David Patrick Thomson (17 May 1896 – 16 March 1974) was a minister of the Church of Scotland who followed a vocation in Christian evangelism as a student, a parish minister, a director of Residential Centres, and as a Christian author and publisher.Cameron, Nigel M. de S. (ed.) (1993). Dictionary of Scottish Church History and Theology. Edinburgh: T & T Clark Ltd. – article 'Thomson, David Patrick' by P.T. Bisset offers a short assessment.
When he retired in 1966, the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland described him as "One of the outstanding leaders of the Church in this generation".Lamb, John A. (ed.) (1956) The Fasti of the United Free Church of Scotland 1900–1929, Edinburgh: Oliver & Boyd, p.348 summarizes Thomson's career before 1929; Scott, H. et al., (11 vols., 1915–2000) Fasti Ecclesiae Scoticanae, Edinburgh: Oliver & Boyd (vols. 1–9); also Saint Andrew Press (vol. 10) & T&T Clark (vol.11) summarizes Thomson's career in the Church of Scotland from 1929 to his death in vol.9 p.323 and p.460; also vol. 10 p.456;
Early life and career Born on 17 May 1896 in Dundee, Scotland, D.P. Thomson first led evangelistic services while serving as a lieutenant of the Army Service Corps in the British Salonika Army during the First World War. On return to Britain he continued to preach, first as an itinerant evangelist and then as a student for the ministry of the United Free Church of Scotland. National Library of Scotland shelfmark PB5.212.1019/6.
In 1917 and 1918 Thomson was the representative in Scotland of the Heart of Africa Mission (now WEC International) led in Africa by Charles Studd and in the UK by Mrs Priscilla Studd.Bardgett, Scotland's Evangelist pp.39–49.
As a student at Glasgow University 'DP' (as he was often known, "never with disrespect if not always with affection") created the Glasgow Students Evangelistic Union and led many campaigns, 1922–28, being responsible for encouraging Eric Liddell, the Scottish international rugby player and Olympic gold-medalist athlete, to speak publicly of his faith in Christ.
Thomson graduated M.A. at Glasgow in 1922.
As a publisher, editor and author While training for the ministry, Thomson founded the Thomson & Cowan trading company and published a series of books entitled Handbooks of Modern Evangelism. National Library of Scotland shelfmark NF.1365.e.5 As he acknowledged later in life, these were edited by himself and his brother Robert under the pseudonym 'Two University Men'.Bardgett, Scotland's Evangelist pp.80–83 Copies of the series held in the National Library of Scotland are: Evangelism in the Modern World,'Two University Men' (1924), Evangelism in the Modern World Glasgow, London and New York: Thomson & Cowan, National Library of Scotland shelfmark L.148.j. Modern Evangelistic Movements,'Two University Men' (1924), Modern Evangelistic Movements, Glasgow, London and New York: Thomson & Cowan, National Library of Scotland shelfmark L.155.i. Winning the Children for Christ'Two University Men' (1924), Winning the Children for Christ Glasgow, London and New York: Thomson & Cowan, National Library of Scotland shelfmark L.149.g. and The Modern Evangelistic Address.'Two University Men' (1924), The Modern Evangelistic Address, Glasgow, London and New York: Thomson & Cowan, National Library of Scotland shelfmark L.150.i.
Thomson edited and/or wrote a substantial number of books and pamphlets on evangelism and on Scottish church history. These were often self-published, a matter of regret to his first biographer, Rev. Dr Ian Doyle.Ian Doyle, 'Introduction' in Edinburgh University: New College Library shelfmark sLX 52 THO 2. Thomson's three autobiographical works were: The Road to Dunfermline: The Story of a Thirty-Five Years' Quest,Thomson, D.P. (1951) The Road to Dunfermline: The Story of a Thirty-Five Years' Quest – part I, An Evangelist in Training 1916–1933 Crieff: Barnoak, National Library of Scotland shelfmark NF.702.d.5(7). Why I BelieveThomson, D.P. (ed.) (1963)Why I Believe: Tom Allan, James S. Stewart and D.P. Thomson discussing personal Christian belief with Ian Pitt-Watson on B.B.C. Scottish Television, 1962-3, Crieff: St Ninian’s Training Centre, National Library of Scotland shelfmark NE.29.g.16(4 and Personal Encounters.Thomson, D.P. (1967) Personal Encounters Perth: The Research Unit, National Library of Scotland shelfmark NF.1365.e.5.
In the 1930s, while Warden of the St Ninian's Centre, Lassodie, Thomson created The Lassodie Press and published further Christian titles edited by him, including Scottish Pulpit: Sermons by representative Scottish preachers,Thomson, D.P. (ed.) (1937) Scottish Pulpit: Sermons by representative Scottish preachers Dunfermline & London: Lassodie Press 1937, National Library of Scotland shelfmark L.150.i. Professor as Preacher: Sermons by Scottish Theological Professors,Thomson, D.P. (ed.) (1939) Professor as Preacher: Sermons by Scottish Theological Professors Dunfermline & London: Lassodie Press, National Library of Scotland shelfmark L.46.j. and Women in the Pulpit: Sermons and Addresses by Representative Women Preachers.Thomson, D.P. (ed.) (1944) Women in the Pulpit: Sermons and Addresses by Representative Women Preachers Dunfermline & London: Lassodie Press, National Library of Scotland shelfmark 5.1074.
Four of Thomson's books attracted more commercial publishers and a wider readership: these were Men Christ Wants: Evangelistic Addresses, How I found Christ. Personal Narratives Of Conversion, and two books containing stories of missionary adventures, intended for a younger readership: Labrador To Savage Island – Stories Of The Ships Of Christ – Maritime Missionary Adventure Throughout The World, and Goodwin Sands to Solomon Islands: More Stories of the Ships of Christ.
Many of Thomson's pamphlets were on Scottish church history. George Wishart: The Man Who Roused Scotland was commissioned by the Wishart Quarter-Centenary Committee for the commemoration held that year at St Andrews.Thomson, D.P. (1946)George Wishart, The Man Who Roused Scotland Edinburgh: Church of Scotland Publications Dept., National Library of Scotland shelfmark L.117.i.3(2). Other pamphlets were produced in connection with campaigns in particular areas: for example, It Happened in Kintyre supported the campaign in the Kintyre peninsula of 1949.Thomson, D.P. (1949) It Happened in Kintyre Glasgow: The Church of Scotland Offices, National Library of Scotland shelfmark N2.205.3596L; Bardgett, Scotland's Evangelist p.216.
Adult ministry – first phase Ordained in 1928, 'DP' served first as minister of Dunfermline: Gillespie Memorial congregation. In 1934 he was appointed to the staff of the Home Board of the Church of Scotland as an evangelist, leading Seaside Missions in the summer and local campaigns in the winter months. During this period he also founded the St Ninian's, Lassodie, Training Centre (in Fife) and the Lassodie Press.
D.P. Thomson married Miss Mary Rothnie in 1939: she was the daughter of Rev. Douglas Rothnie, minister at Lucea, Jamaica. They had no children.Frame, Fire in His Bones pp.16–17.
During the Second World War he was minister at Cambuslang: Trinity Church of Scotland and founded ‘The Church of Scotland Fellowship in Evangelism’.Bardgett, Scotland's Evangelist pp.163–188.
Many members of the congregation were called up for war-service and at the end of the war the Service Personnel Committee of Trinity Church published a duplicated volume, Letters To The Manse From Members And Adherent Of Trinity Church, Cambuslang, On Service With The Navy, The Army, The Air Forces, The WMS The ATS, The WAAF, The Mercantile Marine, The Land Army And The Nursing Services 1939–1945, on behalf of its funds.Thomson, D.P. (ed.) (c.1945) Letters to the Manse [etc], Cambuslang:Service Personnel Committee of Trinity Church; National Library of Scotland shelfmark 5.1125.
Learning that his friend Eric Liddell had died in a Japanese Internment Camp on 21 February 1945, D.P. Thomson became Secretary to the Eric Liddell Memorial Committee.Bardgett, Scotland's Evangelist p.185. Funds were raised to assist Liddell's widow and for the education of their children and also to endow an Eric Liddell Memorial Trophy for the best boys’ performance at the Scottish Schools Athletic Championships.Magnusson, The Flying Scotsman p.180-81; To support the Fund, 'DP' wrote a short biographical pamphlet: Eric Liddell: The Making Of An Athlete And The Training Of A Missionary, which was published in Glasgow by the Committee in 1946.Thomson, D.P. (1946), Eric Liddell: The Making Of An Athlete And The Training Of A Missionary, Glasgow: The Eric Liddell Memorial Committee, "4th edition, completing 55,000". National Library of Scotland shelfmark 5.1129. The archives of Eric Liddell Memorial Fund are held by the Lloyds Banking Group Archives (Edinburgh).
Later, Thomson wrote a full-length biography of Eric Liddell: Scotland's Greatest Athlete: The Eric Liddell Story, republished in hardback as Eric H. Liddell: Athlete and Missionary.
Adult ministry - second phase From January 1946 'DP' was again appointed by the Home Board as organiser for seaside mission and summer camp work, a post which also allowed him to lead evangelistic campaigns.Fasti Ecclesiae Scoticanae vol.10, p.456. One of these, in Glasgow: North Kelvinside, the parish of one of his seaside mission leaders, Rev. Tom Allan, caught public attention for its use of intensive visiting of the parish by congregational members and volunteers from outside. Thomson came to specialize in Visitation Campaigns, which in their developed form involved teams visiting all homes in the target area as well as most places of work, cinemas, pubs, football matches etc. - the worlds of home, work and leisure.Highet, The Scottish Churches, 75–82; Secretariat for Evangelism, Ecumenical Studies: Evangelism in Scotland, Geneva: World Council of Churches 1954, pp.22, 33–35, 45. In order to concentrate on this work, he secured Tom Allan's secondment from North Kelvinside to organize the seaside mission programme of 1949.Bardgett, Scotland's Evangelist p.215-16.
D.P. Thomson had a supporting role in the Tell Scotland MovementHighet, The Scottish Churches, 86–87 and also in the Edinburgh events of the Billy Graham All-Scotland Campaign of spring 1955.
To coordinate the volunteers Thomson recruited from congregations across Scotland he founded the Work & Witness MovementFrame, Fire in His Bones pp.23–26. and, 1955–58, led geographically ambitious campaigns in the Western and Northern Islands. These campaigns were not without their critics. Some thought that the use of volunteers from outside undercut mission by church members living in the area, that the missions were "perfunctory and superficial".
In 1958 ‘DP’ founded his second Residential Centre for Lay Training at the St Ninian's Centre, Crieff, and was its Warden until retirement in 1966 – after which he continued writing from what he described as ‘The Research Unit', his own home at Barnoak, Crieff.Bardgett, Scotland's Evangelist pp.339–374.
D.P. Thomson was awarded an honorary D.D. by the University of Glasgow in 1962. He died on 16 March 1974."Deaths— Thomson", The Strathearn Herald (Crieff, Tayside, Scotland), 23 March 1974, p.3 ("Thomson— At Crieff Cottage Hospital, on Saturday, 16th March 1974 (after a long illness) Rev. D. P. Thomson, Evangelist...")Frame, Fire in His Bones pp.35–37.
The Council on Mission and Discipleship of the Church of Scotland is D.P. Thomson's literary executor, and they retain his remaining archive of papers, including his multi-volume 'Diary of My Life'.
Theology