JACKIE ROSS: A TRIBUTE FROM HOLLAND

[The death has just been announced of the Rev Jackie Ross of Lochcarron, Scotland. He was ordained in the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland in 1970 and became the prime founder of the Blythswood Tract Society. This tribute to him was recently written by a Dutch friend for a forthcoming biography of Jackie Ross. He writes, "This morning (00:10) Jackie Ross of Lochcarron died in the Lord. My friend Philip informed me. Last Sunday evening at 10:00 p.m. I spoke to Jackie on the phone. He was very weak but rejoiced in the Lord. He kept saying: "The Lord is wonderful". His rare humour had not left him - I gave him the regards of Jannette, my wife, to which he replied: "She makes you sensible." Then he corrected: "She tries to, anyway ..." He was a truly great man and he did a tremendous amount for many, many people. I wrote a contribution for his biography. This biography will be issued by Christian Focus Publications.]

In 1981 three Dutch students worked with the then called Blythswood Tract Society in Lochcarron: Jan van Draanen, Ad Neele and Arjen van Kralingen. In the church magazine De Saambinder of the Reformed Congregations in the Netherlands and North America we had read a call for help by the Rev. C. Harinck, then minister in Dordrecht. (Jackie and Elma have always had many friends in the Netherlands and if there were no Dutch people staying in their manse there was at least Edammer Kaas in the fridge.)

In the months July and August 1981 the three Dutch students stayed in a caravan in a remote hamlet called Ardaneaskan and together with Scottish volunteers we packed 24.000 bibles in six weeks. The Bibles were to be despatched to Ghana and Nigeria.

During our stay in Scotland we met with very interesting people: for instance Alec Macrae, a Free Church elder who told us about a Highlander, who after his conversion threw his bagpipes into the loch. And Jan van Woerden, a Dutch Scot who used to tell anecdotes of the Scottish and Dutch church history in a way which gave you the strong impression he was an eye-witness of for instance the signing of the Covenant in Greyfriars' Churchyard. And then Jackie and Elma Ross ... our stay in Scotland was really made by their hospitality and their inspiring Christianity.

Their Christianity was Scottish and in line with the tradition of Boston and McCheyne, but here 'traditional' in no way did imply dust or dullness!

Many times we had our dinner in the manse and we delighted in the joyful and evangelical atmosphere of their home. The Sunday-evenings we had Bible study in the manse and we discussed for instance Gromacki's 'Called to be Saints'. As a special treat Philip Ross sometimes played what remotely resembled a violin. We prayed for his conversion and hoped this violin would as soon as possible get into company with the afore-mentioned bagpipes.

Jackie had a very special sense of humour. We once had a visiting Dutch student who didn't speak a word during out tea in the manse. At the end Jackie asked him: "Do you speak English?" To which the boy replied: "I have no English." To which utterance Jackie immediately made him his
compliments: "This was very good!" Once Jackie drove a Blythswood van into the ditch besides the church and we needed a 'Uncle Edward' (Edward Ross, Jackie's brother, the man of Lochcarron Garage) with a winch to get it free again. At that time Jackie said smilingly: "If anyone else would have done this, I would have been very angry with him." Actually all the years we have known Jackie, we never ever saw him angry.

While working for Blythswood, we also were trained to do some joiner's work in several bookshops. Jackie seemed never to bother about the quality and he always kept saying emphatically: "That is very good. You did very well." Even when he asked us for a handsome cupboard for the cards of the Bible course-system and in the end it turned out to be a table with Bridge-over-Loch Alsh-proportions. Jackie also enjoyed (driving) cars. (Jannette had a rare fit of seasickness when driving with Jackie to Applecross via the legendary Bealach-na-ba while she was pregnant with our first.) When I drove him in my new metallic-grey Peugeot, he seemed to praise the colour: "You know, a grey car never looks dirty." And after some pause: " and also never clean!"

Sunday (or Sabbath, as the Scottish Presbyterians used to say) 9 July 1981 was our first Free Presbyterian service ever. In the morning we heard Jackie Ross preach on Rev. 3: 19: "As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore and repent." In the evening Jackie spoke on vs. 20: "Behold, I stand at the door, and I knock, if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me." In this service he preached especially on Christ's gracious invitations. We open the door of our hearts for everything, would we not open for Christ? If we were invited for the Royal Wedding (of Prince Charles and Princess Diana, which was to be on Wednesday 29 July 1981), would we refuse? It was as if I heard the first time in my life Christ's friendly voice and I think in a way I really heard Him the first time. Christ was brought near in the preaching of the everlasting Gospel of salvation in the plainest terms.
Jackie's preaching of the 'free offer' was simple, straight, and above all Christ-centered.

Wednesday 7th July 1982 Edward Ross was inducted as an elder. Jackie spoke to his brother, then to his congregation: to those who were converted, and to those who were unconverted. A Scottish minister's son once said to me: "My father would walk 10 miles in his pyjama's to hear Jackie Ross preach the free offer of the gospel."

On Sunday 26th July 1981 there was the communion Sabbath in Plockton. After the services Jackie concluded the day with a short address and he asked the many hearers who stayed: "Why do you believe in God and not in His Son?"

In 1984 and 1985 I visited the west coast of Scotland again with the girl who was to be my wife. Jackie generously praised the beauty of my lady and I have to admit he was (and is) right! We invited Jackie and Elma to be guests at our wedding. And they came, with all their family! I lent the Rev. Iz. Kok who was a fervent lover of the works of R. & E. Erskine a tape of one of Jackie's sermons and Jackie got the kind permission of the Kirk Session of the Dutch Reformed Church (the Maranathakerk) in Rotterdam to preach the gospel to us in our wedding service of Friday 15th April 1987. He handed over the Bible. Before the service in the vestry Mr. Kok, a staunch Calvinist with a keen doctrinal mind asked Jackie only one word: "Tulip?" (The acrostic which summarizes the Five Points of Calvinism). To which Jackie replied: "O yes!"

When handing over our Wedding-Bible, Jackie commented: "This is the biggest and best present you will get in this day, it was paid for by Christ Himself with the highest possible price, use His present to you all your life!

In the summer of 1986 Jannette and I of course went to Scotland for our honeymoon. On Sunday 3rd of August 1986 Jannette and I heard Jackie preach in Kishorn from Lachlan Mackenzie's pulpit on Psalm 73: "Everyone who has not God as his portion is on a slippery place. Can you say that God is your portion forever? God is far better than anything else what this world has to offer."

In 1993 Jackie was interested in starting a Dutch branch of Blythswood. In the autumn we were at the Reformed Fair ("Wegwijsbeurs") in Utrecht. Jackie handed me over some very impressive official Blythswood-documents and appointed me "President of Blythswood Holland" which in fact I still am. Since we have our Relief Aid Organizations in Holland, Blythswood Holland however did not run over-well. Jackie's son and my dear friend Philip once told me that if anyone would suggest starting a Christian bookshop in Bagdad to Jackie, he would consider the possibility. As a President of Blythswood Holland however, I never mentioned Bagdad . We have known Jackie and Elma over the years as people with a vision. Their vision however seemed not to be a burden to them. They also made it not a burden to the many friends who worked with them. Their vision was their love. And love to people Scottish, Rumanian, and even Dutch formed the very centre of their life. This love brought enthusiasm, energy but also relaxation, humour and even good fun. The secret of this life can only be love to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. In this love their life and labour of love will not be lost but kept until the Great Day of or great God.

Arjen & Jannette van Kralingen