‘Life is for living’ says locum minister (80)
Dozen roles since‘retirement’ for Rev Ray Gaston
A tireless Church of Scotland minister is refusing to call it a day having, at the age of 80, just taken up his 12th different role since officially retiring 14-years-ago.
Rev Ray Gaston from Dollar insists he will stay in his new post as locum minister at Clackmannan Parish Church for as long as he is needed.
The role, which he took on earlier this month, will see him take the service each Sunday and attend to other church affairs – making pastoral visits to people in their homes along with those in hospital and residential care.
Since retiring from St Athernase Church in Leuchars, Fife, in 2002 he has spent time at Stirling North Church, Alloa West Church, Menstrie and others before taking up the role at Clackmannan.
He said: “Life is for living and I’m extremely pleased to be still able to do what I love, despite my age.
“Ministry is a very satisfying and fulfilling role and I hope to continue supporting the Church for as long as I am able. This is my 12th post since officially retiring and doing locum work keeps me sharp mentally.
“I do the parts of the job that I love, preaching, teaching and dealing with people at all stages of life – births, marriages and deaths.
“That is the role of Parish ministry – it is a real privilege and the most demanding and satisfying part of what it means to be a minister.”
Mr Gaston, who enjoyed a career of more than five decades after being ordained into the Congregational Church in 1963, has also spent time serving in Turin, Italy, since retiring.
In his career he spent 14-years as minister of Dollar, linked with Muckhart and Glendevon churches. He grew up in Huntly, Aberdeenshire, and worked as a maths teacher in Glasgow as a young man.
He then took up roles in Madagascar as principal of Kolejy Pastoraly FKM in Fianarantsoa, before becoming minster at the Scottish Church in Geneva and later Moderator of the Presbytery of Europe.
In 1998 he took up his final job before official ‘retirement’ four years later.
He said: “The Church is evolving and I have a real sense of optimism about its future.
“If I can encourage at least one person to go into the ministry, I will be very pleased.
“But times have changed and it is no longer a solo job where the minister does everything – it is a role for team builders.
“There is such variety in the job, it is not monolithic at all and every parish is different. They throw up different problems to solve and different opportunities to develop.”
He is married to Evelyn and has three children – Malcolm, Gillian and Gail – and four grandchildren who have all been supportive of his work.