Dear friends,

The newsletter will be available for distribution on the day of the 25th. Anniversary Guest service.  It would seem appropriate then that I should address the subject of my (nearly) twenty five years in Dalserf. It was never planned or expected that I would remain in Dalserf for twenty five years. I recall a member of the vacancy committee who chose me, mistakenly thinking that I had promised to remain in Dalserf for at least 10 years. I would never have made such a promise simply because I would never have been sure that God might not want me to move on after say five or six years. If I had been asked at the time of my induction on 2nd June 1982 how likely I thought it would be that I would still be in Dalserf in 2007 I would have said "extremely unlikely" and on the basis of the average stay of a Church of Scotland minister in a charge that would have been an appropriate reply to make. Why am I still here then after all these years? I could reply that it is because I like it here. It is certainly true that I am happy in Dalserf. I have said from time to time that even if I had the choice of any parish anywhere there is nowhere else I feel I would want to be more than in Dalserf. That is not to say that there have never been any times when I have felt differently but these have been few and far between and relatively short-lived.

Having said this being happy in a situation is no guarantee that God may not call us from it. Rev Dr. Gordon Jenkins was minister of Dunfermline North Church and was extremely happy there with no desire to move but he heard the call of God to leave the parish ministry to be in charge of the Selection School procedure. He willingly obeyed although he was heartbroken at leaving his congregation. After a number of years in that post God called him back to the parish ministry and where did he end up for the last stretch before he retired? You've guessed it, his former parish of Dunfermline North! "God moves in a mysterious way his wonders to perform". I have always been willing to hear God call me elsewhere but thus far he has not called (or God forbid, I have failed to hear!). I am still in Dalserf therefore because I believe God intends me to be here and because there must still be work for me to do here.

There is another aspect which should be mentioned and that is that my being happy here is related in a significant way to you the congregation. I have had the benefit of good relationships within the congregation. Without the friendship, support and responsiveness of those to whom I have been called to minister I doubt very much if it would have been possible to remain in Dalserf for such a long period of time. While relationships matter more than surroundings the location of the manse is an important and sometimes underrated factor in a minister’s wellbeing and ability to function effectively. I recently heard a gifted and caring minister relate how he was suffering a great deal of stress simply on account of the highly visible location of the manse. The quiet and congenial location of Dalserf manse has undoubtedly contributed to the longevity of my ministry here and that of a number of my predecessors notably including Dr. Rorison who remained in Dalserf for fifty six years.

However long I will continue as the minister of Dalserf, the possibility of beating that particular record is extremely low since I would need to continue until 2038 and ninety years of age! Certainly my uncle George was eighty seven when he retired as minister of Shotts Congregational Church so it is not impossible just extremely unlikely that Dr. Rorison's impressive record will be broken by me.

Yours sincerely,
D. Cameron McPherson