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- Letters: Rev. D.M.M'intyre, College Park, On His Acceptance Of The Call To Finnieston (1)
Andrew Bonar
Andrew Alexander Bonar (1810–1892). Born on May 29, 1810, in Edinburgh, Scotland, Andrew Bonar was the youngest of seven brothers, including hymn-writer Horatius, in a devout Presbyterian family. Orphaned by his father at seven, he struggled with faith until finding assurance at 20 through William Guthrie’s Saving Interest of Christ. He studied divinity at Edinburgh University, was licensed to preach in 1835, and ordained in 1838 at Collace, Perthshire, serving 18 years. A friend of Robert Murray M’Cheyne, he co-wrote a mission report on Palestine’s Jews in 1839 and authored M’Cheyne’s memoir, a lasting Christian work. Joining the Free Church of Scotland after the 1843 Disruption, he preached in a tent until a church was built, fostering revival during the 1839–1840 Kilsyth movement. In 1856, he became minister at Finnieston Free Church, Glasgow, until his death on December 30, 1892. Married to Isabella Dickson in 1848, he was widowed in 1864 after having six children. Known for expository preaching and fervent prayer, Bonar’s ministry bore a guiding principle from Proverbs 11:30, as he wrote in his diary, “He that winneth souls is wise.”
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Andrew Bonar expresses gratitude for Rev. D.M. M'Intyre's acceptance of the call to Finnieston, recognizing it as an answer to prayer. He reflects on the bittersweet experience of leaving a beloved congregation, noting that this transition may lead to greater sanctification. Bonar shares testimonies of blessings that occurred after his departure, emphasizing that the Lord, as the true Shepherd, continues to gather His flock. He encourages ongoing prayer and support for one another in their ministry endeavors, affirming that God equips those He calls.
Letters: Rev. d.m.m'intyre, College Park, on His Acceptance of the Call to Finnieston (1)
GLASGOW, 24th June 1891. MY DEAR MR. M'INTYRE, —I am very very thankful for your decision, and not I only, but very many here. If you knew all, I think you would recognise the Lord's answer to continued prayer in the whole matter. I have passed through the pain of bidding farewell to an attached and prayerful flock, but it may be a step higher in sanctification. I heard also in my own case of three distinct cases of blessing to unsaved ones that were brought out clearly after I had left them. The Lord Himself was the Shepherd who gathered in the wanderers, when their under-shepherd was away, and I am not sure but that the presence of the under-shepherd might have been a hindrance. Let us go on praying for each other, dear brother and fellow-soldier, and believe me, yours truly in Him who sends no one on warfare at his own charges, ANDREW A. BONAR
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Andrew Alexander Bonar (1810–1892). Born on May 29, 1810, in Edinburgh, Scotland, Andrew Bonar was the youngest of seven brothers, including hymn-writer Horatius, in a devout Presbyterian family. Orphaned by his father at seven, he struggled with faith until finding assurance at 20 through William Guthrie’s Saving Interest of Christ. He studied divinity at Edinburgh University, was licensed to preach in 1835, and ordained in 1838 at Collace, Perthshire, serving 18 years. A friend of Robert Murray M’Cheyne, he co-wrote a mission report on Palestine’s Jews in 1839 and authored M’Cheyne’s memoir, a lasting Christian work. Joining the Free Church of Scotland after the 1843 Disruption, he preached in a tent until a church was built, fostering revival during the 1839–1840 Kilsyth movement. In 1856, he became minister at Finnieston Free Church, Glasgow, until his death on December 30, 1892. Married to Isabella Dickson in 1848, he was widowed in 1864 after having six children. Known for expository preaching and fervent prayer, Bonar’s ministry bore a guiding principle from Proverbs 11:30, as he wrote in his diary, “He that winneth souls is wise.”