Minister celebrates Scots kirk in Holland
A former Big County minister will oversee his current church in the Netherlands celebrate 375 years of Scottish connections.
A string of events at the The Scots International Church in Rotterdam culminate in an anniversary service on Sunday.
The reasons for there being a Scots church in Rotterdam was due to the large number of Scots sailors, soldiers, merchants and dyke-builders coming to the port.
And the strong connection to Perthshire goes back to the 17th century, as the first minister at the Rotterdam church, Alexander Petrie, came from Rhynd, near Perth.
Today the Scots International Church in Rotterdam has the former minister of Redgorton and Stanley at its helm.
Rev Derek Lawson has been there since coming out of retirement in 2016.
He said of his flock: “Originally we were primarily Scottish, but today the congregation is both British and Dutch.”
Connections with Perthshire were fostered when Rev John Russell was minister of the Kirk from 1963-1972.
Rev Russell is currently the Presbytery Clerk of Dunkeld and Meigle and will attend the anniversary service.
He said:“We loved our time here. We’re very pleased to be going back – it’s very kind of the church to invite us.” Rev Lawson