There was a large attendance in the Stornoway Town Hall on the 28th April for the ordination and induction of Stephen McCollum as the new pastor of Stornoway Reformed Presbyterian Church. Many had travelled from Northern Ireland and the mainland for the occasion, and there were representatives from other congregations on the island.
Stephen, from Northern Ireland, first came to Scotland when he was a student in Glasgow nine years ago. Two years later he moved to Pittsburgh to attend the Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary there. In 2012 he married Brenda, an American. In 2014 they moved back to Scotland, and Stephen took up work as headmaster of the Sunrise Christian School in Glasgow. He was an elder in the Airdrie RP Church. Stephen and Brenda’s little daughter Zoe was born in January.
At the ordination and induction service the Rev Kenneth Stewart, Moderator of the Scottish RP Presbytery and minister of the RP Church in Glasgow, preached a powerful and inspiring sermon from 1 Timothy 4:14 (Neglect not the gift that is in thee) and from 2 Timothy 1:6 (Stir up the gift of God which is in thee).
The Rev Donald Macdonald of Stornoway presented the new minister with a monetary gift as well as a copy of the Puritan Hard Drive which contains over 12,500 of the best classic and contemporary Reformation, Protestant, and Puritan books, MP3s, and videos ever gathered on one digital device. Olivia McElehatton presented Brenda with a bouquet of flowers and a gift for little Zoe. Scott Maciver presented a gift to the Rev Stewart, who has been the Interim Moderator to the Stornoway congregation and Cliff McElhatton presented a gift to the Rev Donald Macdonald, for his services to the congregation. A reception was held afterwards in the Cala Hotel.
Mr Bill Lucas
