Obituary : Bruce Crerar (1938 – 2007)

The Trustees are sad to intimate the death last August of the Trust’s founder, Bruce Crerar. Born in Edinburgh in 1938, Bruce attended Edinburgh Academy and later Strathallan, where he entered into the varied activities on offer – drama, sport and music. After National Service with the RAF, working on radio and radar (during which time he developed a lifelong interest in communication and technology), he joined Ferranti in Edinburgh, but resigned after a time because working with weapons of mass destruction was against his principles. In time, Bruce became a nurse, then a psychiatric nurse at the Royal Edinburgh Hospital, and in the community. He spent a number of years in the Salvation Army in Tyneside and in Greenock, work which he found absorbing and rewarding.

It was during his more mature years that he became a Christian, developing in his own words ‘a passion for the word of God and a desire to share it’. He was a man of great faith, with a very vibrant relationship with his God, and he was always ready to talk about it.

In his younger days, Bruce was a great traveller, and always had exciting tales to tell of experiences overseas. Among his other interests was chess, played on the internet up to a few weeks before his death.

It was his interest in technology, combined with his determination that Christians should be encouraged to share their faith, that inspired him to produce the small credit card-sized cards, from which, in 1995, sprang the Amos Scripture Care Trust. Teams were set up to produce the cards, which were distributed through churches, retreat centres, hospitals, and by individuals. Involvement in this voluntary work was in itself a means of strengthening faith, and of introducing others to God’s word. The Trust has been the main focus of Bruce’s life over the past twelve years, and the Trustees will ensure its work continues.

Bruce was always so interested in people, faithful in friendship and sensitive to people’s needs, and was a real resource to many with whom he came in contact. His ideas, his skills, his humour, his inspiration and his larger than life personality are greatly missed. As one of his family remarked at his memorial service - “ Bruce found his mission in life, and fulfilled it; of how many of us could that be said”?

Alan Mackinlay January 2008

18/12/2006

Investing in Volunteers

In June 2007, along with many others from a wide range of charities and organisations, three of our volunteers, Margot Miller, Peter Agnew, and Donald Macrae attended a reception at the City Chambers and were presented with certificates acknowledging their contribution to the Trust through volunteering. At the same ceremony, a certificate was also awarded to Bruce Crerar (on the initiative of the Volunteer Centre, Edinburgh) though he was too unwell to be there to receive it. This award was greatly appreciated by everyone connected with the Trust, and Bruce himself was surprised and delighted to receive it.’

The work we put into it was valuable to us and resulted in much favourable publicity.

Introducing our volunteer administrators

We are very fortunate in the quality and commitment of our volunteer administrators. They enhance the smooth running of the Trust and enable us to respond to requests for card quickly.  Three of our volunteers are featured below.

Sandra Endicott

I am a member of the Old Kirk of Edinburgh, West Pilton, and have been a serving elder there since 2004. 

The Trust for me is the means by which God's word is spread. Something along similar lines to the Parable of the Sower (Mark 4:1).  The cards contain the words of scripture some of which land on hard ground: Others take root only for a short period before the call of the world supplants them. But some words always reach the right place and bring to the receiver the knowledge that God cares for them at all times and in all places and under all conditions. His love never changes.

But for me even those cards which are disregarded do not fail, they plant seeds which may spring to life at some future time in a recipient's life.

Therefore the Trust enables me to be a disciple: and the cards are the fishing nets I use to bring men and women to Jesus and through him to God.