Thomas Baldwin reports on an honour for one of the pioneers of women’s ministry in the Church of Scotland.

A PIONEER for women’s rights within the Church of Scotland has been honoured by the University of Edinburgh for helping pave the way to the ordination of female ministers.

The Rev Dr Margaret Forrester has been awarded the honorary degree of Doctor of Divinity for being part of a group of women who, in 1967, petitioned the General Assembly to allow women to be ministers of Word and Sacrament.

The move led to the landmark ruling by the Assembly in favour of the proposal the following year. It was the culmination of an issue which arose in 1963 when Mary Lusk (later Levison), then an assistant chaplain at the University of Edinburgh, asked the General Assembly to ordain the position but was met with deaf ears.

“This is really an honour for everyone who was involved in that struggle and I accept it on their behalf too,” Dr Forrester said. “I worked with five other great women to ensure the proposal was debated in the Assembly because, remember, at that time, women couldn’t even debate in the hall. My thanks also go to the great men who supported our cause and debated so well that day.

“For me, it has always been a question of education,” she added. “The words ‘struggle’ or ‘fight’ don’t come easily for me. Education was key in understanding the Bible. I still have a sense of wonder and awe that I was caught up in God’s plan for reform of the Church.

“There were great women and great men involved in this reform. Ultimately it was men who voted for this.”

Dr Forrester told of how a clerk at the General Assembly refused to allow a letter her group produced to be put in commissioners’ pigeon holes urging them to debate the issue.

Instead, a national press conference was held in Edinburgh which led to front page headlines across the UK, putting pressure on Kirk leaders to allow the debate.

Speaking to Life and Work in 2008, marking the 40th anniversary of the vote, she said: “To our amazement, the entire press seemed to abandon the General Assembly and come to our press conference, and we got full page coverage in almost every paper, front page on some of them.

“I realised for the first time, and I think others did too that this was an issue that was important to people outside the church, and that the church might lose credibility if it didn’t act.”

Dr Forrester and her husband Duncan (later Principal of New College, Edinburgh; who passed away last year) were missionaries in India by the following year, receiving the news of victory in a cable from Duncan’s mother. “It said ‘sweeping victory for ordination of women’. I was thrilled, because I knew when I came to return it would be to a changed sort of church.”

The first female Moderator of the General Assembly Dr Alison Elliot, who took up the role in 2004, said: “Margaret is a woman of great stature within the Church of Scotland. Her courageous leadership, pastoral sensitivity and manifest integrity have made her a popular role model throughout the Kirk. Warm congratulations to her, and to the University of Edinburgh, for recognising her distinction with this degree.”

Rev Dr Margaret Forrester (right) with Professor Dorothy Miell, Vice- Principal and Head of the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences at the University of Edinburgh

The Forresters’ ministry took them first to India, where they worked at Madras Christian College. Their children, Donald and Catriona, were born there.

Having been ordained in the United Reformed Church in England, Dr Forrester was inducted by the Church of Scotland in 1980 to St Michael’s Church in west Edinburgh and was the first female parish minister in Edinburgh Presbytery.

After retiring from ministry she became a published children’s fiction author, writing three volumes of books about her cat Mac.

SYRIAN GUITARIST IN CONCERT FOR PALESTINE

Syrian classical guitarist Ayman Jarjour will be the star turn at a charity concert in Edinburgh in September.

The concert, in St Andrew’s and St George’s West Church and also featuring the church’s choir, is in aid of Palcrafts, the charity behind Palestinian fair trade shop Hadeel.

Ayman, who was born in Damascus and studied in New York and Madrid, has performed and taught all over the world. He has previously performed at Scottish events in aid of refugees and alleviating the suffering in his homeland.

Palcrafts aims to provide a sustainable source of income for Palestinian craftspeople by selling goods through the Hadeel shop, based in the Church of Scotland offices on George Street, Edinburgh.

It works with social enterprises in the West Bank, Gaza, as well as one in Galilee and another in the Negev. It also gives small development grants to producers for equipment and training, and organises educational tours to the producer groups.

The concert will take place in St Andrew’s and St George’s West on Friday September 29, starting at 7.30pm. Tickets are £20 (£15 concessions, £10 under 16s), available online, from Hadeel, the Undercroft Café at the church or on the door.

CHRISTIAN HALLOWEEN TREATS RELEASED

The company behind the Real Easter Egg have produced a new resource designed to help Christians engage with Halloween.

The Meaningful Treat Pack is suitable for light parties, outreach events, schools or for children who trick or treat on October 31.

Each pack includes a bag of Swiss Fairtrade milk chocolate buttons and a challenge activity poster. The poster has eight challenges using the themes of good winning over bad and light over darkness. The challenges include a quiz, a word game, a Bible maze, a call to buy Fairtrade, a suggestion to say a prayer, a national hero competition with a prize, and a challenge to give a treat to someone less well off by donating to a children’s charity.

The Meaningful Chocolate Company, which also produces Christian-themed Easter Eggs and Advent Calendars, says: “Quite often people feel that there has to be more to Halloween than dressing kids up as serial killers or monsters.

“The Meaningful Treat Pack is a way to challenge kids to look at the good in the world, to do a bit of good by giving to a charity and to enjoy some great Fairtrade chocolate.”

The packs come in boxes of 30, costing £30, and can be ordered from the Meaningful Chocolate website.

JOB CENTRE CLOSURES CONDEMNED

The UK Government’s decision to close job centres in Scotland, including six in Glasgow, has come under fire from the Church of Scotland.

Pauline Edmiston, vice-convener of the Church’s Church and Society Council, said the decision ignored the needs of jobseekers, especially those who lack computer skills or do not have access to getting online.

Ms Edmiston described the decision as ‘deeply regrettable’ and said there had been consensus across political parties that the closures were ‘ill conceived’.

She said: “While we welcome the decision by the Department for Work and Pensions to retain a presence in Castlemilk and Cambuslang, this does not go far enough.

“As a city Glasgow experiences some of the highest levels of digital exclusion in the UK. This means that those who are entitled to – and most need – help and support will be the ones least able to access it as services move online. It also fails to consider concerns that many individuals in these communities have about accessing material online.

“At a time when foodbank use is on the rise, when there is great need within our communities, this decision will undoubtedly make it harder for people to access the help they need.

“Decisions such as this highlight the lack of care, concern and understanding that our society has for some of those in greatest need, it is a disgrace and is something that we should all be ashamed of.”

FAIRTRADE CONCERNS

The Church of Scotland has expressed concern that two major UK supermarket chains are reported to be considering changing the way they label fairtrade produce.

The World Mission Council and the Church and Society Council said any move away from using the long established Fairtrade mark would be bad for food producers in developing countries, consumers and everyone who believes in fairness.

The conveners of the World Mission and Church and Society Councils, the Rev Iain Cunningham and the Rev Dr Richard Frazer, said in a joint statement: “The Fairtrade name and logo is the gold standard in marking products sourced and produced ethically.

“Its independence, widespread recognition and work with farmers in developing countries has provided the strongest integrity for consumers who want to make a choice which sees producers get a fair deal for their work.

“The Church of Scotland strongly supports the Fairtrade movement, and encourages its congregations and members to use and buy Fairtrade wherever possible.

“In May, the General Assembly agreed a plan which had a vision for Scotland to continue to be a Fairtrade nation.

“We are concerned at reports that some supermarkets are seeking to replace Fairtrade products with their own in-house accreditation.

“This is bad for consumers, as they won’t know what any new brand means in terms of help for farmers.

“It will be bad for producers, who support the Fairtrade system and have voiced concern over the loss of the Fairtrade Premium which allows for locally led decision making over how this is used in community development.

“And it will be bad for all those who want to see a marketplace where prices paid are fair and which seeks to eliminate exploitation, as different labelling schemes will mean confusion and competition, leading to a ‘race to the bottom’ in terms of cost-cutting and harming labour and social standards.”

SOCIAL CARE RESOURCE LAUNCHED

Social care provision by churches across Scotland is set to be improved with the launch of a new online resource designed to ‘inform, connect and inspire’ congregations.

The Social Care Forum is a website where people can obtain and share the latest information on social care provision. It includes downloadable resources, blog posts from people working in the field and a chat room facility where churches can share their experiences.

Elizabeth Hay, head of business development for CrossReach, said: “As congregations identify and respond to local needs, we must be flexible enough to provide support and resources at the time needed by those seeking it.

“We must use all tools available, including the opportunities digital technology provides to share knowledge from CrossReach and from congregations.

“We believe this tool can provide to many what only one person can do for a few.”

Liann Weir, the social care mission officer who has developed the platform, said: “The Social Care Forum was developed as more and more churches responded to what they were seeing in their communities.

“Local churches were developing often crucial support services for people, such as dementia drop-in groups, befriending services and family support groups and were sharing with the council their request for support and resources to help them along their journey.

“Churches across the country were developing often similar models of activity and so it made sense to find a way to connect the dots to facilitate the sharing of knowledge and experiences as well as practical resources.”

The forum can be accessed at www.socialcareforum.scot

Life and Work staff are available for talks to Guilds and other church groups.

Please contact us through 0131 225 5722 or magazine@lifeandwork.org

PARISH NEWS

REFURBISHMENT

A Glasgow church which operates one of the city’s largest foodbanks is celebrating completion of a £220,000 refurbishment.

Blawarthill Church in Scotstoun has been transformed into a more welcoming space to serve the local community and enable more people to access its services, including new double-glazing, walls rerendered, the roof re-covered, a new security system and new emergency door installed,

Blawarthill’s minister, the Rev Melvyn Wood, said the church is now better able to serve the local congregation as well as the wider community.

He said: “This has been a big project, and we now have an attractive building which is a credit to the community and the national church. We’re delighted to be opening our doors and look forward to offering a warm welcome to more people coming to our church.”

£200,000 of the funding came from the Church’s Priority Areas Committee, which supports Scotland’s poorest communities, and £10,000 was raised by the congregation.

Financial and technical support for the project was provided by the General Trustees.

Glasgow North West Foodbank is operated from the church in partnership with the Trussell Trust. In 2016, 2482 people were referred for emergency aid, up 36% on the previous year, and a total of 53,307 meals were provided, an increase of 46%.

DEACON RETIRES

The congregation of New Laigh Kirk in Kilmarnock said farewell to Barbara Urquhart DCS, who retired as the church’s pastoral assistant on June 25.

Barbara, who has been registered blind since she was nine years old, was commissioned as a Deaconess in September 1986 in Dundee. She has worked in Christian Education and hospital chaplaincy as well as pastoral care, and been member of several committees at both local and national church level. She was President of the Diaconate Council from 2007-2010.

The minister of New Laigh, the Rev David Cameron, said in his address: “In your diaconate ministry you have borne both the name of Jesus and also his spirit.” Barbara is pictured with her husband, the Rev John Urquhart, children Eileigh and John, and David Cameron.

SUTHERLAND HERITAGE CELEBRATION

The congregations of the churches of the Kyle of Sutherland recently donned period costumes as part of a heritage celebration.

The doors of the old church at Edderton were opened especially for the occasion by the Edderton Old Church Preservation Trust. The gathered congregations dressed in a variety of period costumes including a mediaeval maiden, a Highland clearance woman, an Edwardian gentleman, a Victorian lady, a twenties ‘flapper’ girl and a Second World War bomber pilot.

Minister, the Rev Anthony Jones welcomed everyone and opened the time of celebration with a prayer giving thanks for the “heritage of faith” of everyone who has worshipped in the old church over the centuries.

ROYAL VISIT

During May’s General Assembly the Lord High Commissioner, the Princess Royal, visited Kirk of Calder, of Mid Calder in West Lothian, where she was presented with a cheque for £85,500 for the Vine Trust.

The congregation raised this sum over two and half years, with the support of the local community, to build an orphanage in Tanzania.

ENERGY ADVICE

At the recent St Ninian’s Craigmailen Church Spring Fair, in Linlithgow, the church’s Eco Group took the opportunity to have a stall at the event to provide those attending, with information on energy saving in the home and how to combat air pollution by getting onboard with the “Switch off and Breath Campaign” which is being run by the Vehicle Emission Partnership (VEP).

A representative of Home Energy Scotland came along to provide on–the-spot advice and information on how to reduce energy costs at home as well as answering questions on a wide range of topics, ranging from solar panels to smart meters.

40 YEARS A READER

At their united summer service on July 2 the linked Ayrshire congregations of Ochiltree and Stair celebrated Ian Jamieson’s 40 years as a Reader with the Church of Scotland. Ian has served as Locum for the linked charge since February 2016. Within the Presbyteries of Ardrossan, Lanark and Ayr he has frequently covered similar duties, and has conducted services in more than 100 churches across Ayrshire and Lanarkshire.

Ian is pictured with the Session Clerks of Ochiltree and Stair, Isabell Montgomerie and Bob Drummond.

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