Edinburgh Theological Seminary joins the Free Church of Scotland in giving thanks for the life and service of Rev Prof Dr Donald M. MacDonald, who passed away on Sunday morning at the age of 82.
Dr MacDonald was well known to many across the Church and beyond as a medical doctor, pastor and lecturer. After graduating from medical school, he spent 15 years as a doctor at the Lakhnadon Christian Hospital in India. Upon his return to Scotland, he served as the minister of Bishopbriggs Free Church. In 1997 he was appointed Professor of Apologetics and Practical Theology at the then Free Church College (now Edinburgh Theological Seminary), where he helped shape and influence a generation of students preparing for ministry.
The following reflection has been written by Rev Prof John Angus Macleod, a former colleague who served alongside him at ETS:
“It was an enormous privilege to serve alongside Dr Donald Macdonald at the Free Church College, later Edinburgh Theological Seminary. Having first overlapped as students in the 1980s, we later spent many years together serving the students of the College.
Donald’s ministry was marked not only by his teaching, but by his character. When I first began working alongside him, he was already living with the effects of multiple sclerosis, though he continued quietly and faithfully, first with the aid of walking sticks, and later using a wheelchair. As the condition progressed, his strength gradually declined. During those years, I have many fond memories of conversations and fellowship with him over lunch at ETS. We would sit together each day, and I was able to assist him with his meals. What stood out in those moments was the ease with which he received such help, showing the same humility in being served as he had always shown in serving. There was no trace of self-pity – only a calm acceptance, shaped by deep trust in the Lord.
This spirit left a lasting impression on those he taught. Students saw in Donald someone who had given his life to serving in mission, and who, even in very difficult circumstances, continued to shine and to show that those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength. I still recall a paper he delivered on ‘Resilience in the Ministry’ – a subject on which he spoke with particular authority, having lived it so fully.
On one occasion, when asked about disability and healing, Donald replied, “To be honest, I believe that I have been healed.” The response surprised many, but he went on to explain that he had come to such a deep peace with God’s will for him that he knew a profound sense of wholeness, even as he awaited the fullness of healing in the resurrection. It was a perspective that reflected both theological depth and settled faith.
We kept in touch from time to time after our respective retirements. Since moving to the North of Scotland, I have occasionally passed through the Kildonan area and near Donald’s old family home in Borrobol, and each time I am reminded of him and of many happy memories of our years together at the College. On one such occasion, I wrote to express my gratitude for his friendship and for the calm dignity he brought to those years, and was grateful for his warm reply.
That calm dignity is something many will remember, along with his gracious spirit and his unwavering commitment to Christ and His Church. His loss will be deeply felt, none more so than by his widow, Joan, and all his family, whom we remember in our prayers at this time. Yet Donald now sees, in fullness, the Saviour in whom he trusted, and in whose presence he has found complete healing.
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A notice of Donald’s life and ministry can be found on the Free Church website.
Funeral details are as follows: Monday 13th April, 12:30pm at Buccleuch and Greyfriars Free Church of Scotland, Edinburgh. Followed by burial at 2:30pm at Craigmillar Park Cemetery.
