News of the death of Arthur Macarthur in September at the age of 94 was received with sorrow throughout our Church. He was one of those who was instrumental in bringing about the formation of the URC in 1972, and served jointly with his Congregational counterpart John Huxtable as its first general secretary. Ordained in 1937, his first ministry was at Alnwick; and after some years in London he returned to the North East in 1950 and ministered for 10 years in North Shields before leaving to become General Secretary of the Presbyterian Church of England. He was Moderator of General Assembly in 1974-75 and continued to serve as General Secretary until his retirement in 1980.
British churchgoers struggling to find that “special someone” are being taught the art of dating, according to Worldwide Religious News. Hundreds of unlucky-in-love Christians from London are getting tips on how to flirt and read signals at courses designed to help them attract a partner. Unsuccessful chat up lines such as “You float my ark” and “Is this pew taken?” are thought to be partly responsible for poor success rates among churchgoers trying to attract a mate. But dwindling congregations and a lack of relationship experience have also been highlighted by clergy as a big part of the problem. At the workshops run by “Dating Doctor” Peter Spalton churchgoers learn how to attract a first date and then turn it into a long-term relationship. He said: “The workshops are all about giving people the confidence to make their date a success. They go through the whole process of what is acceptable to talk about and when it is appropriate to try to take things to the next level”.
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