Fellowship

RPCS Day Out in Ayr

Last month, we in Stranraer organised an event for the whole denomination in Ayr. The following report is taken from the RPCS website:

Each year a different church in the Presbytery organises a Presbytery-wide event. This year it was Stranraer’s turn and they planned a lovely day in Ayr on the 2nd August. 55 people from Airdrie, Glasgow, North Edinburgh, Stranraer, and Wishaw attended, and we were blessed with beautiful weather.

The day began with everyone meeting for a picnic lunch on the Ayr Lower Green. After some time chatting and catching up over our sandwiches, it was time for a walk to the old cemetery in Ayr, where Jimmy Fisher (from Airdrie RPC and Tour Guide for our Presbytery ministry, Reformation Tours) gave a talk at the grave of 7 Covenanter martyrs who were all hanged at Ayr. They had been captured at Rullion Green in November 1666, and were part of a group of twelve men brought from Edinburgh to Ayr to stand trial for their part in the Pentland Rising. After the inevitable outcome, all were sentenced to death. Part of the inscription on their grave reads (like so many of the martyr graves in Scotland) that they died “For their adherence to the Word of GOD and Scotland’s Covenanted work of Reformation”. We then sang Psalm 23 and Psalm 133 and James Fraser prayed.

We then walked back to the green where there were all sorts of games and races for young and old alike involving parachutes and hula hoops. Folks continued to chat and spend time getting to know new people from the different congregations and catching up with old friends. It was a lovely day and many thanks to Stranraer RPC for organising it.

Milestone Birthdays Celebrated!

Members and friends of the Reformed Presbyterian Church recently celebrated three significant birthdays: a 70th, 80th and 90th! A lunch was held at the Bay House on Saturday 5th April to celebrate these significant milestones reached by Bob Lyon, Robert Dabner, and Margaret Clark. Bob, from Kansas, but in Stranraer for three months along with his wife Rita, reached the age of ‘threescore and ten’ in March. Robert completed his eighth decade in January, and Margaret, turned 90 at the end of December. The congregation’s minister, Rev. Stephen Steele, spoke of his gratitude for each of them. The memorable lunch ended with the cutting of a cake and the viewing of some old pictures that Robert had digitised for the occasion.

Published in the Stranraer & Wigtownshire Free Press, 17 April 2025

Church Outing to Wigtown

On 18th May we had a joint church outing to Wigtown with some of our friends from Dumfries Free Church.

After arriving in sunny Wigtown we visited the grave of the Two Margarets, who were martyred in Wigtown 339 years ago the previous week. Stephen told the story of their deaths, which continued as we moved down to the Martyrs’ Stake. Our time there included singing a couple of psalms, including the verses of Psalm 25 which Margaret Wilson sang just before she died.

After this we headed to Wigtown Baptist Church where we ate our packed lunch, and then organised some games for the children on the grass outside. It was a great day of fellowship!

Saying Goodbye

This past Lord’s Day was a bittersweet occasion for us as a congregation as we said goodbye to Ian H prior to him moving to Dumfries. Ian has been a valued part of the congregation for the last year and has thrown himself into all aspects of church life.

Prior to our church lunch, Stephen presented Ian with a Creeds & Confessions Bible and a copy of the book Love Your Church. He then prayed for God’s blessing and guidance on Ian in this next phase of his life.

We will miss him, but he has been a blessing to us, and we trust we have been to him as well!