Sunday 17th November was a very special day for the congregation of Lochgilphead and Tarbert in the Free Presbytery of Glasgow and Argyll.
It is more than 30 years since either congregation had ordained a ruling elder, and some time since there had been any local elders, so there was a real since of joy and thankfulness to God for his provision of two men to serve in the recently linked congregation. Colin Brailsford and Calum McPhail had been duly elected by the congregation and accepted the call to serve as ruling elders for both locations.
The service of ordination and induction was held in Lochgilphead and was conducted by Dr Rodger Crooks. The hall was filled to capacity with worshippers from both locations plus family members of the new elders.
A warm spirit of friendship was evident as lunch was served after the service and conversations flowed around the tables. Dr Crooks said: ‘Having these two men now serving as local ruling elders is a great encouragement. The congregation is growing and has a renewed hope for the future, with new members sharing the workload and taking on roles within the congregation. We are thankful to God for answered prayer and look to him to call a new minister to serve here in the not-too-distant future.’