October 15, 1898, p. 219
Bright Words
FOR PILGRIMS HEAVENWARDS
A FAITH MISSION PUBLICATION

Superintending Districts: 
Scotland--Rothesay and West, J. Lyall; Edinburgh,
Lothians, and Borders, J. Kelly; Fife,  J. S. Gillespie; Dundee and Forfar, A. Richardson.

Ireland--North, T. Pottie; Donegal, Miss Garratt; South, W. Irvine
Assisting in Headquarters Work and Specialling:  J. L. Brown, H.J.O. M'Neary, J. Macrae

Our TWELFTH YEAR of Faith Mission service closes at the date of this magazine.

The missions in our location list are those that have closed during the past month.  For our new year, which begins with 1st October, the missions are not fully arranged, but we expect the pilgrims will be located somewhat as follows:—

Scotland—
In Perthshire, etc.:  J.B. McLean, D. McCall (a new auxiliary), M.F. Wright, and Miss Trowbridge from Manchester. 
In Forfarshire:  W. Harris, H. Livingston, D. Donald, J. Burns. 
In Fife:  F. Webb. 
In the Lothians:  M. Livingstone, K. Coghill. 
In the North:  A. McLean, Cunningham. 
In the West Highlands:  K. McPhail and I. Carson (Skye), M. M'Lean and S. Johnston, M. Campbell, M. Goodall, E. McFarlane. 
In the South-West:  M. Wark, S. McDiarmid, M. Barr, E. Paenix.

Ireland—North:  E. Hutton, L. Evans, E. Buchan, J. Welsh, W. McNeill, J. Finlayson. 
Donegal:  Misses Garratt, L. Cameron, V. Connor, I. Phillips. 
South:  W. Irvine, E. Pendreigh, E. Nesbitt.

Our SIXTH CONVENTION at Rothesay is just over.  

November - December, 1898, p. 261
Bright Words
FOR PILGRIMS HEAVENWARDS
A FAITH MISSION PUBLICATION

...The meetings have varied much in size, from little cottage gatherings to many hundreds crowded into public halls.  Besides the Gospel services, a large number of Christians’ meetings have been held, and then we had special gatherings at the New Year holidays in various places, and helpful Conventions at different times in district centres.

...We will now give A FEW FIGURES of the work of the year. In these various parts of the country there have been held together 140 different missions, varying in length.  The total number of inside meetings is about 6,400, and the aggregate attendance at these some 400,000.  About the same number of meetings has been held as in the previous year; but we are glad that the total attendance has gone up about 60,000, and there is a slight increase on almost all the figures of the year, including the numbers professing conversion.

November – December 1898, p. 263
Bright Words
FOR PILGRIMS HEAVENWARDS
A FAITH MISSION PUBLICATION

Superintending Districts:
Scotland--West, J. Lyall; Edinburgh, Lothians, and Borders, J. Kelly;
Fife,  J. S. Gillespie; Dundee and Forfarashire, A. Richardson.

Ireland--North, T. Pottie; Donegal, Miss Garratt; South, W. Irvine
Assisting in Headquarters Work and Specialling:  J. L. Brown, J. Macrae
____________________

Excerpt:

Place - Pilgrims - Opened - Closed:

Ireland:
Parsontown - Irvine - Nov. 5

November – December 1899, p. 257
Bright Words
FOR PILGRIMS HEAVENWARDS
A FAITH MISSION PUBLICATION

In IRELAND there has not been much work in the south, but altogether about sixty missions have been held in that country.

In the Island of Tiree the brothers are having very good meetings in various parts; and at Achosnich, on the mainland, not very far off, a fair mission was held in a new hall.  The next three places in the list have all been worked before, and the present missions are encouraging.  Creca is a little village in Dumfriesshire, where the people have turned out very well, but seem slow to take up the cross in definite decision for Christ.  Skye work is terribly discouraging on the whole, and no place has been more so in the island than Carbost, where two or three would turn up for the meeting.  At Corpach, near Fort William, attendance and interest are good, and also at Garve, a little place in Rossshire.  The Donaldson’s Lodge Mission, with the influenza epidemic rampant, affecting people and both pilgrims, was quite a failure.

Some helpful Christians’ meetings were held at Oban, and then, on a stormy Friday morning, Pilgrim Campbell started by steamer on a long journey to Loch Inver, away north in Sutherlandshire.  This is our first opening in that northern county, for which we would ask much prayer.  Pilgrims Angus McLean and McKenzie joined the same steamer en route, and reached Glenelg at 2 a.m. Saturday morning.  They have had a fair start there.  Pilgrim McFarlane joined the steamer later at Portree, and the two sisters (Miss Beaton going to friends at present) reached Loch Inver on Monday, and soon found comfortable lodgings.

Missions have been held before at Bankfoot, in Perthshire, and Dykehead, in Lothians, but in both places there was desire for another visit of pilgrims.  Some other places in Scotland open shortly, and two sisters go early in March for a special mission we have been invited to take at Cleckheaton, near Bradford, in England.

In Ireland there have been large meetings with good results at Gilford and Killyman in Co. Armagh, and at Moorfields in Co. Antrim.  Attendances were large at Portavogie, but there was not much visible outcome of the mission, while Balnamore and Bangor were stiff and disappointing.  The meetings at Doagh, Billy, and Drummond were specially for Christians, and such have also been held at a number of Prayer Unions in County Donegal, all attended with blessing.

Pilgrim Pottie went to Kilrea for some Christians’ meetings, but the interest and blessing has been so great that he is trying to arrange for sisters to carry on the work longer.  The other places mentioned in the list are in various counties, and have just recently started, the mission at Lisburn being by invitation in connection with the Y.W.C.A.

Since we started in Ireland some seven or eight years ago, several other agencies have followed suit on somewhat similar lines.  A Mr. Duff has a mission in the north with a number of workers, and in the south there is the mission conducted by Mr. and Mrs. Todd, formerly workers with us.  Then, recently, we have heard of workers going out in connection with the Society of Friends in the north of Ireland, and that there has been much blessing at some places.  There are plenty of openings for all, and the Lord seems to be giving much blessing in the sister-country.

Pilgrim Irvine is in the south of Ireland.  We have not had regular reports from him lately, but he has been building two movable wooden Halls, and has also had meetings at Cloughjordan, Roscrea, Moneygall, Kildare, and other places, attended with a good deal of blessing.  The wooden halls are cheaply put up, and he writes of them as a great success, proposing that we should have some for Scottish counties.  This we will consider.  The friends at Rathmolyon, County Meath, are also building one to be used in that county.  Perhaps it might be a good plan for P.U. members in a Scottish county to own one, to be worked by pilgrims.

We have decided not to have further training till next autumn.  Applicants for the Faith Mission, or any wishing training for foreign work, should write us here.

Our Annual Convention at Rothesay will likely be held about 20th to 24th September.  Some speakers have already promised to come.

A monthly Prayer Union meeting is conducted by Mr. George King on the second Tuesday of each month at 94 West Regent Street, Glasgow, to which all friends are invited.  Some of us were there on 13th February, and it was nice to meet with a number of friends, both old and new, local, and gathered into the city from many parts of Scotland and Ireland.

Broughty Ferry.— For the past six weeks Pilgrims Livingstone and Bradley have conducted a mission in the Y.W.C.A. Hall here.  The meetings were commenced on Sunday, 7th January, and the attendance on that evening was extremely large.  The week-night meetings, however, were not so well attended, but on every occasion those who were present gave earnest heed, signifying that their being present was from a far higher motive than curiosity.  Throughout the whole course of meetings the audience consisted largely of Christians, who appeared desirous of learning more about Jesus and His love, and how to follow Him more faithfully than they had done in the past.

The message of the two pilgrims in their addresses was very simple and very direct.  It was the old story of the fulness of Christ, the sinner’s only hope, and the only satisfaction of His people.  Very earnestly were the unsaved persuaded to accept God’s offer of salvation through Jesus Christ.  Their appeal to the Christians was also very direct.  They urged the necessity of completely yielding oneself to God—body, soul, and spirit—and accepting the full salvation and deliverance from sin which God was so anxious His people should enjoy.

Saturday nights’ meetings were on a few occasions preceded by an open-air, where Dundee, Midmill, and Tayport friends took part, and the subsequent inside meeting was generally thrown open for testimony, when many testified of the blessing they had received through this visit of the pilgrims, or confessed their faith in Christ, and their experience of His keeping power.

The attendance of the unsaved throughout the meetings was not so good as might be expected, probably due to other meetings going on, and other reasons.  Those who were present were undoubtedly moved through the Spirit’s power, and although, perhaps, many left the meetings undecided, yet we are confident that a silent work has been going on among the unconverted, which must produce great results, even if "after many days."  Among the Christians, those who were formerly lukewarm and useless have been stirred up to take a more decided stand for Christ, and not a few testified their desire to be wholly the Lord’s.  We are extremely grateful to God for the mission, and those of us who have received blessing ascribe to Him all the glory.  We all desire that God will continue to bless and use our sisters wherever He leads them.  Their work in other places will be watched with interest, and we hope they shall again find their way back to this town, where they will always have a hearty welcome.  We trust the work they have begun here may continue, and His kingdom be greatly extended in this place.  God grant that it may be so.

Gilford (Co. Down).—A mission was commenced in the Y.W.C.A. Hall on 31st December, by Pilgrim McNeill.  This being the first time the Faith Mission has worked in Gilford, the meetings were small during the first week, but the attendance steadily increased during the second week, and has averaged about 250 on Sunday evenings and 160 on the week nights.

The Spirit of the Lord has been present with us in blessing the preaching of His own word, and almost every evening during the past five weeks some professed to take Jesus as their personal Saviour.  Many Christians also were greatly blessed, and some have been led to see that smoking is one of the weights to be laid aside in the...

By J.G.G.

January 1901
Bright Words
FOR PILGRIMS HEAVENWARDS
A FAITH MISSION PUBLICATION

MONTHLY RECORD

The Faith Mission was founded in 1886, for the promotion of spiritual life and godliness through the evangelizing of the country districts of Scotland, and farther afield if God leads, on unsectarian lines.  The evangelists, called "Pilgrims," generally work in pairs.  They visit a place for several weeks, more or less, according as circumstances and the leadings of the Spirit of God seem to indicate advisable, visiting among the people and holding meetings for the unsaved and for Christians, in which they welcome the co-operation of all who love the Lord Jesus in sincerity.  The Mission is maintained on the faith principle, by freewill offerings during missions and unsolicited contributions to Headquarters.  The finances are divided into three distinct sections—(a) General Account; (b) Special Fund, for Training, etc.; (c) Foreign Fund, including Armenian Relief.  Donors will oblige by stating clearly to which fund their contribution is to be assigned.
        J.G. GOVAN, Hon. Director. — OFFICES:  Faith Mission, ROTHESAY.

Ireland:-
Dunlov - Coghill, Buchan - May 12 - July 7
Lislunnan - Phanix, Oakley - May 19 - June 30
Florence Court - Kelly, Burns - May 26 - July 14
Drumnamether - Finlayson, Pollock - June 22 - July 28
Lack - Cameron, Nesbitt - June 23
Tamnamore - J. McLean, Robinson - July 1
Vow - Hinds, A. Harkness - June 9 -  June 30
Millisle - M'Kenzies - July 3 - July 20
Mossside - M. F. Wright, Phanix - July 14 - July 21
Lissur - Phillips, M. R. Wright - June 30
Kilmoyle - Evans, Welsh - June 30
Newry - Crone - July 14
Carrowdore - M'Kenzies - July 22
Halliday’s Bridge - Macrae, M'Kay - July 21
Glarryford - Coghill, Buchan - July 22
Donegal P.Us. - M.L. Garratt & Others - July 5
(Sisters’ names are in italics.)

Long Journeys, late hours, large conferences, some blessed Prayer Union meetings—thus I may describe, in a few words, my visit to Ireland this past month.  We had conferences at Ballymena, Portadown, and Milford, and visited Laymore, Belnaleck, and Rathmullen Prayer Unions, also taking the closing Sunday night meeting of Florence Court mission.  But, as there are other reports of the special meetings, I shall not enlarge.

When in Ireland I came into closer contact with a movement that has been going on for the past year or two.  A number of young people are going out on quite independent lines, holding missions in various parts both of Ireland and Scotland.  While there may be much that is good in the devotion and earnestness of those who thus leave all, believing that the Lord has called them thus to follow Him, a number of features of this movement do not commend themselves to us.  There is no one to judge of the fitness of these workers except themselves; being independent, they are not able to profit from the experience of others older in the work, as they would if there was some organisation; and then some of them have not been long enough converted themselves before going out, and, wanting in Christian experience, are very apt to be unbalanced and one-sided.  While we can quite believe that a few of those who have gone out have been truly called of God, we fear that a number of others have been more called of man, or moved by their own impulses, and are really not fitted for the work.  As some have been mistaken for pilgrims, we think it necessary to say that the Faith Mission is not responsible for this movement.

Our Ninth Convention at Rothesay draws near. Writing seven weeks before the time, we are not able yet to give full particulars.  But we hope to have the full programme of the Convention ready by the end of this month or beginning of September, and it will be sent out to Prayer Unions.  Other readers wishing it, or any requiring particulars of lodgings, etc., please write to Faith Mission, Rothesay, enclosing stamped envelope for reply.  Accommodation can easily be had at Rothesay at that time of the year, and we can arrange such on getting full particulars as to rooms required. The dates, as before mentioned, are from about 18th till 24th September.  The speakers may this year include several missionaries, and possibly we may have a special Missionary Day.  We will likely also have a Faith Mission tea-meeting again on the Saturday, and possibly a half-night of prayer.

We have not applied for special fares this year.  In connection with the Glasgow Exhibition there are Special Fares from all parts issued on Tuesdays and Thursdays, available for six days to Glasgow.  The return fare thence to Rothesay is 2s. 6d. or 2s. 9d.

We need not add more now; but we hope we shall have large gatherings and times of refreshing from the presence of the Lord, and trust that all our readers will remember the Convention in prayer.

Notes regarding the autumn’s work—training, missions, etc.—appeared in last month’s issue.