It was a delight to attend The Scottish College’s (Congregational and United Reformed) Valedictory Service 2023 at Knightswood Congregational Church, Glasgow on Friday 2 June. At this service four URC ordinands received their Leaving Certificates from the College Chair, Ms Myra Rose; they are shown in the photo above along with the SURCC Principal, the Revd Dr John McNeil Scott: from left, Derek McDonald, Roberta Ritson, Lesley Thomson and Louise Sanders.
Roberta and Louise had spent three years studying at SEI (2019-2022) in tandem with their URC-specific formation at The Scottish College, before completing their EM1 course with a further year of URC-focussed studies and placements. Thus it was fitting that several SEI friends were present both in person and on-line for this significant moment in their ministerial journeys.
The Revd Fiona Bennett, Minister of Augustine United Church, Edinburgh, and the current Moderator of the URC General Assembly, preached a blinder of a sermon from Jeremiah 29, encouraging all involved in ministry and discipleship in these turbulent times, to cultivate the art of being reflective practitioners; being contextually flexible while all the while holding fast to the unchanging charisms of faith, hope and trust, and working for the welfare of the places in which we find ourselves, however alien, however much these might not be exactly where we would like to be.
The photo above shows Fiona (left) with her Chaplain, the Revd Lindsey Sanderson, current minister of Hamilton and Righead URC churches. Lindsey is also the Moderator-elect of the URC National Synod of Scotland, due to take over the position in January 2024 upon the retirement of the Revd Paul Whittle. Throughout her ministry, Lindsey has worked hard to encourage ecumenical cooperation, whether serving in local congregations or on a wider stage as Assistant General Secretary for Action of Churches Together in Scotland in the 1990’s and URC representative to the World Council of Churches Central Committee in the following decade. As well as serving as a College Tutor, Lindsey has been a staunch friend of Episcopalian students from TISEC days onwards, sharing her renowned worship-leading skills generously at Summer Schools and residential weekends in the past.
The congregation of Knightswood Congregational Church made everyone present feel extremely welcome, their skilled Praise Band leading the hymn-filled service with aplomb and a hard-working team of members offering generous hospitality afterwards around beautifully decorated tables. All in all, a most fitting way to celebrate this significant moment in the lives of the four ordinands – a true ‘zietenwende’ as Principal Scott so aptly put it.
Photos courtesy of Anne Tomlinson and Linda Harrison
