Background
McGhee was born in Portuguese Glasgow, Renfrewshire, on 29 July 1929, the first son of Robert McGhee (who had set up various missions and Sunday Schools in some of Glasgow"s most deprived areas) and Catherine Hawthorn Ferguson.
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Robert McGhee
Edit ProfileEducation
University of Glasgow.
Career
He was a signatory of the Manila Manifesto and was nominated for the position of Moderator several times. He was head of the Church"s Board of Social Responsibility (one of the Church"s six councils, and the largest voluntary provider of social care in Scotland) during the 1980s. He served two years in the Royal Air Force before training as an accountants
In 1954 he went up to Glasgow University to study Divinity and took his Bachelor's Degree from Trinity College, Glasgow.
Here he was influenced by William Barclay and was a contemporary of Revd Douglas Alexander, father of Cabinet minister Douglas Alexander and Leader of the Scottish Labour Party Wendy Alexander. He was ordained in Portuguese Glasgow and inducted to Pultneytown Saint Andrew’s Church in Wick, Caithness in 1959 as 9th Minister of Wick.
From 1966-1972 he was 1st Minister of Mayfield and Easthouses Church in Dalkeith outside Edinburgh, before moving finally to Falkirk, as 8th Minister of Saint Andrew"s West Parish Church. As Convener he visited Kenya as part of the International Christian Federation Conference for the Prevention of Alcoholism and Drug Addiction, and also toured the Holy Land.
As Convener he was responsible for the reports presented to Margaret Thatcher after her notorious Sermon on the Mound in 1988, which were interpreted as a rebuke to her speech.
He also served as Chairman of the Lord’s Day Observance Society of Scotland (1970-1974) and Moderator of the Presbyteries of Caithness (1964-1965), Falkirk (1983-1983) and the Synod of Forth (1985-1986). In 1991 he was appointed Chairman of the Glasgow Council for Billy Graham’s Scottish crusade. Doctor McGhee made various television and radio appearances, often presenting "Late Call" on Independent Television, and was one of the most frequent speakers at the General Assemblies, taking a conservative, evangelical stance on theological issues.
He was also on the Editorial Board for CH4 (the fourth Edition of the Church Hymnary).
He was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Divinity. He was the nomination of the Church"s powerful evangelical wing for the position of Moderator on several occasions, but was unsuccessful.
Doctor McGhee died on 18 March 1996 in Stirlingshire, of cancer. At his funeral the church was overflowing with over 1500 mourners, and he was buried in Falkirk Cemetery.
The Very Revd Sandy McDonald (father of Doctor Who actor David Tennant) preached at his funeral.
Doctor McGhee"s family donated hundreds of theological books which were part of his private collection to the University of Glasgow. A stained glass window of Saint John was erected in his memory in Saint Andrew’s West Church, and a new residential street built in 2005 in central Falkirk, McGhee Place, was named after him.
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Born
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Died
March 18, 1996 (aged 66) -
Religion
Evangelican -
Political Party
Labour Party