The Sunday morning service on November 28th at Dornoch Free Church marked the end of the ministry of Rev. Duncan Macleod. He is retiring as the longest serving Free Church of Scotland minister after 38 years service. Duncan was ordained and inducted to Helmsdale Free Church in 1983 where he spent 13 years before moving to Perth Free Church. In 2011 he was called to Dornoch Free Church where he has spent the last 10 years.
On the previous Friday evening, a large crowd representing Duncan’s three congregations packed into the Carnegie Hall, Clashmore, for a meal and presentations. Several people spoke of the lasting impact of Duncan and Morag’s fellowship, hospitality, warmth and ministry, and how much they will be missed from church and community.
Duncan originates from Carloway on the Isle of Lewis and studied Gaelic at Aberdeen University before training to be a teacher. He taught Gaelic in Uist before applying for Free Church ministry in 1980.
In a characteristically passionate and evangelistic final sermon on Mark 16:14-20 Duncan stressed that although the bad news was that “our best is never good enough”, the good news was that God had provided his best in Jesus for our salvation.
Duncan’s wife, Morag, comes from Scalpay. They have three grown up children and one grand daughter. Duncan and Morag plan to settle in Inverness.