OBITUARY OF JACKIE ROSS

Rev Jackie Ross, President of Blythswood Care, died today 13 March 2002, at his home in Lochcarron.

John Walter Ross - known always as Jackie - was born in 1936, the second of nine children. His father worked a five-acre croft and ran a grocery van around the Black Isle. It was a happy, Christian home, with family worship morning and evening. At 15 he went to work in an architect's office in Dingwall, and completed his apprenticeship as a draughtsman. By a strange providence his first assignment there was to work on drawings for the Free Presbyterian Manse in Lochcarron, later to be his own home for 31 years, and the place in which he was to bring up his family.

During two years national service in the RAF, Jackie became concerned about his own standing before God. Rev J P MacQueen, minister of the Free Presbyterian congregation in London, asked him if he was converted and advised him, "Seeking won't save you but finding will."

Spiritual liberty was not to come until two years later when, back in Dingwall, he was startled to hear described from the pulpit his own thoughts. "You are saying, I am willing to have Christ but Christ is not willing to have me," said Rev D A MacFarlane. "It's a lie from the pit. Christ is more willing to have you than you are to have him."

Jackie's conversion and his call to the ministry came together. In 1961 he gave up his job as a draughtsman in Inverness to train for the ministry of the Free Presbyterian Church. With fellow students in 1966 he founded the Blythswood Tract Society to produce and distribute evangelistic literature. It was the beginning of a project that was to consume more and more of his time and energy over the next 36 years.

After his ordination in Lochcarron in 1970 - the same year in which he married Inverness nurse Elma Sutherland - he continued to travel to Glasgow twice a week to manage Blythswood's work from its West Campbell Street office. Always one to enlist the help of others, he soon established a Blythswood office and bookshop in Lochcarron, staffed by some of his own parishioners. From this unlikely centre, the work of colportage, Christian bookshops and tract and Bible distribution was to expand. The support of Christians across the UK enabled the organisation to make free grants of literature to individuals and churches in many countries, especially in West Africa.

During the 1980s Jackie travelled in Eastern Europe several times, sometimes taking Elma and the children with him. A network of friendships with Christians there drew Jackie to provide material aid as well as literature, and led on to the transformation of the Blythswood Tract Society, after 1989, into Blythswood Care, an increasingly important provider of aid. Publicity given to the plight of the poorest in Romania broadened Blythswood's support base beyond its original church-going constituency but over the next decade it was its Christian bedrock which gave the charity staying power and built its current role as long-term sponsor of social care projects in Romania.

Even after he had relinquished the day-to-day management of Blythswood Care, Jackie played a vital role. He maintained a broad vision for what might be achieved and was a friend to Blythswood workers at every level, always able to motivate and encourage. He also motivated the charity's donors, personally signing every letter of acknowledgment.

Jackie's 32-year ministry in Lochcarron changed lives: there were converts to Christ and recruits to full-time Christian work. Many households there, including those of other churches and of none, can testify to his pastoral care at times of crisis. His leadership was crucial to the success of the Strathcarron Project: the resulting Howard Doris Centre, opened in 1996, combines day care, respite care, and residential care for the elderly with a GP bed in a formula which other rural communities are keen to replicate.

Jackie's commitment to an urgent evangelical message was only heightened by his own experience of ill health. "Jesus clearly taught that we go forever to one of two places - to heaven with himself or to hell with the devil and his angels. He pleads with us to take warning and escape hell," he wrote recently in the Ross-shire Journal. "As for me, I am going to heaven, rejoicing in God's love shown to me through the death of Jesus on the cross."

Jackie is survived by his wife, Elma, and by their five children and seven grandchildren.

Funeral service at Dingwall Free Church on Tuesday 19 March at 12 noon followed by interment at Lochcarron at 2.30 p.m. The family have requested no flowers but donations to the oncology unit at Raigmore Hospital, Inverness.

13 March 2002

Dear Friend

The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; Blessed be the name of the Lord. (Job 1.21)

I am sorry to tell you that the founder and president of Blythswood Care, Rev John Walter Ross, passed away early this morning. Jackie remained cheerful throughout a painful illness and died rejoicing in Christ. On behalf of the family, his son Philip says

In the last few days, my father has eagerly anticipated going to heaven. His viewpoint has been eternity. How could we wish that his share in the inheritance of God's people would be withheld from him any longer?

We know that over the past two years, many friends have prayed for him and we appreciate that. We feel the sting of what has happened; yet, we are content, as was he. We know that Jesus Christ, who was crucified, died, and was buried, rose again on the third day, ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of the Father. Today he is ruling over all things for the church. He always does what is best is for his people. His timing is always perfect even if we do not immediately see why.

Now it falls to me to ask you to do three things.

Ask yourself, are you trusting in Jesus Christ? This was Jackie's first concern for all of Blythswood's workers and supporters. "Jesus clearly taught that we go forever to one of two places - to heaven with himself or to hell with the devil and his angels. He pleads with us to take warning and escape hell," Jackie wrote recently in a local paper. "As for me, I am going to heaven, rejoicing in God's love shown to me through the death of Jesus on the cross." In his final illness he said to a friend, "You are my brother in Christ, and you will always be my brother. Nothing can change that." Are you in Christ?

Pray for Elma, now alone after 32 years of marriage to Jackie, and for Philip, Sarah, Lois, Jeremy and Jason. The loss of Jackie as a friend and colleague is hard to bear: how much harder it is to lose a husband and father. Rejoice that they are all trusting in Jesus, and that they do not sorrow as those who have no hope. The funeral service has been arranged for Tuesday 19 March at 12 noon in Dingwall Free Church and the interment at 2.30 p.m. in Lochcarron.

Continue to support the work of Blythswood Care. Jackie was enthusiastic right to the end. Even when confined to his house, he signed letters of thanks to donors and certificates for those who completed Let's Study Mark & Acts. On Saturday, knowing that he was dying, he urged me not to cancel a trip to Romania this week. May God give us willing hearts to carry forward this work - by giving, by working, by praying.

Yours sincerely

James Campbell

Chief Executive, Blythswood