Parish News Round-up

Thursday November 12

Our regular round-up of news received from churches

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A special anniversary service was held at St Michael’s and South Church, Dumfries to commemorate the arrival in the town 75 years ago of hundreds of exiled Norwegian sailors, unable to return to their homeland as a result of the German invasion of their country.

The links of friendship with Norway which were forged in that early summer of 1940 between the congregation of St Michael’s and South Church and the citizens of Dumfries have continued to thrive and have grown stronger over the years.

The service at St Michael’s and South Church was an emotional affair for the large contingent of Norwegians who had travelled from Norway for the occasion, many in the group having personal connections with St Michael’s and South Church through family members having been part of that original contingent of exiled sailors.

During the service Aslak Wahl, spokesman for the Norwegian group presented church minister Rev Dr Maurice Bond with presentation gift of a Viking longboat.

Pictured left to right: The Lord Lieutenant of Dumfriesshire, Mrs Jean Tulloch, Provost of Dumfries and Nithsdale, Councillor Ted Thompson, Rev Dr Maurice Bond, elder Richard Reade, and Aslak Wahl.

Churches in the Perth area were hoping to avoid soggy bottoms as they took part in the ‘Great Parish Bake Off’.

The event was held on August 29 as part of the Perth Alive festival. Around 14 parishes took part, each submitting bakes in four categories: cakes, bread, traybakes and jams/preserves. The even was judged by the Provost of Perth, the head baker from Murray’s Bakers and head pastry chef from restaurant 63 Tay Street.

Organiser Rebecca Erskine said: “The aim of the Great Parish Bake Off was to bring communities together through a love of baking. Through this event, I also aimed to extend the concept of ‘parish’ back towards local businesses, organisations and shops, as it is crucial that the church harvests all talents from all areas of the community. Over the last 50 years I feel the concept of ‘parish’ has been limited simply to church buildings; however many businesses, work environments, schools and organisations often posses a community like structure. Their involvement in the Great Parish Bake Off was crucial to incorporate skills and talents of all local people, and allowed organisations such as the YMCA, youth projects and local business to enter community Bake Off heats, and entered the final Bake Off day itself!

“The hope is that, in the next few years as this project expands, for each church to hold community Bake Off heats, to involve as many people as possible in their communities. I also hope to involve even more denominations in the future, and make this an event for all ages, all communities, all churches and all organisations and businesses. After all, everyone loves a bit of cake!”

Pictured: Rebecca Erskine, the Rev Carolann Erskine of Craigie and Moncrieffe Church, and Mary and Albert Garrick.

A group of Aberdeen ministers are taking to their bikes for the first leg of the Aberdeen to Malawi Bikeathon in an effort to raise money to support rural congregations in Blantyre, Malawi.

The ministers will encourage church members in each of their congregations to ride a total of 12,000 miles—the distance between Aberdeen and Malawi. The cyclistscan ride their share of miles on any type of bike, from stationary exercise bikes to high-speed racing models.

Each congregation has a special connection with a congregation in Malawi through a twinning programme run by the Church of Scotland's World Mission Council.

"The Blantyre congregations have great needs for things such as sheets of iron to repair church buildings, orphanages and homes which have been damaged by flooding or are just falling down," said Rev Dr Robert L Smith Jr, the minister at Rubislaw Parish Church, Church of Scotland, and the Convener of the Aberdeen—Malawi Partnership Committee.

The people also need food, clothing and bedding.

"Last week I spoke with the Rev Baxton Maulidi, the Presbytery Clerk in Blantyre City and he explained that recent floods, repeated devaluation of their currency and crushing poverty mean life is very difficult for people in the region.

"Our goal is to raise as much money as possible for them."

Pictured on bikes (from left) are: Rev Dr Robert Smith, Rubislaw Church; Rev Dr John Ferguson, Peterculter Church and Aberdeen City Presbytery Clerk; Rev Markus Auffermann, Woodside Church; Rev Sarah Nichol, Midstocket Church; Rev Elsie Fortune, St Mary's Church; Rev Duncan Eddie, Holburn West Church and Aberdeen City Presbytery Moderator; Rev Peter Johnston, Ferryhill Church.

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