Former moderator of the Free Church General Assembly

Born: September 20, 1963;

Died: January 28, 2017

REV Iain D Campbell, who has died at the age of 53, was a former moderator of the Free Church General Assembly and one of the Free Church of Scotland's finest intellectuals - arguably its finest.

He had a quite extraordinary fluency of speech, but the fluency was disciplined by clarity, precision and careful argument. The delivery was effortless, though often passionate, the mastery of the subject complete and while there was no trace of arrogance he spoke with the Bible-derived authority of a true preacher.

Dr Campbell’s intellectual gifts were recognised early on. He was joint dux of the Nicolson Institute in Stornoway, sharing the distinction with the present rector of the school, Frances Murray. He became a member of Stornoway Free Church at the age of 14. Later ministerial colleagues recognised his quick mind, courteous demeanour and total professionalism.

After graduating from the University of Glasgow with first class honours, he studied for the ministry at the Free Church College. He combined his training for the ministry with studying for the degree of bachelor of divinity from the University of London, which he was awarded, again with first class honours. In time Professor Donald Macleod of the Free Church was to try both hard and frequently to persuade someone with Iain Campbell’s abilities to join the teaching staff of the Free Church College but the pull of the congregations to whom he was to minister was too great. Professor Macleod says Iain Campbell was a brilliant communicator who was in constant demand as a lecturer and conference speaker and stressed his great ability as a force for reconciliation.

In 1988 he was inducted to Snizort in Skye and in 1995 to Back on the east coast of Lewis. In 2009 he moved to Point.

During the 1960s the Free Church congregation in Point was in real danger of breaking up. A large number of the congregation’s members seceded and formed a rival church. However, under Iain Campbell's leadership, rapid progress was made, and just a few days before his death the process of reunification was virtually completed: a remarkable development.

Iain Campbell was an outstanding preacher, whose sermons not only captivated and inspired his congregations but copies of them were taped and made their way into homes (and probably pulpits) all over the world.

He was also a remarkably attractive and lucid writer. He wrote a weekly column for the Stornoway Gazette. From 1990 to 1996 he edited the Free Church’s youth magazine, with the telling title, The Instructor and from 1996 to 2000 he edited the Free Church’s periodical, The Monthly Record. At a time when the magazine could have reflected the tensions then within the Free Church his editorship was seen as reflecting the growing diversity within the church and its links with the wider Christian world.

Dr Campbell’s books included an examination of the doctrine of sin, reflections on how the Old Testament Book of Ruth anticipates elements of the later Christian Gospel and a volume of sermons.

In 2001 the University of Edinburgh awarded him a PhD for his study of the life and work of George Adam Smith, an Old Testament scholar whose temperament and views were vastly different from Iain Campbell’s. Perhaps it was the attraction of opposites which drew a conventional academic and preacher to a radical modernizer who only barely avoided prosecution for heresy because of the content of his book Modern Criticism and the Preaching of the Old Testament, which was alleged to have undermined the truthfulness, inspiration and authority of large parts of the Bible.

Only 20 years earlier the Free Church General Assembly had dismissed Robertson Smith (no relation) for teaching that was regarded as “ throwing grave doubt on the historical truth and divine inspiration of several books of scripture”. Dr Campbell published a biographical study of George Adam Smith in 2004, Fixing the Indemnity.

In addition to his ministry at Point, Iain Campbell was vice-chairman of the Board of Edinburgh Theological Seminary. Its chairman, Dr Malcolm Maclean of Greyfriars Free Church, described him as a gifted theologian who tried to teach faithfully, warmly, imaginatively and clearly. "He involved himself wholeheartedly in the work of the seminary board, and made many valuable contributions to its discussion," said Dr Maclean.

Iain Campbell is survived by his wife Anne, his mother Lily, his children Iain, Stephen and Emily and his sisters Margaret and Alma.

JOHNSTON MCKAY