PARISH NEWS

Special guest

A special guest soloist helped to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Rev Gary McIntyre at St Ninian’s Old Parish Church, Stirling.

Robert Robertson, lead singer of the Scottish folk pop group Tide Lines, is the grandson of Daniel Paterson, senior elder at the time of Gary’s induction in 1998.

The guest preacher at the service was the Rev Colin C Renwick, minister of Dunblane Cathedral. The service was followed by lunch and speeches in the parish halls, and a photo of the Session was taken to mark the occasion.

New elders

Eight new elders were ordained at Falkirk: Trinity on Palm Sunday by minister the Rev Robert Allan.

Pictured are: Back row (from left to right): Alastair Jeffrey, Phil Harris, the Rev Robert Allan, Jamie MacSween, David Foggo.

Front row (from left to right): Margaret-Ann Williamson, Nina Hodgson, the Rev Charlene Condeco OLM, Lynn Harris, Catherine Smith and Morag Jenkinson Session Clerk.

Four new elders were ordained recently at Longside Parish Church in Aberdeenshire.

Pictured (from left to right) are: Rosie Urquhart, John Macleod, Shirley Hutchison and Ewan MacKinnon.

Eco-congregation surprise

The congregation of Dalserf Parish Church in the Clyde Valley was surprised when Eco-Congregation Scotland granted them a silver award, rather than the bronze they had applied for.

Locum minister, the Rev Fiona Anderson, was praised in the EcoCongregation assessment for her commitment ‘to environmental matters and linking it regularly with the spiritual life of the church and issues of environmental justice’.

The church was praised for its use of the church grounds to encourage wildlife and its ‘vibrant’ social media.

Long service

The Rt Rev Sally Foster-Fulton, Moderator of the General Assembly of Scotland preached at the Fraserburgh Grouping Joint Service at Fraserburgh South Church, and presented Long Service Certificates covering many years of dedicated service.

Back row: Bruce Buchan (Elder, Fraserburgh Old Church, 45 years), Patricia Masson (organist, Inverallochy and Rathen East Church, 42 years), Catherine Roskell (Sunday School teacher, Fraserburgh Old, 42 years), Isobel Blackhall (Sunday School teacher, Fraserburgh Old, 42 years), Pauline Buchan (organist, Fraserburgh South, 33 years).

Front row: Moira Duthie (Elder, Fraserburgh South, 30 years), Margaret Stalker (Elder, Fraserburgh South, 30 years), Mrs FosterFulton, Laura Strachan (Elder, Fraserburgh West, 41 years), Aileen Watt (Sunday School teacher, Fraserburgh West, 22 years). Not in photo: Dugald Smith (Elder, Fraserburgh West, 41 years).

The congregations of Auchterhouse, Fowlis & Liff and Lundie & Muirhead Churches met together to celebrate the service of a number of Elders. Retiring Elders from the three churches were thanked for their service and four received long service certificates for more than thirty years service. Dr William Horspool was presented with an engraved silver salver in recognition of serving for 38 years as Session Clerk of Fowlis & Liff Parish Church.

From left: Leslie Smith (40 years elder), Dr William Horspool (53 years elder; 38 years Session Clerk), minister of united charge the Rev Donna Hays, Bruce Sim (40 years elder), John Arbuckle (32 years elder).

St Andrew’s West Parish Church, Glasgow, presented four elders with long service awards for 40 years’ service. From left: Melvyn Haggarty, David Kingsley, the Rev Dr Kleber Machado, Mary Neilson and William Pollock.