News & Events

On 26th March 2012, a small crowd gathered in the recently opened Café Musa on the Mound for the official opening of the new Free Church Bookshop.

The Free Church Bookshop has operated for many years from 15 North Bank Street, the premises of the Free Church Offices and College. Last year, the Trustees took the decision to relocate the Bookshop at No. 16, premises also owned by the Free Church, and to explore the possibility of a coffee shop operating out of the same premises.

Rev. Colin Macleod, Leith, in one of his last official engagements before moving to become Minister of the Free North Church, Inverness, and who has been Convener of the Bookshop Committee, opened proceedings with a short introduction to the Bookshop and its relocation. The Manager, Charles Douglas, continues to run the Bookshop.

The new premises are bright and spacious, and allow visitors to the Bookshop to browse new titles and old, in what is now the only Christian bookshop in the centre of Edinburgh.

The Convener of the Communications Committee, Rev. Dr Iain D. Campbell, who is also Moderator Designate of the 2012 General Assembly, was present to launch two of his new titles: a book on the ‘I Am’ sayings of Jesus (I Am, published by Evangelical Press) and a book on preaching (Plan, Pray, Prepare, Preach, published by DayOne Publications).

Dr Campbell introduced Paul and Sue Mitchell, the new proprietors of Café Musa. Sue then spoke briefly about the café, whose name relates both to the forming of The Mound by taking earth from the drained Nor Loch which now forms Princes Street Gardens and to the Hebrew for Moses. She and her husband are looking forward to working alongside the Church in running a welcoming café adjacent to the new Bookshop.

Dr Campbell then asked God’s blessing in prayer on the new Bookshop and the café, and gifted his new title, I Am, to the proprietors.