An Ordinary Church Member

Christian biographies tend to focus on missionaries, ministers and others who have played prominent roles. A partial exception is the book Memoirs of an Ordinary Pastor by Don Carson. Carson is a prominent author and conference speaker – but his father wasn’t. Tom Carson was simply an ordinary minister who no-one would ever have heard of his more famous son hadn’t written his biography. 

Yet if a book entitled Memoirs of an Ordinary Pastor is unusual, a book containing the memoirs of an ordinary church member probably doesn’t exist. (The exception might be if they end up being killed for their faith, like the Wigtown Martyrs. But what about folk who have served away for decades, died and been forgotten?), Being a missionary or minister doesn’t make anyone more valuable in God’s sight, and so surely it is right to also celebrate those who have played less upfront roles.

Given that background, I was delighted recently to be given an insight into the life of an ordinary church member from my own congregation who lived two hundred years ago.

The information came to light in January after Storm Isha blew the roof off a garage belonging to a descendant of John Milory (1770-1847). Milroy was an ancestor of the Scottish Rugby captain Eric Milory, who was killed in action during WWI. John himself however was simply, according to his obituary, ‘late tenant, Freugh, Stoneykirk’.

That obituary appeared in the Galloway Advertiser and Wigtownshire Free Press on 13th January, 1848. There is also a transcript of a letter which he wrote from ‘Clayhole, Stranraer’ to his daughter and son who had emigrated to Ontario.

His obituary described him as ‘a man distinguished for moral courage and decision, for sincerity, uprightness, generosity and a deep-rooted aversion to anything bad in principle, or mean or dishonourable in conduct’.

We also read that: ‘He was also distinguished for the strict observance of the duties or family instruction and worship, for the great interest he took in the weekly prayer meetings, and for the undeviating regularity of his attendance on the public ordinances of religion’.

Milroy may not have been called to ‘full time gospel work’ (a dubious phrase in itself), but he was an encourager and financial supporter of those who were. ‘By his private and public conduct he proved himself to be the warm and generous friend of the faithful ministers and missionaries of the church, and of the efficient maintenance and diffusion of the gospel at home and abroad’.

When he died, he had been a member of the Reformed Presbyterian Church in Stranraer for around 60 years, and for the furtherance of its principles and interests ‘he made no small sacrifices’. In his surviving letter, written in 1847, he expressed concern that the congregation had only had a few members added in the previous six months.

 He was, however, encouraged that the congregation had reduced the debt owed on their new church building and manse from £920 to £280. His obituary noted that they day before his illness began had been devoted to a scheme he had organised to see the remaining debt paid off, to which he himself contributed £60.

He knew what it was to sacrificially support the spread of the gospel in his own community and farther afield.

In his letter of 5th June 1847, John Milroy told his children: ‘My days is near a close: I feel myself done’. Six months later he was dead, and is long forgotten even in the congregation to which he contributed so much.

The Christian does not live for adulation on earth. For a start, no matter how glowing our obituaries may be, we (and those closest to us!) know that we’re far from perfect. Our hope is not that our lives will have earned us God’s favour; I’m sure John Milroy would have been the first to testify of his reliance for salvation on Jesus Christ alone. The most we can do is simply what was our duty to do – we are ‘unworthy servants’ (Luke 17:10). And yet Jesus also promises that ‘your Father who sees in secret will reward you’ (Matt. 6:4).

I for one am thankful that God has brought to light the life of this, in one sense very ordinary, ‘Clayholer’. May his example be an encouragement and a challenge to many. It’s hard to overestimate the impact it would have on church and community if, by God’s grace, we had more people like John Milroy today.

Published in the Stranraer & Wigtownshire Free Press, 28th March 2024.

Everyone's a Theologian

Book review by Trinity McConnell

Everyone’s a Theologian
R. C. Sproul
Ligonier Ministries, 2014

Is theology a dying art?

So often as a young person in this day and age I hear the phrase: “As long as you have a relationship with Jesus, nothing else matters." Although I commend the prioritisation of a relationship with Christ, it's disheartening to think of my generation in the church growing up with no desire to inspect the Scriptures to have a broader understanding of their faith and how they practise it. Everyone's a Theologian, by R.C. Sproul, seeks to make theology more accessible by encouraging all Christians to take an interest in, and giving a simple introduction to, big Biblical concepts.

As a novice myself I found that the book lived up perfectly to its subtitle: ‘An introduction to Systematic Theology.’

The book is in eight parts. An introduction informs the reader of important concepts to consider before studying theology at any level, eg the infallibility of scripture, the purpose of theology and the three theological disciplines: biblical, historical and systematic.

This is followed by sections on; Theology proper (the study of God), Anthropology (the study of human beings) and Creation, Christology (The study of the nature and work of Jesus Christ), Pneumatology (the person and work of the Holy Spirit), Soteriology (salvation), Ecclesiology (The study of the church) and finally Eschatology (death, judgement, heaven and hell). The book is laid out in simple format and uses easy to understand language.

I would recommend this book to anyone who has ever wanted to study theology (young or old), who thought they hadn't the ability or didn't know where to start. I'd also recommend it to anyone who thinks that theology is unnecessary or leads to traditionalism or legalism - in the hope that it will give them the positive outlook and joy that studying the word of God should bring. I would even suggest that those looking to revise an old topic, begin a new one or even just get a refresher of the overall picture of the main branches of Systematic Theology pick up a copy of this informative and to the point piece of literature.

Britain's Loneliest Sheep

A high-profile new resident arrived in Dumfries and Galloway recently – a ewe once known as ‘Britain’s Loneliest Sheep’. Fiona, as she has been named, was rescued after being stranded for more than two years at the foot of cliffs in the Scottish Highlands. Fiona’s plight hit the headlines after a kayaker photographed her still trapped at the foot of a steep cliff at the Cromarty Firth, two years after a previous sighting. An online petition to rescue her attracted thousands of signatures, before four farmers came to the rescue. Despite protests from an animal rights group, she arrived safely at Dalscone Farm in Dumfries under cover of darkness, and has been there ever since.

So what was it about Fiona that captured the nation’s attention? Quite simply, it was that she was on her own. And everyone knows that sheep aren’t meant to be alone. Yet as a minister I often hear people say: ‘I don’t need to go to church to be a Christian’. Or: ‘I can worship God as I walk in the hills’. Or ‘I just watch services online’. One reason why that’s a problem is because the Bible repeatedly describes Christians as sheep. Most people are familiar with the opening line of Psalm 23: ‘The Lord is my Shepherd’. When Jesus came, he described himself as ‘The Good Shepherd’. He said ‘My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me’. If we see a sheep on its own, we know something is wrong. We should look with similar concern on someone who claims to be one of Christ’s sheep, and yet shuns involvement in a gospel-preaching church. Especially if we work on the assumption that God created sheep for the very purpose of showing us what we are like and what we need.

Certainly, our relationship with God must be personal. Too many try to substitute a connection with a church for a personal relationship with Jesus. We must be able to say ‘The Lord is my Shepherd’. But the Bible’s vision is not for ‘you in your small corner and me in mine’. The New Testament pattern is that when people are baptised, they are joined to a particular body of believers. Most of the New Testament letters are written to churches. Those which are written to individuals, are written to church leaders. The New Testament has no concept of an individual Christian (or a Christian family) which is not under the shepherding care of a local church. Christians in the New Testament are frequently described as ‘saints’. Unlike the popular idea of a halo-wearing, super-holy person, the word simply describes those who God has set apart for himself. Significantly, the word ‘saint’ is always plural in Scripture. 1st Corinthians 12 describes the church as a body; some people are hands, some are eyes, some are ears. Everyone has a role to play. Those who isolate themselves (Proverbs 18:1), refuse to play their God-given role. James Bannerman, a great Scottish theologian of the past, said ‘A solitary Christian is a contradiction in terms’.

Some point to a bad church experience in the past as the reason they’ve decided to go it alone. If that’s you, I sympathise deeply. But if a sheep has been badly treated on one farm, the answer isn’t to rescue it and then set it loose to wander. Often, bad church experiences come at the hands of self-appointed leaders who are a far cry from the ‘shepherds after my own heart’ God promises through Jeremiah. These shepherds must be ‘sent’ (Romans 10:15). Just as the New Testament expects individual believers to join themselves to a local church, so it expects the leaders themselves to be under spiritual authority. If you are in a ‘church’ where the leader is not accountable to anyone for his actions, get out! Indeed, the very idea of a church with one individual making the decisions is neither healthy or biblical.

After two years, Fiona the sheep might have been quite content to be by herself. But it was not what was best for her. Surely she is happier now? Living week in, week out, alongside other believers can be a challenge at times. We will sin against one another and be sinned against. We’ll hurt one another, disappoint one another. But by God’s grace we’ll also fulfil the New Testament commands to encourage one another and build one another up. God in his wisdom has not designed sheep to be alone.

Due for publication in the Stranraer & Wigtownshire Free Press, 29 February 2024

Borders' Conference

Back in November, Stephen and Carla attended the annual Banner of Truth Borders’ Conference in Carlisle. It was a great time of hearing from God’s word and renewing fellowship with other believers in our region. On the Saturday afternoon, Stephen had a chance to speak about gospel needs and opportunities in Stranraer, as well as in Dumfries and Galloway more generally.

The official report from the conference says of the Saturday afternoon:

“this was a particularly encouraging time as representatives reported on real-life ministry in places that are in many cases ‘off the beaten track’, whether that be Stranraer in the deep southwest of Scotland, or the small village of Charlesworth on the edge of the Peak District. It was a reminder that the Lord is at work in such places, and of the need to pray for more labourers”

You can watch a video of the opening address by Jonty Rhodes below:

The Heroine of the Princess Victoria

January can be a grim month. Intimations cover shop windows, announcing death after death. In 2021, a Covid outbreak in Thorney Croft Care Home saw 14 residents die. And on the very last day of January 1953, the Princess Victoria sank, with the loss of 135 lives.

The tragic story is known only too well. The Victoria made slow progress up Loch Ryan that morning. Emerging from the Loch she met with a gale-force storm and thirty-foot waves. Captain Ferguson managed to get the vessel turned, but it was then smashed on the stern by powerful waves. The car deck doors were damaged beyond repair and water flooded the deck.

At 09:46, radio operator David Broadfoot transmitted a message saying: “"Vessel not under command. Urgent assistance of tugs required”. An SOS message was sent at 10:32. In the meantime, the captain seems to have concluded that he had no option but to resume his original course and head out into the storm for Ireland. Five miles from safety, with the engine room flooded and the ship badly listing, Broadfoot messaged at 13:15: “We are preparing to abandon ship”.

The weather conditions, as well as confusion about the Victoria’s location, severely hampered the rescue. Only the lifeboats on one side of the ship could be used, and tragically the one containing women and children was smashed against the sinking ship, meaning none survived.

As with similar disasters, there were some who emerged as heroes. Broadfoot was posthumously awarded the George Cross for staying at his post. The captains of the merchant vessels who came to assist were made members of the Order of the British Empire. Officers of the HMS Contest were awarded the George Medal for their bravery in entering the water to assist the survivors.  

One woman, whose story is not so well known, has been hailed as ‘the heroine of the Princess Victoria’. Her name was Nancy Bryson, and she was from my home county of Londonderry. She was a missionary in Kenya, and had come back to the UK with her husband and three children to visit relatives and speak at some meetings. In 2013, her daughter told the BBC: ‘She was one of the bravest women on board who whispered words of comfort to other passengers and led them in singing a hymn. She also tried to help a three year old child into one of the lifeboats but failed to do so, going under the water herself in the process’.

A poem written about her says: ‘God had her there on purpose’. That might seem a strange thing to say. There were those who were booked to be on the ship that fateful January day who ended up not sailing, due to illness or other reasons. Why would anyone think God had her on that ship on purpose?

The answer is because of what she was reported to be doing as the ship sank. The poem recounts ‘She spoke of Jesus and his love and all his power to save’. As a missionary, Nancy Bryson had given her life to tell people of the hope there is beyond this world. She probably imagined that her most important missionary work would be done in East Africa. It may well be that it was done on the Princess Victoria instead. ‘God had here there on purpose, upon the ship that day / To point the soul to Jesus, the true and living way’.

What a contrast she is to another woman on board that day. That secondly lady was seen walking around in a fur coat clutching bags. Someone told her to forget about them, but she replied: ‘This is all the money I have in the world’. She was later seen dead in the water, still tightly clutching those bags. Nancy Bryson, on the other hand, pointed people to true riches, which even death can’t take from us.

In his book on the disaster, Jack Hunter argued that the Victoria’s loss was due less to unseaworthiness than to an unsuccessful rescue operation. More modern ro-ro ships have sunk less than thirty minutes after water invaded their car decks; the Victoria stayed afloat for four hours.

Those four hours would have been agonising – and yet would also have given those on-board time to think about eternity. And in God’s providence there was someone there to point them to the one who endured the waves of God’s wrath so we could live forever.

Published in the Stranraer & Wigtownshire Free Press, 25th January 2024