There were 36 people at the service, 24 from Lockerbie and 12 from Moffat. Four did not stay for lunch and one came later so we fed 33; we enjoyed soups, rolls, Abida’s delicious Buttered Chicken with noodles which was a long labour of love, then sweet treats or apples and cuppas.It was a very meaningful and comprehensive service led by Rev. Paul, encompassing awareness of many different harvests. Followed by a warm and happy opportunity for sharing.
Shared meal.
BBQue to meet Rev Paul Singh, our new Rector, and his family. Grateful thanks to all who helped make it such a happy occasion, especially the cooks!
A party of young people from Finland, Sweden, Norway Italy
Rev. Paul Singh spoke to the students about the workings of the Church and warden David Rose indicated the features and history of the Church. The Group were accompanied by Barbara Lewis.
David Rose
The All Saints Lockerbie Team at the Authorised Ministry Service of Celebration at St John’s Church, Dumfries on Saturday 31st August 2019. We all went to support Kath when she received her authorisation to lead services. Kath has worked very hard keeping our Taize services going, she has been able to do this as she was given special permission by the Bishop before he retired.
The Taize services have been very successful, attracting folk who do not normally attend our other services and numbers continue to grow.
Kath has supported our congregation in many other ways, including managing our website and we, the Vestry and congregation, thank her for all her hard work and devotion.
Elizabeth McDonnell
There’s a new reverend at the helm of All Saints’ Episcopal Church, Lockerbie, and St. John the Evangelist, Moffat.
The institution of the Re. Paul Singh Job Retnaselvsam as rector of the two churches took place last weekend.
For many years the two churches had been part of the Annandale group of Episcopal Churches but following a re-organisation they became a linked charge with their own rector.
Rev Paul was ordained in the Diocese of South Kerala in the Church of South India.
For the past five years he has been living in Edinburgh with his wife, Abida, and their two sons, Kegan and Kevin, and has been studying for his PhD at the University of Edinburgh.
The institution was conducted by the Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church, The Most Revd. Mark Strange, Bishop of Moray, Ross and Caithness in front of a packed congregation.
During the service Rev. Paul was presented with various symbols to aid his ministry.
Local clergy from other denominations were in attendance as well as a large gathering of Episcopal clergy from throughout Scotland. An excellent and uplifting sermon was delivered by the Rev’d. John Stevenson.
After the service there was time to meet the new rector, his family and catch up with friends from across Scotland.
Paul and his family are now settling in at the rectory in Lockerbie and at his inaugural services at each church on Sunday Pa
Ul thanked everyone for the warm welcome they had received and said how much he was looking forward to being part of the family of the joint charge and to serving God and God’s people in this lovely part of Scotland.
Everyone is welcome to attend the services in the two churches which are held at St John’s Burnside, Moffat, on Sunday at 9.30 am, and Holy Communion Wednesdays 10 am.
The Services at All Saints, Ashgrove Terrace, are Sunday at 11.15 am and 4 pm on Thursdays and Taize service, a meditative and candlelit service, once a month.
At the end of this service, by tradition, we prepare the church for Good Friday by making it as plain and bare as possible.
Please click on the link below to open Diocese Website for more information, and other links.
Firstly, can I thank the Dean and Synod for allowing me to speak about a charity very close to my heart and which has been selected as The Diocese Lenten Appeal
The charity MACS (Malawi Association for Christian Support) was founded in 1993 by Bishop Donald Arden. He returned to the UK 1n 1981 after many years’ service as a priest and Bishop in Africa. When in Malawi he was based at Malosa and was very much involved in the administration of St Luke’s Hospital. MACS responds to requests for help from schools, hospitals and churches and in the year 2017/18 a total of £172,737 was granted to 23 new projects ranging from building a house for a Medical Assistant in a Rural Health Centre to bursaries for 72 secondary school pupils and a roof for a new church building.
Malawi is a land locked country in Central Africa bordered by Tanzania to the north east, Mozambique to the South East and South West and Zambia to the North West. It remains one if the 10 poorest countries with few natural resources. Its exports of Tobacco, Tea and Sugar have suffered badly in the World Markets.
St Luke’s Hospital is a busy mission hospital located at Malosa about 20 miles north of the old Colonial town of Zomba. It offers a full range of medical and surgical services to 140,000 people living in the vicinity of the hospital and the five health centres for which it is responsible. It has just over 140 beds and is staffed at present by two doctors from Holland supported by a team of Malawian Clinical Officers and nurses. HIV affects about 10% of the population. Travel is difficult as many can’t afford a bicycle or transport to hospital and unlike us here in Scotland with a doctor for every 357 people in Malawi they are lucky to have one for every 65,000.
The new Operating Theatre Block will provide two Operating Theatres compared to the existing single theatre. This will allow Emergencies to be accommodated in the Second theatre if the first is in use and this alone can lead to the saving of a life or a surgeon having to make difficult choices. Strict Infection control will be achieved, a recovery room will allow the close monitoring of patients and post-operative problems can be quickly addressed.
Why am I encouraging you to support this appeal? Apart from what I have said already and the close links Scotland has with Malawi, it has a link to Kilmarnock and to the Scottish Episcopal Church. My brother in law, Dr Colin Bullough went out to Malawi in 1967 as a Medical Missionary with USPG accompanied by his wife Mary. Colin was born here in Kilmarnock while his father Canon Joe Bullough was Rector here at Holy Trinity. Canon Bullough was a curate at St John’s Dumfries, Rector of Holy Trinity, Motherwell and finally Rector of St Ninian’s Pollokshields and was Synod Clerk of the Diocese. Colin served in Malawi for many years and when he returned to the UK he continued to go out to Malawi with the support of the Bill Gates Foundation and Dougal Baird Institute training Traditional Birth Attendants.
video by Robert Leadbeater added with the kind permission of Eve Leadbeater
Thank you to Rev’d Martin Callaghan
On the 20th December All Saints’ Lockerbie and St John’s Moffat came together to thank Martin for his commitment to the Annandale Group for the past 20 years. The two congregations joined together in All Saints’ Lockerbie for a special Eucharist service. A presentation was given by David Rose from Lockerbie and Wendy Harrison from Moffat, followed by light refreshments .
