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Bearsden Cross Church - Minister

Minister: Rev. John Harris MA

Reader & Pastoral Assistant: Ishbel Robertson MA BD

John Harris, minister of Bearsden Cross Church, was minister of Bearsden South Church for nearly twenty years, before the union of the former Bearsden North and South Churches at the end of November 2006.

Throughout his ministry he has been committed to the widest possible application of the Gospel. He has been involved with Christian Aid since his ordination, and more recently was involved with the Jubilee 2000 and MAKEPOVERTYHISTORY campaigns. He is also passionate about the plight of the Palestinian people, and has been an active member the Scottish Palestinian Forum since its inception in the 1990s.

He is above all else, a committed parish minister. Pastoral care is high on his agenda, as is making worship relevant to the needs of people and to where they are today, and also to the problems facing the modern world.

He is enthusiastic about the union and delighted with the success it has had in its first year, especially with the attendances at worship. There was one Sunday in November when people were standing in the aisles.

In all of this he is ably assisted by Ishbel Robertson, Reader and Pastoral Assistant. She came to the former South Church in 2003, for her one and only placement as a trainee reader, being fast-tracked, as she holds a Bachelor of Divinity degree, which is far in excess of what is asked of readers. Once her placement was completed and she had been admitted as a reader, she volunteered to work between the two congregations of Bearsden North and South as they prepared for union. Her familiarity with the pastoral needs of members from both former congregations has been a great asset since the union. She plays a full part in the leading of worship and in the pastoral care programme. She shares John Harris's commitment to making worship relevant to people's needs, and has recently returned from a visit to the Holy Land, fully supporting John's stand on behalf of the Palestinian people.