From our December 2006 Newsletter

 

Dear Friends

H
ow swiftly time passes, and with the coming of December we come to the end of what has been a traumatic year for Trinity. By now you will all have heard or read that the Appeal of your minister before the Judicial Commission against the censure passed against him in June did not succeed, and that accordingly, his suspension stands. This is sad news for you and for James. It is good that he and his father have continued their attachment to Trinity, so that we can continue to offer them our friendship and support.

The Presbytery of Dundee is therefore now required to take account of the decision of the Judicial Commission and of the situation in which it leaves our congregation. At its Meeting on 13 December, the Presbytery will be required under the Act to declare our congregation vacant and to appoint an Interim Moderator (probably myself, if you are still willing to have me!). The congregation will be cited to attend that Meeting for their interests. Hopefully, at that Meeting, or as soon as possible thereafter, permission will be given to the congregation to seek a new minister.

The Presbytery's Committee of Investigation have offered to meet with us to answer any questions or concerns that we may have, and they have agreed to come to a Congregational Meeting after the close of worship on Sunday 3 December. May I say that they are under no obligation to do so, and have consented to come in order to be helpful to us as a congregation.

It is important that we come to that Meeting with open minds and a real willingness to listen to what they have to say to us. I hope there will be no spirit of bitterness or unkind words addressed to them, and from my experience of being with you in Trinity, I should be surprised and disappointed if there were.

I have heard many of you say that this sad business had nothing to do with Trinity, and that the congregation are wholly innocent of any involvement in these events, yet they are being made to suffer as a result of the suspension of the their minister and their friend. That is sadly true, but please believe me it is equally true of the Presbytery. I know this for a fact, for as Presbytery Clerk at the time I had to deal with the original complaint from the Presbytery of Kirkcaldy, and a veritable poisoned chalice it proved to me.

The three members of Presbytery appointed as the Committee of Investigation would certainly not have chosen to undertake the role, but they did so as a matter of duty, and did so honestly and conscientiously. I hope everyone will remember that when they meet with us.

We are now entering the season of Advent, that season of preparation in which we look forward to the coming of our Saviour, with his promise of new light and new hope at this darkest point in the year. And that promise is true also for us as a church - with His help and His leading we shall come through this dark time, and walk once more in the light.

God bless you!

Your temporary Minister

Jim Roy

 

 

From our November Newsletter

Dear Friends,

N

ovember is here once again, and it always brings to mind a favourite poem of mine by Thomas Hood:

 

No sun - no moon!

No morn - no noon -

No dawn - no dusk - no proper time of day.

No warmth, no cheerfulness, no healthful ease,

No comfortable feel in any member -

No shade, no shine, no butterflies, no bees,

No fruits, no flowers, no leaves, no birds! -

November!

And that seems to me to sum up what many of us are feeling at this time of year with summer holidays long behind us and Christmas still weeks away.

 

Yet there’s no sign of that in the life of Trinity Church!  Here, November seems to be one of the busiest times of the year for all our organisations and their activities with special services almost every Sunday. I’m only now beginning to discover just how busy you expect your minister to be! If this is what retirement is like, the sooner I get back to work again the better.

 

On Sunday, 5 November, the members of The Guild and the Ladies’ Circle have their Service of Rededication at morning worship. All churches owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to our Guildswomen and the ladies who are always at the forefront of so many church functions. So let’s come and support them in this their special service, and take this opportunity of showing just how much we value them.

 

On 12 November, we hold our Remembrance Day Service at the earlier time of 10.50am. so that we may join in the national Act of Remembrance at 11 am. Some people ask why we still need Remembrance Day when so few people are left who have had experience of either world conflict. Well, the fact is, of course that we have only to open our newspapers to see that there are still conflicts continuing around the globe, and that our servicemen are still serving and dying in places like Iraq and Afghanistan. So our prayers will be for them and their safe return, and for the coming of true peace in every corner of God’s world.

On the evening of 19 November our Boys’ Brigade Company will have their annual Enrolment Service, and the boys invite us all to join them for that.  I am sure that many of you will respond because Trinity has a lively and enthusiastic Company thanks to the dedicated leadership of Mr Bremner and his officers. So let’s come along and encourage them by our presence and support at their enrolment service.

 

There is no sign of November depression in Trinity Church. On the contrary, in what has been a difficult and challenging year for the congregation, I have been impressed by your determination not to become downhearted, but to consolidate your recent achievements and to continue to go forward undaunted into whatever the future God is even now preparing for you. Please continue to play your full part in the ongoing life of our congregation so that it may go on from strength to strength.

 

God bless you!

 

Your temporary Minister 

 

Jim Roy