Daniel MacDougall (1920-2013)

Eulogy for Dan MacDougall at his funeral in Collingwood, ON, on 4 October 2013

I have been asked to say something about my friend Dan MacDougall and I want to address my comments particularly to you his grandchildren so that you may know what a remarkable man your grandfather was and how greatly he was admired and respected by all who knew him.

Dan MacDougall, whom we honour today, would not want any honours to go to him but to the Lord he served so faithfully. Last year I had the privilege of spending a Sunday at Mount Lebanon United Presbyterian Church in Pittsburgh. It was there that Dan, in the heyday of Post-World War II churchianity, had a life-changing exposure to Reformed Christianity under the ministry of the remarkable Cary N. Weisiger. Transferred to Kansas City, he became active in Colonial Presbyterian there, serving on the Session as well as being Sunday School superintendent. He later transferred to the Reformed Presbyterian Church over a matter of principle. When Dow Chemical transferred him to Toronto and he and Phyllis built a home in Thornhill he first attended the local Presbyterian church, briefly worshipped at Knox Toronto, before settling into Knox’s daughter congregation, Bridlewood Church in suburban Scarborough where he was a member for over forty years.

In many ways, Dan MacDougall shaped the life of Bridlewood Church by his personal witness, his family life, and his basic spiritual integrity. He came to the then four-year old congregation at a crucial time: a few months earlier there had been a major moral challenge within the community and two significant families left the struggling infant congregation. That summer the Holy Spirit came down in remarkable power and several nominal church people were soundly converted. The MacDougalls help to stabilize matters. Dan’s teaching, always based on his consistent Reformed faith and with a strong emphasis on the doctrines of grace, instructed those new to the Evangelical faith. He and Phyllis had a remarkable gift of hospitality: their home was always open and small district Bible study groups became a feature of his work as elder. Their stewardship inspired others and tithing became a feature of the church which maintained the highest per capita giving in the entire denomination. They were enthusiasts for missions as a high percentage of a church’s budget.

When I left Bridlewood in 1975 to become national (general) director of Inter-Varsity Christian Fellowship I nominated him for the board of directors, a somewhat dubious honour given the stresses that the ministry was experiencing at the time. Dad’s clear thinking and straight talking stood the organization in good stead for the years he served.

Dan was a no-nonsense sort of person who cut to the chase in conversation and saw issues and their consequences clearly. He could be gruff: he was a foil to me as a less direct person but he was a caring and devoted friend whose support, as a churchman, I could always depend on. I have lost a man whom it was a privilege to know. What endures as a faithful witness to his Lord is to be found in his talented children and the wider circle, a remarkable family who has gone on to serve the Lord and His church. It is to Phyllis, his exceptional life partner, that we extend our sympathy