News

Parish News Round-up

Thursday January 31 2019

Our regular round-up of news received from churches.

Please send items of parish news to magazine@lifeandwork.org or Life and Work, 121 George Street, Edinburgh EH2 4YN. Please check the quality of your pictures: images which are too small, blurry or too dark cannot be used. If there are children in any picture please confirm that their parents or guardians have given permission for publication.

Longside Parish Church handed over a cheque for nearly £2000 to representatives from Benaiah a drugs rehabilitation centre for women run by Teen Challenge North East Scotland. This was the result of their Christmas Concert, Christmas Offering, a Ceilidh, Monday Coffee Mornings and proceeds from their craft stall. Each year the church, in the Presbytery of Buchan, chooses a local charity to be the recipients of its Christmas offering.

The Moderator of the General Assembly, the Rt Rev Susan Brown, preached at Portknockie Parish Church’s 150^th anniversary service on Sunday January 27. She is pictured with locum Murray Campbell and session clerk Morag Ritchie.

Elizabeth (Betty) Paxton celebrated her 106th birthday on December 30 at North Argyll House, Oban.

Betty was born into a large farming family at Craignish, Mid Argyll. She married a mining engineer, Bill Paxton, and they lived in Burma until they had to escape at the outbreak of World War 2. After the war they moved to Kenya, where Bill sadly died in a mining accident. Returning to Scotland with their three children, Betty ran a bed and breakfast in Oban. Two of her children are still living: a son in New Zealand a daughter who lives in the Lake District.

Betty was a regular worshipper at the former Christ's Church, Oban, and enjoyed the walk along the Esplanade each Sunday. As her mobility decreased she moved to North Argyll House only two years ago. Among her well-wishers was the Rev Dugald Cameron of Oban Parish Church, who offered his congratulations, card and gifts and the best wishes of Betty's former congregation in Oban, and the Kirk Session.

Betty is pictured with Mr Cameron, Councillor Roddy McCuish, Depute Provost of Argyll and Bute, and Councillor Elaine Robertson.