Murdoch and Anne MacKenzie
  • In Memoriam Murdoch MacKenzie
  • Funeral, Thanksgiving, Family Reflections & Obituaries
    • The Funeral Service
    • The Thanksgiving Service
    • Family Reflections
    • Scotsman Obituary
    • Guardian Obituary
    • Peter Millar Obituary
    • Related Obituary Websites
  • Murdoch's Ancestral Grave
  • Introduction to the Website
  • St Andrew's Bicentenary
  • Bossey (Switzerland)
    • Bossey Students' Projects
    • Images of Student Life
    • Leaving Bossey
  • Christmas & Advent Letters
    • Advent Letter 2014
    • Christmas Letter 2012
    • Christmas Letter 2011
    • Christmas Letter 2010
    • Christmas Letter 2009
    • Christmas Letter 2007
    • Christmas Letter 2006
    • Christmas Letter 2005
  • India
    • Kirkspire Articles Chennai >
      • Village Project in India
      • How it All Began
      • What Happened Next
      • Our Social Worker
      • Independence Day
      • Rural Development
      • Some Setbacks 1976
      • Up-Beat Assessment
      • Rural Project Visit
      • Integrated Development
      • Caledonian Chair
      • Symbols as Signs
      • Stargazers
      • Symbols and the Kirk
      • The Eagle Lectern
      • The Pulpit
      • The Baptismal Font
      • Newbigin Centenary
      • Love Nature as Yourself
    • The Riber Memorial Centre >
      • The Origins
      • The Official Opening
      • The Rev Harold N Riber
    • Rev Roy Manson: An Appreciation
    • Rev Roy Newell: A Tribute
    • A Gift of a Chalice
    • Acorns into Oaks
    • The God of Small Things
    • A Week in the Life of a Missionary Family
    • Bishop Lesslie Newbigin
    • Video of Bishop Newbigin
    • Christmas Letter 2010
    • New Year in Chennai
    • Pilgrimage to India
    • Images of St Andrew's Kirk
  • Lectures
    • People not Paper
    • Methodist Synod Lecture
    • Christianity Must Change
    • Maitland Memorial 2004
  • Macdonald Collection
    • Video of the Collection
    • Murdoch's Inventory
    • The Macdonald Sisters
  • Meditations
    • Roots and Fruits
    • St Colm's Reunion 2006
  • Moderator's Letters
    • 1998 >
      • Home Thoughts from Abroad
    • 2001 >
      • Creation & Environment
      • Evangelism
      • Unjust Structures
      • Christian Aid
      • A Roundtable
      • Unjust Debt
      • Christian Normality
      • Partnership for Mission
      • Remembrance
      • Christmas
    • 2002 >
      • Vocation
      • Prayer
      • Organic Unity
      • Christian Aid
      • Venerable David Goldie
      • Personal Covenant
      • Christian Declaration
      • Book that Reads Me
      • Terrorism
      • Palestine
    • 2003 >
      • Yuppies
  • Oban FM Broadcasts
    • Thought for the Day >
      • 2010 May 2
      • 2010 August 1
      • 2010 December 19
      • 2011 March 13
      • 2012 May 1
      • 2012 June 9
      • 2012 September 9
    • Sunday Broadcasts >
      • 2011 July 17
      • 2011 August 28
      • 2011 November 27
      • 2012 November 11
      • 2013 January 27
      • 2013 March 3
      • 2013 June 9
  • Occasional Papers
    • Coracle Summer 2014
    • On Being an Elephant
    • Meaning of 'Naturally'
    • Expedition to Wales
    • Four in a Boat
    • Trotternish Thesis
  • Photo Galleries
    • Golden Wedding 2014
    • The Ascent of Ben Nevis
    • The MacKenzie Family
    • The Road to the Isles
    • Images of St Andrew's Kirk
    • Family Tree
  • Poetry
    • Under Hallwood
    • Tennyson Travels
    • Father's Day Hymn
  • Reflections
    • Appin and Lismore 2007
    • Hugh Drummond
    • United Nationas Day 2012
    • Fair's Fair
    • Advent 2012
    • St Colm's College 1965
    • Trick Or Treat
    • Leipzig Group 2012
    • Bishop Lesslie Newbigin
    • The Iraq War
    • Good Friday Meditation
    • Christingles
  • Reports
    • Justice and Diversity
  • Reviews
    • From Crisis to Creation
    • Every Blessed Thing
    • Seeing the Good
    • Christian Faith Today
    • Finding Hope Again
    • Mission in the 21st Century
    • Pentecostalism South India
    • Axis of Peace
    • Living Spirituality
    • Mission Partnership
  • Sermons
    • Oban Cathedral >
      • Oban: Good Friday 2003
      • Oban: Good Friday 2005
      • Oban: Good Friday 2009
      • Oban: Good Friday 2010
      • Oban: Good Friday 2012
      • Oban: Good Friday 2013
    • Milton Keynes Farewell
    • St Oran's May 2013
    • St Oran's Maundy Thursday
    • Orchy & Bridge of Orchy
    • Muckairn Church 2013
    • St Cuthbert's Edinburgh
    • About Prayer
    • Trinity Sunday 2005
    • Trinity Sunday 2012
    • Taynuilt October 2012
    • Racial Justice 2002
    • Racial Justice 2004
    • Iona Abbey 2006
    • New Year in Chennai
  • Travels
    • Madras to Edinburgh
    • Children's Journey to the UK
  • Useful Links
  • Copyright
This Collection of his Writings and Photographs is a Memorial
​to the Life and Work of Murdoch MacKenzie              

LETTER FROM THE ECUMENICAL MODERATOR

 Home Thoughts from Abroad

Murdoch MacKenzie

February 1998

This morning I visited the Bishop of Kottyam who had just received a fax informing him of the death of Bishop Lesslie Newbigin at 6.30 am on 30 January – the fiftieth anniversary of the death of Mahatma Ghandi. Anne and I were devastated as for the past 32 years Lesslie has been our mentor and guide. But we praised the Lord that one of the outstanding Christians of the twentieth century had been received into eternal glory.

Bishop Newbigin was possibly the most important leader of the missionary movement and of the ecumenical movement this century. For him the two went hand in hand and the ecumenical imperative was towards evangelism. In an ecumenical city like Milton Keynes we must never forget that the Church exists by mission as fire exists by burning, and that the proclamation of the good news of the salvation of Jesus Christ to everyone in Milton Keynes, both with our lives and with our lips, is what we are all about.

Each individual Christian and each loyal congregation is called to this task as a priority and I am sure we are each in our own way being inspired by the Holy Spirit to pray for, and to witness to our neighbours.

We have excellent examples to follow in some of the Milton Keynes churches and through the resources of the Milton Keynes Christian Council Missions Commission we can receive practical help to enable us to fulfil the great commission (Matthew 28:18-20). Not only do we have the services of our Mission Commissioner Convenor, the Rev Mike Houston, but particularly of our Evangelism Enabler, the Rev Richard Davis. Please contact Richard for full details.

Being ecumenical should give us a flying start for the work of evangelism. From time to time we are criticised, sometimes rightly, for our failure in evangelism and in some mysterious way the blame for this is attributed to our being ecumenical. Such a notion was always challenged by Bishop Newbigin. In ‘God’s Reign and our Unity’ he and others wrote: “Some affirm that concern for unity deflects attention from the more urgent business of evangelism” and they (correctly) point out that groups less interested in unity are often among the most successful in achieving numerical growth.

To this it must be replied that if the Church were an end in itself then it would follow that multiplication of members would be the criterion by which priorities should be judged. But if the Church is a sign and first-fruits of reconciliation of all things in Christ, the fruit of evangelism should be communities reconciled to one another r in Christ. If we have been “reconciled to God in one body through the cross” (Ephesians 2:16) then to break into fractions is to commit the enormity of dismembering the body of our Saviour (1 Corinthians 1:13). The mere multiplication of cells, unrelated to the purpose of the body, is a sign not of life and health, but of cancer and death.

One aspect of this was placarded across the pages of the Indian newspaper of 1 January 1998. The headline read “Fears of new massacre by Loyalist hardliners in Ulster”. As far as Hindu India is concerned, the deep division between Catholics and Protestants continues to promote violence and bloodshed. In the Constitution of the Church of South India top priority is given to the evangelistic task and mission of the nation. Every bishop and every diocesan council was asked to chalk out a programme for intensive evangelical work. How can this be done effectively by the myriad churches in India which are so obviously divided – especially Roman Catholic and Protestants? If we would honour Bishop Lesslie Newbigin let us renew our prayers for unity and mission.

Grace and Peace!

MURDOCH

31 January 1998

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.