Appreciation of Professor Morag Faulds, former social work director who also served many charities. "Her Christian faith was central to her life and she served on the committee of the Free Church Retirement Housing project. All these activities were deservedly recognised in the award of an OBE."
Source: The Scotsman.

The chairman of Caledonian MacBrayne has revealed how he battled with his conscience over the controversial decision to run a Sunday ferry service to Harris, breaching the island's Sabbatarian tradition. On the Sunday in April when the ferry first made the crossing from Berneray, Dr Harold Mills was taking communion in St Giles' in Edinburgh. Yesterday he spoke of how he had to wrestle with the Sabbath sailing issue which caused offence to some in the Hebrides.
Source: The Herald.

"It is ironic that Dr Harold Mills missed Caledonian MacBrayne's historic and controversial first Sunday sailing into Harris this year because he was in church. As the ferry company was breaching the last bastion of Christian Sabbatarianism, the CalMac chairman was at a communion service in St Giles Cathedral, where he is an elder."
Source: The Scotsman.

Obituary of Rev Alex Murdo Macleod, a former Moderator of the Free Church of Scotland and the honorary president of the Bethesda Nursing Home and Hospice; born December 26, 1932; died June 26, 2006. "Alex was well-known throughout the Highlands and Islands as a gifted Gaelic preacher and an able theologian, but perhaps his unique contribution to the Western Isles, to which he devoted all of his long ministry, was the realisation of his vision to establish a non-denominational nursing home and hospice in Stornoway "for all who need its care regardless of race, creed or ability to pay" and which, since it was opened by the Princess Royal in 1992, has provided palliative care to the elderly."
Source: The Herald.

Archaeologists believe they may have discovered one of the oldest churches in Scotland during an excavation in the east kirk of St Nicholas Church in Aberdeen. They are awaiting test results which will confirm whether they have uncovered a religious burial site dating back to the 6th century.
Source: BBC Scotland News.

The BBC has been warned it is in danger of being seen as 'anti-Christian' as it launches a new series examining the miracles of Jesus. The Corporation says that the programmes to be presented by Muslim journalist Ragi Omar will examine the "secret codes" of the miracles as believed by first century Christians. But Peter Kearney, spokesman for the Catholic Bishops in Scotland, said there was an increasing danger the BBC was regarded as presenting negative images of only Jesus and Christians while treating other religions "more lightly."
Source: The Universe.

Labour’s proposed Equality Act is a “threat to the religious freedom of Christians” which will force them to choose between church and state, said Bishop Joseph Devine in a strongly worded statement read out in parishes across his Motherwell Diocese this week.
Source: The Universe.

One hundred and four pairs of shoes went on display in Bishopbriggs last week, demonstrating the shocking number of women killed as a result of domestic violence every year in Britain. The exhibition was brought to St James the Less Episcopal Church in Bishopbriggs by its Mothers' Union branch.
Source: Kirkintilloch Herald.

Feature on the shortage of new recruits to the priesthood in the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland.
Source: Edinburgh Evening News.

The Catholic Church is investigating reports of a miracle at a Scottish hospital amid claims a nun's relic helped a premature baby to live after doctors gave up hope of the infant surviving. The relic of the Venerable Margaret Sinclair, a former Edinburgh factory worker who died in 1925, was placed in the incubator of the infant, who weighed just 1lb when born.
Source: The Scotsman.

Love blossomed for an Inverness hospital porter via an on-line Christian dating agency. Now the church bells are set to ring on the other side of the Atlantic for Duncan Mackintosh, who attends Daviot Church of Scotland, and his American voice coach bride-to-be Eileen Hampshire, a member and director of the choir at the First Congregational Church in Middletown, New York.
Source: Inverness Courier.

Methodists will travel to the Republic of Kyrgyzstan in July as part of the first-ever British interfaith Habitat for Humanity project. The 16-member team includes Edinburgh-based Christians, Muslims and others who are volunteering two weeks of their time to build much-needed housing in the former Soviet state. Rev Peter Clark, minister of Nicolson Square Methodist Church, has longstanding ties with the Habitat organization and has been involved with several of its international projects.
Source: United Methodist Church.

People with a Mission Ministries have been given the go-ahead to set up a community centre in a disused Perth supermarket which had been earmarked for demolition. Pastor Mervyn Milne told Perth & Kinross Council yesterday the ministry needed to add to its existing premises to allow it to expand its work in the Perth area.
Source: Aberdeen Press & Journal.

Baptists in Scotland are among those planning to establish the country’s first evangelical-oriented media office. Baptist Union of Scotland general director, the Rev Bill Slack, said: “Christians in Scotland have felt for some time that the secular media does not properly reflect or represent the churches. Our own evangelical media office would allow us to both respond to events as they happen and to be pro-active in helping set the agenda.” An unexpected form of ecumenism was signalled by the participation of a senior Roman Catholic. Peter Kearney, media officer to the Scottish Catholic Bishops, commented: “I believe an evangelical media office would be a major asset and it could work with other denominations such as ourselves, to better present the Christian voice to Scotland.”
Source: Ekklesia.

Northern Malawi's Presbyterian-run University of Livingstonia has notched four years and now boasts an enrolment of 500 students, having started without classrooms, books, a library, offices, desks or housing for staff. The first intake of 43 students had only two lecturers. The mission station where the university is located was founded by Scottish missionary Dr Robert Laws in honour of another Scot, Dr David Livingstone.
Source: Ecumenical News International.

An eyesore site at the centre of a Glasgow graveyard is set to be transformed into a memorial garden. Landowner John Burns had wanted £200,000 for the site of Maryhill Old Parish Church, which sits in the middle of the church's graveyard on Maryhill Road.
Source: Evening Times, Glasgow.

Obituary of William Fraser, bookbinder and student; born January 10, 1906, died June 29, 2006. Bill Fraser was a 100-year-old student at Aberdeen University, possibly the oldest higher education student in the world. He studied theology under the university's lifelong learning scheme until he fell ill earlier this year. He had been due to graduate in two years. Fraser, at least 70 years older than most of his student contemporaries, had not studied since he left school at 15 in 1921. He was a lifelong Christian and father of a Baptist minister.
Source: The Herald.

The fifth Scottish Ministers' Assembly has been held in Glasgow. Run by Rutherford House, the SMA has proved to be a useful tool for the development of ministers and offers good in-house training. John Piper, whose exposition of ministry was based on 2 Corinthians 3 and 4, was an "outstanding" speaker on a theme detailed in his book God is the Gospel.
Source: Banner of Truth.

Lord of the Rings actor Billy Boyd and Dawn Zhu, the drummer from El Presidente, are supporting Christian Aid’s The Beat Goes On campaign at T in the Park music festival on Saturday.
Source: Christian Aid.

Nearly 500 bibles have been buried in a religious ceremony at a graveyard on the isle of Lewis. The idea for the respectful disposal of the bibles, mostly in Gaelic, came from the Ness Charity shop which had become overwhelmed by the number handed in. Most were tattered and worn and unsuitable for resale. More than 40 villagers attended the ceremony at Swainbost cemetery which was carried out by the Rev Kenneth Ferguson in English and Gaelic.
Source: BBC Scotland News.

Sixty people were arrested following the County Grand Orange Lodge Parade in Glasgow on Saturday, which involved 182 city lodges and 90 bands. Twelve people were held for sectarian offences. Ian Wilson, of the Orange Order in Scotland, said it would "take a while" to ensure troublemakers stayed away. Assistant Chief Constable Kevin Smith said: "There has been abusive, drunken and sectarian behaviour in the streets of Glasgow, significant disruption to the city, and I have had to bring in literally hundreds of police officers from all over the force area to police this event."
Source: BBC Scotland News.

Inverurie Catholic Church is selling off its organ and piano to help pay for the refurbishment of its hall.
Source: Aberdeen Press & Journal.

Cardinal Keith O'Brien on making poverty history.
Source: Edinburgh Evening News.

A Methodist lay preacher who is a BBC producer has been chosen as the BBC's new head of religion and ethics, the corporation announced yesterday. Michael Wakelin, 45, who is currently series producer of the long-running Songs of Praise, was named yesterday to succeed Alan Bookbinder, the department's first agnostic head.
Source: The Guardian.