Islay North Churches Blog

11th November, 2010
For our Service at the Military Cemetery on the cliff top at Kilchoman – 11.00am on Remembrance Day itself – this year the weather was so bad that photography was virtually impossible, and due to a severe lightining storm it was considered unsafe for the Bugler to take part. Regrettably also, representatives of the crew of H.M.S, Vanguard were unable to join us as had been arranged. Nevertheless, some twenty people turned out and wreaths (suitably weighted to avoid instant removal by the North westerly gale) were laid on behalf of St Kiaran’s Church and Argyll & Bute Council, and our most recent minister on the island, Rev Rob Barlow of the Round Church, Bowmore, spoke briefly but movingly, about the tremendous loss of life suffered in the conflicts, quoting the illustration used at a school recently to try to visualise the enormity of the loss, – that the numbers killed in both wars were equivalent to the total number of pupils in that school being killed every day for a thousand years.

In contrast, three days later, on Remembrance Sunday, the weather was perfect for the wreath laying on our local War memorial at Port Ban following the Church service. We had two novel features this year. Children from the local Port Charlotte school laid their own wreath, joining the Coastguards and the Church representative, and the Coastguard wreath was laid on the north side of the memorial – the one covering those who fell in the ’39 – ’45 conflict – by one member who has a relative named on that stone.

We are all delighted that at long last Islay and Jura have a Children and Youth Worker. Jessica Reynolds was appointed by Argyll Presbytery and will be working along with the churches and schools in Islay, Jura and Kintyre. Jess says: “I began working with children in 2007 as a Project Assistant for a local charity ‘Community House Ltd’. Here we would care for children in an after school setting providing snacks and various activities. I then also became a Children and Family Worker for St Andrews Erskine Church in Dunfermline where I created clubs for primary aged children and family film nights. I was also involved in voluntary work with children through the local church, where I helped to run summer holiday clubs and through Scripture Union working in the schools in Clackmannanshire running lunch clubs and assisting in weekend retreats.

My husband and I moved to Islay in the middle of August and we have been made to feel very welcome. Everybody has been very kind, welcoming and friendly towards us and we would like to say thank you and look forward to meeting you all.”

We now have a Nominating Committtee consisting of 7 members drawn from the three chuches who are in the process of looking for a new Minister for the parishes. A Parish Profile is available from our Interim Moderator, Rev Anne McIvor and the vacancy has been advertised on two occasions in the Presbytery of Argyll column in Life and Work.