Kilbrandon and Kilchattan (1784)



An awakening took place here through the reading from the pulpit over many weeks of the entire contents of a Gaelic printing of Alleine's Alarm to the Unconverted which had been recently translated by the assistant pastor of the congregation. This practice was introduced as a means of keeping the attention of those who gathered early in church each Sabbath morning while they waited on the rest of the congregation, whose arrival was irregular owing to having to be ferried from either of the other two islands that made up the parish. The effect of these public readings soon became visible among the people, and when the translation was finished every family procured a copy. A surprising concern about religious matters was rapidly and extensively diffused among the people and a great many were brought under serious impressions. They began fellowship meetings for prayer, conversation and reading of the Scriptures.  

Unfortunately, a great furore came against the movement, particularly from other ministers and the opposition eventually closed the mission down.

 

From, 'History of the Relief Church', by Gavin Struthers, 1843, pages 395-6. Summarised in 'Land of many Revivals', by Tom Lennie, pages 152-3.


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