REV.
JOHN STEELTHE minister of Greenhead United Free Church, and Clerk of the Glasgow Synod of the United Free Church was born in Glasgow, and educated at St. James' School, and Glasgow High School. Thence he proceeded to the University of Glasgow, where he obtained many class prizes. He afterwards studied at the Free Church College and took a session at the University of Leipzig. He was licensed as a preacher by the Free Presbytery of Glasgow in 1868, and became assistant to the Rev. Dr. Keith of Stirling, before being called to St. David's, Kirkintilloch, where he was ordained in 1869. After a ministry there of eight years he was translated under the Mutual Eligibility Act in 1878, as colleague and successor to the Rev. John Edwards, D.D., of Greenhead United Presbyterian Church, one of the oldest congregations in Glasgow. Founded in 1805, the church four years ago held its centenary celebration.
`On the death of the Rev. Dr. George Jeffrey in 1886, Mr. Steel was elected clerk of the United Presbyterian Presbytery, which office he filled till the Union in 1900; and he afterwards acted for a time as joint-clerk of the Presbytery of the United Church. In 1902 he became Clerk of the Synod of Glasgow, the largest in Scotland. He has acted on numerous committees of his Church, and as one of its representatives on many public bodies and societies. The University of Glasgow honoured him by conferring on him the degree of Doctor of Divinity in 1896.
In the spring of 1905 Dr. Steel paid a visit to Palestine.