We recently held our Annual General Meetings for 2020 and 2021 on the same evening, with 2020’s having been unable to take place last year due to Covid. You can read the latest annual report below as we looked back on a very unusual year:
Stranraer RPCS Session Report for 2020
As was the case with churches across the world, 2020 was a very different year for us due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet looking back on the year, we find the words that William Symington preached on in 1837 (after a typhus epidemic in Stranraer kept him out of the pulpit for four months) to be so fitting:
‘It is of the LORD’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not’. (Lamentations 3:22)
Public Worship
The pandemic’s most profound impact on us – and our greatest grief – was the unprecedented suspension of Public Worship for 16 Lord’s Days. Given the growing public health crisis, and much uncertainty about the virus, Session took the decision to suspend Public Worship from the 22nd of March, the day before the first UK lockdown was announced by the Prime Minister, Boris Johnson.
During the period of lockdown, Stephen continued to preach morning and evening each Lord’s Day from the church, with the services livestreamed via Facebook, and also available via telephone for those without access to the internet.
When restrictions allowed, we resumed Public Worship outside on 12th July (we are grateful to the Frasers for the use of their garden). Given Scottish government advice against singing indoors, we also worshipped outside a number of times during August, before resuming worship indoors and singing one psalm at the end of each service from September.
We turned off the livestream once the government-advised ‘shielding’ period for the most vulnerable finished at the end of July. We are grateful to God for the technology that made it possible to reach not just our own congregation, but also unbelievers with the gospel – but we are also aware that watching from home is a pale substitute for Public Worship.
The average attendance at worship, both before and after lockdown, was 27 in the morning and 17 in the evening.
Given requests for an earlier evening service, and in consultation with the congregation, the evening service time was brought forward an hour to 5:30pm. During lockdown, we were encouraged to see people tuning in to the evening service, who would normally only have attended in the morning. We would urge all who are physically able to be at both services and we have made a number of resources about the importance of evening worship available on our website.
Preaching
Rev. Stephen Steele preached 86 times in Stranraer (30 times via livestream).
He also preached twice in North Edinburgh RPCS, twice in Airdrie RPCS and once in Cookstown RPCI.
Rev. Gerald Milligan preached six times. Rev. Peter Loughridge (RPCS – interim elder), Rev. Kyle Borg (RPCNA), Prof. Robert McCollum (RPCI), Rev. Bill Matthess (RPCI) and Rev. Stephen McCollum (RPCS) all preached twice. On one Lord’s Day we joined Cookstown RPCI’s livestream, with Rev. Paul Wright preaching at both services.
Rev. Borg spoke at a special evening service on 12th January entitled ‘The Big Picture for Small-Town Churches’ to which we invited the other local churches and were encouraged by an attendance of 47 people.
Stephen preached on the following books and topics: Psalms 18-24, Genesis 21-24, ‘He is able’, Romans 8, 2 Samuel 1-12, Revelation 1-3, ‘Encounters with Jesus’ and Ruth.
Sacraments
The Lord’s Supper was only celebrated once (on 29th November), due to COVID-19. It was a very joyous day in the life of the congregation, with three new members joining the church and 17 people taking part in the first celebration of communion in a year.
Outreach
The pandemic led to the cancellation of most of our organised outreach activities planned for the year.
Gracie Rabon, a young woman from Lexington PCA (South Carolina), arrived at the end of February, for what was intended to be an 8-week stay, but ended up returning home after two weeks, just before the airlines stopped flying. The plan was had been for her to help with restarting our Toddlers group, help lead a Scripture Union in Rephad Primary School (along with Amy Bingham and Stephen), and also to be involved in a mini GO Team, among other things. However the first two endeavours only lasted a couple of weeks due to COVID-19, and the GO Team had to be cancelled altogether.
We did however advertise our willingness to help those in the community who were self-isolating by picking up prescriptions, delivering essential groceries, talking to those who were worried or giving them a free copy of the Bible. Stephen was interviewed on Westsound Radio about the endeavour, and it was also advertised through Stranraer FC (where Stephen continues to serve as chaplain). Through these efforts we encountered a number of people from the community with whom we as a church had not had previous contact.
A GO Team planned for September had to be cancelled as lockdowns in the Scottish Central Belt meant that almost all the team members would have been unable to leave their council areas.
Session
Session met six times over the course of the year. We are grateful for the measure of unity that God gave us as a session (and a congregation) during a year in which churches have seen much division. We are grateful for the continued help of Rev. Peter Loughridge (North Edinburgh RPCS) as interim elder. We continue to urge our members to pray regularly that God would equip and call qualified local men to serve as elders (1 Timothy 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-16).
The 16th of May marked the fortieth anniversary of Rev. Gerald Milligan’s induction as minister in Stranraer. Sadly the lockdown meant that we were unable to mark such a significant anniversary, but it is hoped that we will be able to do something when restrictions come to an end.
Membership
We were delighted to welcome Ian Murphy and James and Katie Fraser (along with Thomas and Luke) into membership on 29th November. Ian joined upon profession of faith, and the Frasers upon transfer from Glasgow RPCS.
Mr. Martin Colledge, a long-term adherent of the congregation (though largely housebound for many years) passed away on 2nd March at the age of 97. His funeral turned out to be the last service held in the building for almost four months.
Bible Studies and other fellowship opportunities
Either side of lockdown, we continued to meet together on Wednesday mornings to discuss the passage that was preached on the previous Lord’s Day morning.
On the 2nd of February, we held a church lunch to welcome the Fraser family to Stranraer (their arrival was also covered in the Free Press). In March we began what was intended to be a regular church lunch on the first Lord’s Day of each month, but were unable to continue them due to COVID-19 restrictions. Once we are able to resume them, we would urge everyone to participate as one way to follow the New Testament example of being ‘devoted to the fellowship’ (Acts 2:42).
The opportunity for fellowship over tea and coffee after the evening service likewise had to be temporarily discontinued.
A women’s prayer time was begun while Gracie Rabon was with us, until COVID-19 restrictions brought an end to it.
Children
A creche for the younger children was maintained until lockdown began.
Session reminds parents of their baptismal vows to ‘train your child to worship God among his people’, which flows out of the Biblical expectation that when the church gathers, the children will be present (Ephesians 1:1; 6:1-3).
Two families from the congregation attended the RPCI Family Day Conference in March where the theme was ‘The Promise-Driven Family’ (audio and powerpoint available on our website).
During lockdown, various resources for children (videos, worksheets, crafts etc) were made available.
Day of Fasting and Prayer
Resources on fasting and prayer were made available ahead of the RPCS Day of Fasting and Prayer which was held on 28th March in light of the coronavirus pandemic.
Five-Year Review
September marked five years since Stephen’s ordination and the beginning of Presbytery’s oversight of the revitalisation of the congregation. We are grateful to God to have been meeting Presbytery’s criteria for our five-year review in terms of attendance, number of committed people, financial giving and ordination of local leadership (Rev. Gerald Milligan having been elected as a ruling elder in 2016).
The review criteria looked for us to be covering 50% of the total operating costs from our tithes and offerings, and we are grateful to God that they covered 81%. Presbytery was not in a position to cover the shortfall however and so we continue to be grateful to those in the RPCI who give monthly to support the work here.
There are no further scheduled reviews, however Stranraer will continue to give a report to each meeting of Presbytery until such times as we are self-supporting as a congregation.
Global Alliance
Stephen continues to serve as the RPCS delegate to the RP Global Alliance. One benefit to the congregation from his involvement was the opportunity to hear RPCNA pastor Kyle Borg preach in January.
We commend the Global Alliance website (rpglobalalliance.org) and Facebook page as a way of keeping up with news from the global RP Church.
Website
During the year, the church website saw 8,139 unique visitors, up 41% from the previous year. While articles on the website (including those taken from Stephen’s monthly Free Press page) are primarily intended for those in our own local community, it was encouraging to hear of a young couple beginning to worship in another RPCS congregation after reading an article on the site.
Conclusion
Although living through the pandemic had its challenges, we are grateful to God for preserving us physically and spiritually during it. At a time when churches have been divided, ministers burnt out, members not back at worship etc, to end the year with three new members, and all our existing members back out at worship, is a tremendous blessing which we don’t take for granted. Truly his mercies are ‘new every morning; great is your faithfulness’ (Lamentations 3:23).
Rev. Stephen Steele, Rev. Gerald Milligan, Rev. Peter Loughridge.