Autumn Leaves (Volume 3) by Alasdair Gordon - HTML preview

[1] A “vicar” means someone who takes the place of a beneficed clergyman or “parson” (person). The title has long passed out of common use in Scotland although it lingered for a while after the Reformation.

[2] A list of ministers is appended to this pamphlet.

[3] Many of the Scottish Lairds were – and are – Episcopalian although in practice they have often adhered to the parish church.

[4] One of the most famous is the “Round House” of Udny.

[5] After the writer demitted the charge at the end of 1975, there was a further linking with the neighbouring parish of Keith Hall.

[6] This paragraph reflects the position in 1973.

[7] An extension containing hall and toilet facilities was added on the west side in 2002.

[8] The manse described here was sold in the 1980s and is now in private hands.

[9] The story of the plate is recounted briefly in Nigel Tranter’s The Eastern Counties; Aberdeenshire, Angus and Kincardineshire. The minister supplied Mr Tranter with the information.

[10] Taken from Fasti Ecclesiae Scoticanae ©

[11] This article was written before the rise of humanist ceremonies which have become increasingly popular.

[12] Note that “his” includes “her” in this context throughout the article.

[13] A minister may decline to solemnise a marriage when either or both parties are divorced. In practice this refusal is increasingly rare.

[14] Please remember that this article reflects the position in 1979. A helpful correspondent at the time pointed out that a basic service of dedication was already available in the United Reformed Church.

[15] Sometimes referred to as a “dry Christening”!

[16] The Church of Scotland has subsequently issued its own suggested wording.

[17] These draft questions put a certain degree of commitment on to the parents. I would now frame them differently especially as the position of the Church of Scotland is that nothing is required of the parents in either commitment or belief. I would (now) regard that as a wiser approach.

[18] The term “evangelical” has ceased to have any real meaning in 2014.

[19] In my experience many evangelicals are unskilled at dialogue; more of that later.

[20] There have been further major changes, of course, since the late 1970s when this was written.

[21] I was still in full-time ministry when this booklet was originally drafted.

[22] Even in my time at New College, Divinity students received no basic instruction as to how to conduct a baptism, funeral, communion or wedding!

[23] I suggest that the general position in 2014 is rather more hostile.

[24] In 2014,he could be openly described as a partner. Even in the 1970s, we were more coy.

[25] It is surprising how many people in 2014 believe that “science” has disproved religion once for all.

[26] This comment is very dated. In 2013, there were only three ministers under the age of 30.

[27] This has been somewhat eased by the large reduction in the number of pastoral charges.

[28] This was the term used at the time.

[29] To be fair, many Presbyteries now have chaplains, both lay and ordained.

[30] Much less so in 2014!

[31] This is a popular misconception. Rural ministries can be extremely demanding in practice.

[32] Increasingly people are turning to humanist celebrants for naming ceremonies, weddings and funerals.

[33] This was originally written in the late 1970s. It is even truer in 2014.

[34] This was written long before the rise of mobile phones, I-pads and such like which seem to demand so much of our time and concentration.

[35] Most of the church is still struggling to catch up with “gay rights” and generally is in a state of confusion over the issues arising.

[36] Having been trained quite extensively in NLP. one of the most important things I learned from that process is that the meaning of any communication is the response that you get.

[37] These words were written before the rise of “gay rights”. The response of much of the Christian church to such changes has been muddled and defensive, fuelling the perception that the church is hopelessly out of touch with ordinary people.

[38] At the time of writing, the Christian churches in Scotland seem to be in hopeless and depressing shambles and disarray over their attitude to homosexual relationships.

[39] These traditions sometimes refer to themselves as Calvinist which does somewhat of a disservice to what Calvin actually taught.

[40] I doubt if I could honestly say the same in 2014.

[41] Some years ago, the Church of Scotland launched its “Church without Walls” initiative.

[42] More would have been said if the book had been completed!

[43] It is only fair to point out that many congregations have upgraded and modernised their hall and ancillary facilities since these words were first written!

[44] That comment is, of course, hopelessly dated as we now live with the internet and its access to almost limitless information, reliable and otherwise.

[45] This term is every bit as meaningless as “evangelical”.

[46] The position in 2014 is infinitely worse. Please refer to comments in “This is my Story, This is my Song”.

[47] In 2014, the balance of power would seem to favour the liberals.

[48] There are signs that this consensus coalition is now rapidly unravelling.

[49] It was a great disappointment to many people that the minister and most of the congregation of St George’s Tron left the Church of Scotland in 2012 over matters of doctrine. I suspect that Tom Allan would not have taken such a step but that is conjecture on my part.

[50] Later, he was to become a distinguished Principal of Aberdeen University.

[51] The position has considerably deteriorated since these words were written in the 1970s.

[52] The charismatic movement in the Church of Scotland is now somewhat in decline, it seems.

[53] 1911 – 1997. When he retired at age 87 he was the longest serving minister in the Church of Scotland.

[54] It was a great disappointment to many when, in 2013, the minister of Gilcomston South Church and the vast majority of its congregation, seceded from the Church of Scotland.

[55] David was then Minister at Newhills (Aberdeen) and went on to have outstanding ministries at Larbert Old and also in Northern Ireland before being appointed as first Warden of Rutherford House.

[56] This was written before Rutherford House was opened in Edinburgh c. 1981 as a centre to promote evangelical scholarship.

[57] (1977) Barr subsequently wrote The Scope and Authority of the Bible (1980) and Escaping Fundamentalism (1984).

[58] Fundamentalism was much less of a buzz word in the 1970s than it is now.

[59] That has not changed. In 2014 evangelicals in Scotland are probably as divided as they ever have been.

[60] I cannot help thinking that these words were strangely prophetic when I look at the divided state of the Kirk in 2014.

[61] This was written before such excellent initiatives as Alpha Groups had taken off.