HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1990-09-19, Page 19From the Minister's Study
THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 1990. PAGE 19.
Trust God, he will never fail you, says minister
BY REV. CAMERON McMULAN
MINISTER, BRUSSELS AND
ETHEL UNITED CHURCHES
Long ago, Jesus said these words
(Luke 11:9-10): “Ask and you will
receive, seek and you will find,
knock and the door will be opened
to you.’’
Jesus said these words to assure
people that they need not be afraid
to make their requests known to
God. Pray to God. Tell God what is
Duff's Church rich in history
BY BONNIE GROPP
Sharing in its rich history, mem
bers past and present of Duff’s
United Church in Walton, will
gather on Sunday to commemorate
the 125th anniversary.
It was 1865, when a little frame
Presbyterian Church was built in
Morris Township and Rev. John
Ferguson came to preach. The land
had been purchased from Mr.
Robert Dennison, a Methodist after
the site committee had been refus
ed by the Canada Company. This
little church was used until 1869
when it was replaced by a new
building on the south east corner of
'^fc?Lot 30, Cone. 9 in Morris.
In 1862, the first public service of
the United Presbyterian in the
Walton area was held after John
Shortreed, a Morris township sett
ler, invited United Presbyterian
minister Rev. J. Gillespie to come
and organize a congregation. Mr.
Shortreed had belonged to that
faith before moving to the Walton
area in 1859. Nineteen and a half
acres were purchased in Grey
Township on Lot 1, Cone. 17 for the
construction of a church and the
first settled minister was Rev. John
Robertson. On the day of his
UCW holds September meeting
The U.C.W. of the Brussels
United Church held their meeting
in the Public Library.
President Jeanette Boynton wel
comed the ladies and read a story
about religion. The worship lead by
Luella Mitchell and Sarah Stephen
son.
The hymn “Teach Me Day by
Day’’ was sung. Scripture was read
by Sarah from Matthew 13, 18-35
followed by prayer. Luella gave the
introduction about September.
Sara gave the S - Church Singing;
troubling you. Tell God what you
would like to see happen. God
listens to you. God wants to hear
from you. God will bring an answer
to your requests.
Prayer is really a dialogue with
God. God knows our problem
before we even speak about it. God
has an answer for our problem, too.
Sometimes we are not ready to
listen to it or willing to accept it.
This clouds up our relationship
with God.
ordination there were 32 members
and the next day there were 10
more received by certificate and
three on profession of faith.
In 1895 this church was renovat
ed and veneered.
The first church elders were: Jim
Hislop Sr., David Knight, John
Shortreed, Walter Richardson and
Robert Shortreed. Other members
of the early congregation included:
Hugh Stewart, James McDonald,
Thomas McFadzean, William
Shortreed, Andrew Hislop and
John Campbell.
In 1910 the United Presbyterian
Churches of North America and the
Presbyterian Church united and
the two congregations began wor
shipping together in what was then
Duff’s Presbyterian Church in Wal
ton across the road in Morris
township. The United Presbyterian
Church was demolished and by
1912 the current impressive struc
ture was built. The closing service
of the Presbyterian Church in
Morris where the congregation had
worshipped for 42 years, was on
December 15, 1912.
In December of that same year
the new Duff’s Presbyterian
Church was opened. Rev. Lundy
was the minister until 1920 when
Communion; Mary Lowe P - Pray
er; Adah Smith, T - Trees nature;
Doris McCall, E - Envolvement
Connection; Marie McTaggart, M -
Mystery Wild in Woods; Dorothy
Steffler, B - Busy, Not a good
Listener; Helen Wheeler, E -
Education, First Day at School;
Luella Mitchell, R - Reach Out,
helping other people.
The hymn, “Come let us sing of
a Wonderful Love’’, was sung.
Jeanette took over for the business
portion. Joan Bernard read the
minutes. The treasurer report was
Through prayer, we try to open
our hearts and minds to God and
listen more attentively to God’s
answer to our requests. There are
three stages in our prayer life:
asking, seeking and knocking. In
the first stage of asking, we are
pouring out our troubles before the
Lord, stating as clearly and fully
as we can exactly what is troubling
us. In the second stage of seeking,
we are exploring alternatives and
try to find the best solution to our
Rev. Chandler resumed the pastor
al charge. Property was purchased
from Mr. Hislop foi a sum of $1 in
1922 for the construction of a
manse on the east side of the
church.
At a congregational meeting in
December of 1924, a majority vote
of 68 members were in favour of
entering the United Church of
Canada. Another Church union
brought together the Methodist
Presbyterian and Congregational
churches in 1925. This was a time
of adjustment and adoption of new
church policies, but, with persever
ance, patience and vision the
congregations built a strong, rural
church, known from that time on as
Duffs United. The Methodist
church building was sold to the
Orange Lodge Hall and is now the
Walton Community Centre.
Past ministers at Duff’s have
been: Rev. Mains, 1926-31; Rev.
Charles Cummings, 1931-39; Rev.
Gilbert, 1939-41; Rev. Hazelwood,
1942-51; Rev. W. Meurrig Thomas,
1951-61; Rev. Arthur Higginbot-
tham, 1961-67; Rev. Derwyn Doc-
ken, 1967-75; Rev. Edward Baker,
1975-80; Rev. Charles Swan, 1980-
85; and Rev. Bonnie Cole Arnal,
1985 -.
given by Gertie Kellington. The
ladies are going to have a booth at
the Brussels Fall Fair. Church
calendars are to be ordered.
Audrey Cardiff gave the report for
the kitchen committee. Morning
group is going to look after
papering the parlour and putting a
rug on the floor. The October
meeting will be in charge of Betty
Campbell and Edna Pletch.
Lunch was served by Betty
Campbell and Adah Smith. The
meeting closed with the benedic
tion.
problem, the one that God wants us
to take. In the third stage of
knocking, we are quite certain what
the best solution to our problem is.
We knock on the door and find that
God opens that door wide for us
and we walk forward along this new
road with confidence, certainty and
a sense of inner peace.
In our prayer life, God is trying
to move us from “God I want this to
happen” (the asking stage) to
“Lord, what do you want me to
do?” (the seeking stage) to “Lord,
I will take this path, which is the
one you have chosen for me.” (the
knocking stage).
Everyone’s life has a lot of
surprising twists and turns in it. A
lot of strange doorways open up
before us which we had no idea we
would enter. Thirty-five years ago,
only one doorway opened up that
took me from the home and family I
was raised in in Winnipeg to work
for the Federal government in
Ottawa. I had no idea at the time
that a lot of other doorways would
open off that passage that would
place me as a minister in Brussels
today. That is what happened as I
ANGLICAN CHURCH
OF CANADA
REV. DAVID FULLER, B.A., M. DIV.
September23 Pentecost 16
MORNING PRAYER
Blyth
9:30 a.m.
HURON CHAPEL MISSIONARY
CHURCH
PASTOR JAMES H. CARNE 526-7515 AUBURN
10:00 a.m. - Sunday School
11:00 a.m. - An experience to be Envied.
The Gilmore Trio singing.
8:00 p.m. - Evening Service
Tuesday - 4:15 - Kids’ Klub
Wednesday - Livestyle Evangelism
Friday - 7:30 - Youth
Melville
Presbyterian Church
BRUSSELS
Rev. Carolyn McAvoy
Sunday, September 23rd
9:30a.m. in Belgrave
11 a.m. in Brussels...firstSundayof
Church School for the children
We welcome you to come and worship with us!
sought God’s guidance.
Trust God, and make your pray
ers known. God will never fail you.
Ask and you will receive, seek and
you will find, knock and the door
will be opened to you.
ENGAGEMENT
Mrs. Ruth Thamer of Walton is pleas
ed to announce the forthcoming mar
riage of her daughter, Ruthie Pearlene
to John Uyl, son of Mrs. Adriana Uyl
of Blyth. The wedding will take place
at Duff's United Church, Walton on
Saturday, Sept. 22, 1990 at 3:00 p.m.
Open reception to follow at Brussels
Arena 8:30 p.m. Everyone Welcome.
Brussels
11:15 a.m.
'WMS fall rally in Belmore
The September meeting of Mel
ville Women’s Missionary Society
was held at the cottage of Helen
Elliott in Kincardine with 10 ladies
answering the roll call with a verse
containing the word “harvest”.
Helen Elliott, the president,
opened the meeting with a poem,
“This learned I from the shadow of
a tree”. The hymn “For the Beauty
of the Earth” was sung. The
secretary report was given by Ruby
Steiss and the treasurer’s report by
Isabel Adams. Anyone wanting the
Milverton man conducts service
Leeroy Winger was leader of the
worship service at Brussels Menn-
onite Fellowship on Sunday.
Winston Martin from Milverton
gave a sermon on the theme “God
at Work in His World.” We should
not feel dispair because God Is at
work in the world but it is up to us
Glad Tidings is to leave her name
with Isabel Adams. The fall rally is
to be in Belmore on Oct. 11.
The offering was received by
Isabel Adams and dedicated by
Helen Elliott. The hymn “O Lord of
Heaven and Earth and Sea” was
sung. Helen Elliott read a story
about “How readeth thou about an
old Bible”, and led in prayer. The
minister, Carolyn McAvoy, gave a
talk on Friendship and each one
had to tell about a friend and how
to do our part in fulfilling God’s
plans. God’s work can take many
forms.
The Church family gathered
Sunday evening for a wedding
shower and time of fun and
fellowship in honour of Steve Baan
and Theresa Wilson who will be
they meant so much to them and
Carolyn closed her talk with prayer.
The hymn “What a Friend We
Have in Jesus” was sung and the
meeting closed with The Lord’s
Prayer.
A pot luck dinner was served by
Helen Elliott and her helpers and a
cup of tea and date loaf and cheese
were served before leaving for
home. A hearty vote of thanks was
given to Helen for the lovely day
spent at the lake.
married in October.
The ladies will meet at the
Church on Tuesday evening. Shir
ley Smith from Port Albert will lead
an informal discussion on food and
environmental allergies and vari
ous ways they can effect our lives.
There will be no regular service
next Sunday at the Church.
BRUSSELS UNITED CHURCH
King Street 887-9313
Rev. Cameron McMillan
11:00 a.m. Morning Worship
Sunday, Church School
Sept. 23
7:30 p.m. Bible Study led by
Rev. Cam McMillan
1 BLYTH CHRISTIAN
ZjS REFORMEDCHURCH
HIGHWAY4,BLYTH
REV. W.H. LAMMERS
Sunday at 10 a.m. and 7:30 p.m.
SundaySchool 11:00a.m.
TheChurchof the “Back to God Hour” and “Faith 20”
Back to God Hour 10:30a.m. CKNX, Sunday
Faith 20 5:00 a.m. weekdays, Global T.V.
ALL VISITORS WELCOME
Let us go to the house of the Lord