SUTHERLAND, REV. DAVID Minister onion - Dec 18, 1889 - Jul 08, 1898

Born: 1859 Ordained: - Died: Jul 8, 1898 age 39

Rev. David Sutherland was born, 1859 in Bruan, Caithness County, Scotland, eldest son of Alexander Sutherland. Well educated, he taught in the northern part of Scotland. He attended Edinburgh University, becoming interested in writing, and had many articles published in Christian journals. He could well have left the ministry for a promising career in journalism, for he had offers. He finished his training at Pine Hill Divinity College, Halifax. His first church as an ordained minister was Grove Church, Richmond, Nova Scotia. He married Miss Mary Ellen (Minnie) Weatherbie of that place. They had four children: Douglas (1891), Dorothy (1893), William (1895), and Arthur (1897), all born while he was minister at Zion Church. Lieutenant Douglas Sutherland was killed in action Oct 17, 1917, at Vimy Ridge.

On October 9, 1889, Rev. A. W. Mahou moderated in a call in Zion Church with the call coming out in favor. of Rev. David Sutherland, and that it was signed by communicants to the number of 231 and adherents to the number of 111. He was inducted on December 18, 1889. He remained at Zion until he preached his last sermon June 12, 1898, dying July 8, 1898. During his tenure at Zion, session adopted unfermented wine for communion. Rev. Sutherland, together with Mr. Brewer, a Methodist minister, started the Harbour Light Mission on Queen Street, from which great good resulted. His sermons were models of simplicity and could be understood by even the youngest of hearers.

The following is a description of David Sutherland's preaching, personality and death as described by Samuel Nash: "Rev. Sutherland‘s preaching seemed like an inspired eloquence, an impassioned earnestness, Charged with a stern directness; then with peculiarly winning pleading, always sound and true, manly and pure, holding his hearers, old and young in clos‘est attention; he charmed them with heart sympathy. .He made people come again who were not of his own congregation, Whenever they found themselves within his reach. Nowhere dld hlS preaching attract larger crowds than in his prayer meetings, as large and silent audiences drank in his life-giving utterances.

In disposition, he was friendly, not familiar, cordial rather than genial, reticent but not reserved, brimming over with human helpful Sympathy for human suffering, and generous beyond ordinary km. Self- denial and self-sacrifice were his passionatejustifications, for-risk of life, SO ofien rare, at bed of sickness, fever and death as we sometimes grieve over the thought that in the mysterious providence of God, some such visit led to his own fatal sickness and death.

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