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The Luneburg Story, Christian Aid
& Largo & Newburn Church 
I have lived in Scotland since 1981. It is not a large country geographically or demographically compared to many in the world, and I have often heard it said that it is like a big village with connections everywhere. I have since learned that just in case I think Scotland is indeed a relatively small country, membership in the Church of Scotland makes it even smaller. Attending last week’s General Assembly of the Church of Scotland at the Assembly Hall at the top of Edinburgh’s Mound reinforced this. Another saying tells us there are 6 degrees of separation between individuals globally. I beg to differ and reduce this figure to around 2! I encountered many new friends last week and in no time, a connection was made, either with an individual, a church or town.
My former and very happy association with St Leonard’s Church in Hepburn Gardens, St Andrews sit behind my writing this article. Last year Mr George Donaldson died and I was asked to conduct his funeral in his church at Largo & Newburn. I was appointed as your Locum minister last July, and I hadn’t known him, but I know one of his sons. Neil Donaldson lives in the beautiful old former St Leonard’s manse. It was my solemn duty and privilege to meet with Graham and Neil, George’s sons to arrange their father’s funeral service held in Largo & Newburn Church, last October. It was in the course of a visit when Neil and I were talking about my time as Parish Assistant with Very Rev Dr Alan McDonald, that the name of Rev Douglas Lister came up. Had I known that Douglas had been a former minister of Largo & Newburn - and, asked Neil was I aware of Douglas’ incredible work across nations and enemy borders which may have contributed to the creation of the Church’s development agency Christian Aid? I knew Douglas Lister’s name, but confessed ignorance of the rest. Neil’s response was to generously give me a book, written by Douglas Lister entitled, The Luneburg Story. I write this article now as churches everywhere celebrate the latest annual collection for Christian Aid. Indeed at last week’s General Assembly we were addressed by Loretta Minghella OBE who is Chief Executive, responsible for strategic direction, plans and programmes across the world. She spoke as the Church and Christian Aid celebrate the 70th anniversary of the aid organisation, which was established in 1945. If you check the website, you can view the Christian Aid timeline from 1945 to 2015 which records the 7 decades’ work. It seems doubly timeous, then that we should be reminded of Douglas Lister and his pioneering work, which began in the post war German town of Luneburg. I am deeply grateful to Neil Donaldson for the gift of this book. Let me tell you something of this incredible story - which is in part Largo’s story too. Rev Douglas Lister translated from Inverurie Auld Kirk to Largo & Newburn in 1967 and served as minister here until he retired in 1986. However, this story begins many years before. His book opens with the intriguing sentence, [1] My posting for insubordination in 1946 was the best posting I was ever to have. I was in Gibraltar as Garrison Chaplain … and I was asked to raise money for the Commando Benevolent Fund. Perhaps this early experience of fund raising inspired what came later, but shortly after this he was asked if he would go and be Garrison Chaplain to five thousand Service Personnel in Luneburg, attached to the Royal Scots Greys. He goes on to describe the abject desolation that was post war Germany. He writes, [2] Their great cities and towns lay in ruins around them, as ours did as a result of the war’s ‘obliterative bombing.’ Poverty and hunger were everywhere along with the guilt of having been conned, as we were, by Adolf Hitler. One day Douglas was approached by a man wearing a Luftwaffe jacket and a camera strung around his neck. His name was Joseph Makovec and he was a professional photographer. [3] ’I wonder if you can possibly help us?’ He asked with some anguish in his voice. ‘There are 80,000 Refugees out there, freezing to death. A year ago they fled the Russian Zone across the nearby River Elbe’. I replied, ‘I have over 5,000 souls here to try and care for.’ Mac replied, ‘I know.’ ‘What can I do?’ I countered. I remember the slightly quizzical smile on his face as he replied. ‘You could perhaps get them to help too.’ I hadn’t known anyone teach me my own job so well before. I realised we were the same kind of people and we bonded at that moment and were to stay that way. Douglas goes on to describe the horror he saw, and he was horrified. Against orders which prohibited so-called Non fraternisation with the enemy he decided to fight High Command. The humanity of the Brigidiar of 4th Armoured Brigade stationed in Luneburg, Rex de Winton saved the day - and the refugees. [4] Go ahead, Douglas and may God bless these good people.’ As a result Douglas sent a letter out all over Scotland, entitled, GERMANY CALLING AN APPEAL FOR YOUR HELP. The letter describes Germany’s desolation, the heaps of rubble that were Hamburg, Hanover and Munster and goes on, Now Germany stands in a very dangerous position, physically, morally and spiritually … and one thing is certain; IF SHE GETS IT SHE WILL BELIEVE IN US, RESPOND AND WORK WITH US IN EUROPE’S DIFFICULT FUTURE. Of this I am thoroughly convinced. His final paragraph of appeal reads, I send this letter to you in complete confidence that you will co-operate, and recruit others in this campaign, and thus make it a success far greater than we could ever expect. I am, Yours very sincerely, Douglas Lister C.E. The story goes on to record the Germany Calling Appeal worked, not just in quantity but in the sheer quality of food of clothing donated. Douglas says he was overwhelmed by Scotland’s generosity. He tells too of the warm generosity of John Althorp later Earl Spencer who was Diana, Princess of Wales’ father. His genuine feeling for the oppressed, which so obviously surfaced in his daughter. It goes without saying that the response to the Appeal caught a lot of people by surprise - not least the people of Luneburg. But what I really want to include in this article, and to end it with is the final paragraph from this particular chapter. In it, Douglas writes, In fact, other chaplains across Europe also had been helping people in their difficulties, this developed into what was named ‘Inter Church and Refugee Service.’ ‘Christian Aid’ grew out of this to become one of the most important and useful operations of the Christian Church. Rev Jane Barron Locum minister, Largo & Newburn l/w Largo St David’s Christian Aid Week, 2017 [1] ‘The Luneburg Story’: Rev Douglas Lister: Culross & Sons Ltd 1996: Page 1 [2] ‘The Luneburg Story: Rev Douglas Lister: Culross & Sons Ltd 1996: Pg 1 [3] ‘’The Luneburg Story’: Rev Douglas Lister: Culross & Sons Ltd 1996: Pg 2 [4] ‘The Luneburg Story’ by Rev Douglas Lister: Culross & Sons 1996: Pg 3 Other web sites of interest:
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