARY Christians in a Distant Town A brother, known to some of us as Dr Adam, has served the Lord among his suffering church for many years. Dr Adam has also ministered in various parts of the world among refugees. We have asked his permission to print some of the stories of his life and service for the encouragement of readers of The Record. For well understood reasons, some of the names of people and places have usually been changed or omitted.

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This was, to me, an experience of the church as our Saviour had intended the church to be, before men imposed their ways upon it.

uring these years of serving our lord, often i

the food out, and we sat down and ate a hearty meal. Afterward, a few other believers joined us and we were up until the wee hours of the morning talking about them, about their journey of faith in coming to Christ, and about our Lord and answering their many theological and practical questions. The next morning, we were told all the roads were closed due to heavy snowfall during the night. I stayed with them for a few days, days which were among the many happy and memorable highlights of my ministry during these years in Central Asia. They were eating the Word of God like starving children. This was, to me, an experience of the church as our Saviour had intended the church to be, before men imposed their ways upon it, organising it into what it has become — buildings, vast organisations with many staff members, bands for the youth, orchestras for the old, personality cults at the centre, astronomical budgets, an inexcusable waste of the Lord’s resources, talk and more talk, noise and more noise, but little substance and certainly no power. The touch of gloryseeking, self-centred men often has been the touch of death upon the church — changing a living, breathing organism into a lifeless organisation. And this is held up as the blueprint of success before ministers of our Lord!

have been aware of his presence in moments of uncertainty, doubt, weakness and imminent

threats. His presence has become manifest to reassure

me that I was not alone, to supply strength and encouragement, to guide, and to provide protection and safe passage through difficulties and dangers.

Near Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. Photo by Laurentiu Morariu on Unsplash

A WINTER JOURNEY Some time ago, I was in Central Asia visiting a small group of Christians in a remote corner of the country. I was also taking them Bibles and other supplies. I took with me a brother whom I had taught and discipled. My plan was to introduce him to these isolated Christians, with the objective and hope that he could occasionally visit them and spiritually and pastorally look after them. He agreed to this plan if they received him. He insisted that we should go to this distant, out-of-the-way town in his car rather than taking two different buses to reach our destination. His car was old and unreliable. However, I did not want to say anything lest he be offended. We left in the morning anticipating that we would arrive at our destination about 5:00 p.m. But it was early February and, several hours into our journey, it began to snow. I was already suffering from a chest infection and was not feeling well. The car was cold. As I began to shiver and cough, he turned the heat on and, in his kindness, turned all the vents toward me. I could smell exhaust fumes coming into the car, but again, I hesitated to say anything lest he would feel as though I was implying his car was not worthy. I kept gently cracking open and closing the window, but it was very cold. As time passed, I began to feel feverish with now a severe headache and nausea. When we at last arrived at our destination, as soon as I stepped out of the car, I collapsed at the door of the people we were visiting. I was helped into the simple house. For the next hour, I felt dreadfully sick with repeated vomiting. I felt as though my head was about to explode and my eyes were going to pop out. I suspected it was the result of carbon monoxide poisoning. I remember praying and asking the Lord to put me back on my feet because we had come all that distance to encourage these precious believers and my condition was doing the opposite and spoiling everything. Then I fell into a deep sleep. Shortly afterward, when I woke up, there was absolutely no sign of any physical ailment at all. Even my chest infection had disappeared. I was in perfect, optimal form. I noticed they were sitting in a circle around me, looking sad and worried. I jumped up, apologized for such an unpleasant start to our visit and assured them I was well. They had prepared a meal. They spread a sheet on the floor as our table, brought

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THE LEAST OF THESE During these years that I have been privileged to serve our Saviour, by serving these, the least of his brethren (Matthew 25:31-40), he has taught me much. He has transformed my worldview. At times when we are emotionally and physically depleted, the Tempter comes and begins to whisper into our ears and seduce us to his own thinking (Luke 4:1-13). And soon selfdoubts enter our mind (1 King 19:4). We compare ourselves to those our world constantly dangles before us as examples of success, and we come short. That winter in Central Asia, waves of opposition were coming and I began to question my calling. However, through the years, every time these thoughts have entered my mind, the Holy Spirit, in his grace and forbearance, has brought me back to such experiences as serving those isolated believers in that remote town. In these encounters, our heavenly Father has patiently reassured me again and again that, in his sight, ministering to the least of these of his children is of greater value than filling up a football stadium with thousands and preaching to them, or lining up library shelves with my books. In these years and through these experiences, the Lord has taught me that men’s perceptions of reality, achievement, worth, and what is prized, often do not coincide with his. Our Saviour told this story to his own

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countrymen: ‘There were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heavens were shut up three years and six months, and a great famine came over all the land, and Elijah was sent to none of them but only to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian’ (Luke 4:25-28; 1 Kings 17:8-24; 2 Kings 5:1-17). This passage addresses the rejection of the Messiah and the unbelief of Israel. However, there is also an underlying theme which runs through the Word of God from Genesis to Revelation — the values and views of God are counterintuitive to those of men. We esteem people based on their social standing, sphere of influence, wealth, education, race and ethnicity, the circle of their friends, the nation into which they were born, and suchlike. God looks at the heart (1 Samuel 16:7). Few, if anyone, in Israel would have even considered the widow in Zarephath or Naaman the Syrian as deserving of any consideration, far less the grace of God. There are people in the world who, in human estimation, are so insignificant that they do not even register in our computations. We can pass them on the street and not see them. But not so in God’s sight! In my mind, these isolated believers in that remote town were like the widow of Zarephath. They were worthy of all the difficulties I encountered to go to Central Asia and see them.

a thousand miles to come, see and encourage me — I who am a nobody — then it is God who is moving him to do this, and it means I am of value in the eyes of my heavenly Father.’ In a few years, the Islamic revolution happened. The evangelist with the bookstall was among those martyred for their faith. The brother who was recounting this story told us that one day he himself was discovered when his own father, who had disowned him, turned him in to the local religious authorities. At first, the religious leaders tried to reason with him to renounce his Christian faith and revert back to Islam. When he refused, he was beaten and was put into a sack, taken to the top of steep hill and rolled down, so that he would be killed. Though he survived this ordeal, it took months for him to recover from his injuries. Once his health improved, the judge, another Muslim cleric who had given the edict for his killing, visited him in prison and questioned him about his Christian faith: Why was he so obstinate about it? He said, ‘I explained to that judge the beauty of the Gospel. I told him that I have forgiven him for his wicked judgment. And I also told him that there was a man who travelled every year over a thousand miles to come see me and encourage me because I was alone in this city as a convert. I asked the man, “Why do you put yourself through all this trouble, coming to stay in an inn only to see me?” He replied, “Because you and every believer whose name is written in the Book of Life (Revelation 3:5; 13:8; 17:8; 20:15; 21:27; Philippians 4:3) are of infinite value in the eyes of our heavenly Father, the Saviour who ransomed us by his own blood and sealed us by the Holy Spirit of God who lives within us.”’ This brother in that remote town in that gathering then turned to me and said, ‘I related this story because, for us in this isolated area, your visits are of the same worth. We are ordinary people of no special social standing in this world. When you travel across an ocean and two continents to come to see us, it tells us that we are important in the eyes of our Saviour who moves someone from the other side of the world to come, help and encourage us in our faith.’ As this story was being told, I saw an elderly man in the corner weeping. Later I learned that he was the cleric who had given the fatwa for the killing of the young convert. He himself had later come to faith because of the purity and the righteousness of the young man whom he had sentenced to death, and the sincerity of his testimony when he had forgiven him. •

THE BOOKSELLER AND THE JUDGE These believers in that distant town were profusely thankful for the visit. I told them how much I wished I could do more since they were priceless and treasured in the eyes of our heavenly Father. In response, one of the men told us the following story. He said, before the Islamic revolution, when he was an 18-year-old conscript serving his two-year mandatory military draft, his garrison was near a large border city. One day, in his free time, he was in the market when he came upon a man who had set up a table and was selling Christian books. In those pre-revolutionary days, there was religious freedom. The bookseller interested the young soldier. On his days off, began to drop in on the man and his bookstall, to speak with him and listen when the evangelist engaged bystanders with questions and conversation. The young conscript came from a devout Muslim home. His father was a Muslim cleric in a religious town known for its zeal. At first, he objected. But eventually the Holy Spirit pierced his heart with the Divine Light (John 8: 12; 9:5; 1:4) and he embraced the Christian faith. He finished his two-year army service and returned to his home over a thousand miles away at the other end of the country. But every year the evangelist he had met at the book table travelled, at great sacrifice, all that distance via a two-day bus ride to visit him and spur him on in his faith. The young man would think to himself, ‘If this person is moved to travel over

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Several readers have asked how they can support Adam’s ministry. For information about the Adam Support Group, please contact either: Evan Macdonald (Chairman) evan.m@ntlworld.com 07981 756786 or John MacPherson (Secretary) johnmmacpherson@btinternet.com 07484 397670

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POETRY PAGE CHRIST’S SERMON ON THE MOUNT (EXCERPT) BY JOHN BUNYAN Blessed are all such as are poor in spirit, For they the heavenly kingdom do inherit. Blessed are they that mourn; for in the stead Thereof shall comfort be administered. Blessed are they, whose meekness doth excel: For on the earth their portion is to dwell. Blessed are they, who after righteousness Hunger and thirst; for they shall it possess. Blessed are they, for they shall mercy find, Who to do mercifully are inclin’d. Blessed are all such as are pure in heart; For God his presence shall to them impart. Blessed are they that do make peace; for why? They shall be call’d the sons of the Most High. Blessed are they which suffer for the sake Of righteousness: for they of heav’n partake.

Photo by David on Lightstockf

This excerpt from Matthew 5 is taken from John Bunyan’s Scriptural Poems. The volume went out of print in 1701 and was almost lost to history, having been printed on cheap paper. However George Offor, a collector of Bunyan’s early works, published what became the definitive Works of John Bunyan in 1849, and included the poems. In his Poems, Bunyan takes several large portions from the Old Testament, James’ Epistle and the Sermon on the Mount and transposes them into verse. Bunyan admits a lack of poetic craft, writing in his introduction, ‘The words are for the most part all the same, For I affected plainness more than fame. Nor could’st thou hope to have it better done: For I’m no poet, nor a poet’s son’. He writes that the aim of his work is to reach those who may not pay attention to a sermon, but are willing to read a poem. •

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BOOK REVIEWS Our books this month reflect something of the breadth of the church’s theological interests, from a professional footballer’s moving testimony to the more weighty works of John Calvin, via a book on questions for the young. We delight in the diverse faithfulness of our church, and hope you can too! THE NECESSITY OF REFORMING THE CHURCH JOHN CALVIN (2020) John Calvin is a well-known name in Reformed churches, most often for his Institutes of the Christian Religion or his biblical commentaries. Many of his other writings were important theological contributions in Calvin’s day. Two of those works are contained in this volume; The Necessity of Reforming the Church and A Reply to Cardinal Sadoleto. Both defended the validity of the Reformation and demonstrate Calvin’s pastoral heart and concern for God’s people. In The Necessity of Reforming the Church, Calvin addressed the German magistrate to explain why the Reformation was urgently needed. Interestingly, the four areas that Calvin highlighted were worship, salvation, sacraments, and church government. Although the doctrine of salvation by faith alone is frequently tied to the Reformation, these other topics, which Calvin equally emphasized, are not as regularly considered. Calvin’s explanation of each of these four needs for reform shows how the Reformation was concerned with our relationship with God by grace alone but also with how the church is supposed to be the community of God’s people related to our redeemer. In his Reply to Cardinal Sadoleto, Calvin responded to a Catholic Cardinal who had written to the city of Geneva to convince them to return to the Roman magisterium. Calvin’s defence of Protestant ministry in Geneva addresses some of the expected issues like salvation, ceremonies, and the abuse of Roman power. What makes this treatise particularly interesting is its context that so clearly shows Calvin’s deep concern for God’s people. When he wrote this response, Geneva had booted him out of the city and he was now ministering in Strasbourg. The fact that Calvin would come to the

aid of the city that just threw him out shows how invested he was in the good of the church. W. Robert Godfrey’s DVD companion to this volume provides a very helpful introduction. It surveys Calvin’s work but also situates it in its historical context to help readers get a better grasp of the material. Godfrey is helpful, insightful, and winsome and the DVD is not to be missed. • Both this book and the accompanying DVD are available from Eden.co.uk. Harrison Perkins, London City Presbyterian Church

These books are only a small proportion of the ones we review. You can find all our reviews online at https://books.freechurch.org or sign up to our monthly email to get them directly to your inbox: https://thefree.church/books-sign-up

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BOOK OF THE MONTH A GREATER GLORY GAVIN PEACOCK (2021) I found this to be a very warm, revealing and enjoyable book by Gavin Peacock, a former top-class footballer, pundit and now pastor. The author describes his journey into professional football aided by his father as mentor and coach. His career included spells at QPR, Newcastle United and Chelsea, as well as Charlton Athletic and Bournemouth and playing in the FA Cup Final. Whilst playing for QPR he found himself thinking deeply about life’s purpose and became a Christian at the age of 18. He immediately told his team-mates that he had become a Christian and was greeted with derision and many questions. Gavin Peacock vividly illustrates the pressures of the club footballer’s life domestically and professionally, describing how his Christian faith provided stability in a very uncertain world whilst experiencing fame and a good lifestyle. There are enthralling passages about key fixtures, family life and the hard work of a pundit, commentator and presenter. Moreover, the way he relates his transition into Christian ministry in Canada is very inspiring. The story of A Greater Glory is told with zest and will appeal to a wide range of readers. • This book is available from Free Church Books. Gari Lewis, Tabernacle Baptist Church, Llwynhendy

CRUCIAL CLARITY JIM TURRENT (2020) Through his concise, engaging book Crucial Clarity: Simple Truth in a Complicated World, Jim Turrent presents a helpful handbook for youth concerning the questions and answers that matter most in life. This book helps youth to realize that we can know and be changed by the truth because God has revealed what is true through the Bible and through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Turrent’s book is perceptibly organised into three-pagelong chapters that include a brief lesson, a memory verse, and discussion questions. The chapters cover the topics of who God is, God’s act of creation, what sin is, God’s plan to redeem a people (and how the Old Testament, including the prophesies and sacrifices, points to Jesus), who Jesus is, what the church is and why it is important (and what baptism and communion are), and how Jesus will one day return. These chapters are a helpful guide to children around 1013 years old who are exploring Christianity, and it can be used both as a handbook for those who are from a Christian background as well as for those who have never heard of the Gospel before. For youth who are from Christian homes, this book will help them realize that they must think through for themselves what it means personally to be a follower of Jesus; this book will also give them the tools to graciously defend their faith in a world that mocks the truths of the Bible. For youth from non-Christian backgrounds, this book is also a wonderful tool that will help them to explore the core beliefs of Christianity and what it means to be a follower of Jesus. In this case, Turrent’s book would probably be best used with a discipleship partner or a teacher since some of the discussion questions may be confusing to youth who have never read the Bible or heard of the Gospel before.

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Whether used to disciple youth from either Christian or non-Christian backgrounds, then, Jim Turrent’s short book will help point young people to God’s Word as the basis for truth, and it will give them the tools to be able to ponder and defend the Gospel in the midst of a confusing, chaotic world that denies the life-giving truth of the Bible. • This book is available to purchase from Mound Books. Claire Hall, Merkinch Free Church

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MISSION MATTERS A monthly take on some of the mission work the Free Church is involved in by our Mission Director, DAVID MEREDITH

were so respected that the new Christians in the area were known as ‘the Mackays’. In contrast to this methodology, some elements of social media are celebrating the strategy of Hatun Tash, an evangelist who operates out of Speakers’ Corner in London. Ms Tash is provocative; ‘deliberately so’. She holds up a Qur’an with holes drilled in it as a visual aid pointing to the shortcomings of the book whilst wearing a T-shirt bearing the image of a cartoon image of Mohammad. Calvin MacKay and Hatun Tash: the words ‘compare and contrast’ come to mind. You cannot ask people to smell the roses if you begin by biting off their nose. What is it they say? Not all superheroes wear capes. Calvin Mackay would not see himself as a superhero, and indeed he was not. He was a small man, quietly spoken but an entrepreneurial risktaker. He was as far away from the contemporary missional celebrity as you could imagine. He served the people of the Peruvian Andes who had been exploited by the Incas, the Spanish colonialists and an oppressive church served by corrupt and cruel priests. Like Jesus he looked at them and loved them. He did not go to start a new religion but to abolish sterile religion. He was at the forefront of a movement, not the facilitator of an organisation. Calvin MacKay left Peru for health reasons and settled in the quiet rural charge of Creich, Kincardine and Croick. His trailblazing days were not over. He returned to Peru for a short period, and then in 1951 became the first Hospital Chaplain for the Inverness hospitals, a bold appointment to a new concept of ministry. These events happened 100 years ago. As the generations come and go, the memory of Calvin Mackay will recede. However, eternity will reveal how many thousands of lives were touched by el caballero cristiano (the Christian gentleman). A quiet man who took part in a miracle.. •

his month marks the centenary of a quiet miracle in the peruvian andes .

It was in June 1922 that Rev. Calvin Mackay and his wife Rachel arrived in Peru to start pioneer churchplanting work in Cajamarca and Celendin. We speak today of unreached people groups; Peru was one such nation in 1922. In many ways the post-1900 Free Church was a laughingstock: a few old men, mostly from the Highlands and Islands, holding on to a theological position which was increasingly held in derision by a broken and sceptical post-First-WorldWar generation. Even then the Free Church was small; it was not for nothing that it was awarded the moniker ‘the Wee Frees’. Rev. William MacKay perceptively observed, ‘To human understanding it was an inauspicious time for the Free Church of Scotland to commence mission work in the Andes.’ The gospel emphasis now taken up by the young, restless and reformed was a joke in these days. Today the situation is even worse. Secularism has gripped Scotland, and many of the unreached people groups in the world are now dominated by a cynical Communism in China and a militant Islam across Asia. From a human perspective, church planting at home and abroad seems ridiculous. However, faith laughs at the impossible and says, ‘it shall be done’. Winsome people were involved. Calvin MacKay was an absolute gentleman. He was kind, generous and respectful to people who adhered to a different faith. In Peru, pre-Vatican II Catholicism in its most extreme and most intolerant form dominated the culture. In the town of Chachapoyas he met ‘a resolute company of the most fanatical Romanist women’ who warned him, in no uncertain terms, to leave immediately. They expected an aggressive heretic who was eager to get a riot going. Instead they found a quiet, courteous gentleman who tipped his hat, spoke softly and said that all he was doing was speaking the gospel of Jesus and he meant them no harm. Calvin and Rachel MacKay

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Ar Fear-cuideachaidh (Our Helper) LE JANET NICPHÀIL

hig àm ann am freastal dhaoine a-bhos air thalamh, agus canaidh iad nach seas iad idir ris an nì a

thachair nam beatha. Tha e cha mhòr cus

Chan e freastal socair a bhios aig duine air a shàrachadh le doilgheas, ach nuair a chluinneas e no i facal-misneachaidh bhon Chruthaidhear, tha seo a' toirt cinnt don duine gu bheil an Cruthaidhear cùramach mu thimcheall. Chan eil e a- mach à sealladh Dhè, ged a bhiodh e no i a'faireachdainn gu robh iad a-mach à cuimhne a' mhòrshluaigh. Feumaidh sinn an-còmhnaidh cuimhneachadh nach tuit an gealbhan gu talamh gun làn aithn' a bhith aig a' Chruthaidhear air an seo. Nuair a leughas sinn iomadh eachdraidh san t-Seann Tiomnadh, b' ann glè thric nuair a bha daoine ann am fìor èiginn a chuir an Cruthaidhear misneach air leth thuca. Mar a leughas sinn anns na sailmean,'Thig treis is furtachd thuc' o Dhia, le fuasgladh an deagh àm.' Tha gach freastal Aige-san na làimh, agus tha e nar comas-ne a dhol Thuige leis gach sàrachadh goirt, gach dìobhail-misnich agus èiginn. A-rèist, chan fhaod sinn gu bràth a ràdh nach eil Fear-cuideachaidh againn. Tha E os cionn gach Fear-cuideachaidh air thalamh, agus nar suidheachadh, tha sinn a' faighinn cothrom dlùthachadh Ris, agus a bhith ag iarraidh Airsan ar misneachadh, agus ar cumail suas,'s sinn a' faireachdainn gu bheil an turas cus air ar son. Nuair a thig Esan le bheannachd, bidh ceòl nar cridhe agus air ar bilean, agus bidh sinn a' faireachdainn misneachail gur E a thòisich an deagh obair, 'S nì A làmhan fòs a chrìochnachadh.'

'Aig sruthaibh choimheach Bhàbiloin 's ann dh' ionnsaich sinn gur ann a-mach à meadhan dorchadas thig ceòl a tha gun chearb. Nuair sheinneas sinn laoidh-mholaidh a-mach à cridhe sgìth is fann sin tuigidh sinn na facail gur e Dia as Athair dhuinn.' •

dhaibh, agus nuair a bhios iad ag ùrnaigh ris a' Chruthaidhear, cluinnidh iad na facail-sa, 'Is leòr mo ghràs-sa dhut: tha mo chumhachd air a dhèanamh foirfe ann an anmhainneachd.' Cha sheas sinne gu cinnteach nar neart fhìn a-mhàin ri freastalan sàraicht', ach le cuideachadh a' Chruthaidheir gar misneachadh, gar treòrachadh, gar cumail suas agus ann a bhith a' labhairt sìth rinn, thig sinn tro gach gàbhadh, g'e b'e dè cho duilich sa bhios sin. Nach eil e iongantach gu bheil Esan a' tighinn mar Fhear-cuideachaidh dhaibhsan a th'ann am fìor èiginn? Nach leugh sinn anns na sailmean, 'Mur biodh Dia Iehòbhah leam gam chuideachadh am fheum.' Dh' fhaodadh e bhith aig amannan nach biodh aig duine air thalamh de dhàimhean teaghlaich, agus 's dòcha nan cridhe gum biodh iad a' faireachdainn gur Esan a bu dlùithe dhaibh agus a bu chùramaiche mun timcheall. Tha aithne iongantach aig a' Chruthaidhear air an duine a dhealbh E na ìomhaigh Fhèin, agus cuiridh E càirdean gu duine na aonar, a nì barrachd dha air na b' urrainn dha smaoineachadh. Tha fios aig ar n-Athair gu bheil sinne air thalamh, agus cuiridh E an taic sin thugainn. Nach ann Aige a tha eòlas air gach cridhe, gach feum agus gach miann?

Tha am Bìoball làn de eachdraidhean dhaoine air an tàinig an Cruthaidhear faisg nuair a bha iad leotha fhèin. Nach b' ann leis fhèin a bha Iàcob aig Bètel, nuair a bhruidhinn an Cruthaidhear ris, a' gealltainn nach fhàgadh E e gus an coileanadh na gheall E d'a thaobh. Cha b' ann ann an suidheachadh socair a bha Iàcob, nuair a thàinig an Cruthaidhear cho faisg, agus glè thric, sin mar a tha an Cruthaidhear fhathast, a thaobh nan daoine air thalamh.

2021

WWW.FREECHURCH.ORG

BY CATRIONA MURRAY

POST TENEBRAS LUX

Photo by Eric Nopanen on Unsplash

n the gaelic - speaking world , it is remarkably

‘here is what happened to me, and God was faithful through it all’. My most recent series of thoughts was on the theme of character and reputation, and the great difference between the two. Both the world and, I am afraid, at times, the church can be very fixated on the latter, with no thought at all given to the former. To separate them so utterly is a dangerous thing for ourselves and for others, particularly when reputation can so often be a misleading picture created by gossip. The message was not randomly chosen, but born from very recent and very bitter experience. At times, I felt alienated from God. Taking up a theme that we find in so many psalms, I asked him over and over why he was allowing my enemies to triumph over me, to put me to shame — to slander me with impunity, prospering themselves into the bargain. But I was thinking of reputation, which is a worldly thing. It is the often misleading external representation which the world regards and judges according to its own lights. If someone makes it known that you are a liar and a poor example of a Christian, there will always be a ready audience for such a claim. The principal reason for ‘Morning Thought’ is encouragement, and I could hardly offer my bitterness at God in this spirit. So, I spoke of David, of Job, and of Joseph, all robbed of their good name before men, but utterly faithful to God in the ensuing trials. They did not harangue him as I have, demanding to be vindicated before men; they knew that he was not testing them, but giving them more opportunity to cling to himself. And eventually, my clenched heart gave way to the truth of my very own words. Good examples though Joseph, Job and David are, they are as nothing to the Saviour who made himself of no reputation for me. Whatever trials we face in our Christian walk, may we never move the dial from that central point: He cast aside his glory in order to take it up again, and share it with those whose names are carved upon the palms of his hands. •

easy to become a bit of a rent - a - gob . Reasonable

fluency in the language and a propensity for sharing unsolicited opinions will rapidly endear you to put-upon journalists who have spent years trying to get a reticent population to open up. When they come across a person who is not only willing, but apparently eager, to voice their views, s/he is liable to become ubiquitous. That, then, can have the ‘not her again’ effect of listeners reaching in their droves for the Radio 4 slider. A shortage of verbose Gaels who also happen to be Christians has resulted in the same small number of us sharing our ‘morning thought’ to the undoubted eyerolling of poor listeners trying to digest their porridge and face the day. Some of the regular speakers are pros — ministers who know how to hone a message, and theme it over the five days-worth of broadcasting. For myself, it’s a struggle to think of an original way to present the essential message: all you need is love, and God is love, and God so loved the world that he gave his only Son to die for us. It sounds simple when you put it like that — and it IS simple, in one sense. If we are speaking to the unbeliever, then what they must do in order to be saved could not be more so. Really, they are being asked to do something so straightforward that it calls only for childlike faith. In addressing yourself to preparing a week’s worth of ‘Morning Thought’, however, you are aware that any audience which actually applies itself to listening is likely to be a believing one. You are, therefore, largely speaking to the converted: to new Christians, and those mature in the faith, to believers who have seen more and endured more than I can even imagine. No wonder, then, if I struggle to think of anything relevant that I might share with these timeserved saints. I have learned that all I can do is offer the one thing that is unique about me: my own experience of the Christian walk. It is not communicated in any spirit of self-righteousness, but because my providence is intended for sharing with and encouraging other people. Hopefully no one thinks it is a case of ‘do as I do’, but very much,

THE RECORD

JUNE/JULY