Church of Scotland.
CHURCH of Scotland.—The General Assembly of the Church of Scotland met on 21st May. The new Moderator was the Rev. James R. Forgan, D.D., Ayr, who, according to the Glasgow Herald, “ascended the Moderator’s dias to the Accompaniment of cheers.”
Speaking to the Report of the Home Mission Board Dr. Warr, Edinburgh, said that “the old days and the old ways have gone for ever,” and that what the church needed was “alert, efficient, and spiritually minded ministers—eager and adventurous men who are responsive to new methods and ideas. The Iona Community,” added Dr. Warr, “has led the way towards something, even though its precise goal may not yet be obvious.” It may not be obvious to Dr. Warr, but we think that to others it is quite obvious that Rome is the goal.
A petition from a section of the Mure Memorial Church, Baillieston, against the action of the minister, Rev. R. C. M. Mathers, in introducing innovations into the worship of the congregation was rejected by the Assembly on the motion of Dr. J. T. Cox, who declared that the petitioners had no reason for complaint. During the discussion the innovations were not only objected to as, but proved to be, “ritualistic and Episcopalian,” and criticism was made on the “intense propaganda of the so-called Iona Community,” who were working in the parish. A motion was also made by the Rev. William White, Kilmarnock, that the Committee on Public Worship be authorised to prepare prayers for the dead. This was rejected on the ground that it “affects the doctrinal constitution of the Church of Scotland,” and that it could only be brought up as an overture to the General Assembly.
A petition by Rev. Roderick MacInnes, formerly of Uig, Lewis, for readmission to the Church of Scotland was rejected by a majority of 15 votes. The petitioner, in supporting his petition, craved the Assembly’s forgiveness for the steps he took in Uig in 1930, but the charge of leading 300 souls out of the Church of Scotland was not to be lightly forgiven. While we hold no brief for Mr. MacInnes, it is hardly fair to saddle him with the whole blame in connection with the Uig congregation joining the Free Presbyterian Church. There are men still living there who assert that it was the congregation, through its representatives, who approached Mr. MacInnes in order to take steps to join the Free Presbyterian Church. The fact that Mr. MacInnes in his second exodus from the Free Presbyterian Church failed to take his congregation with him clearly proves that our people at Uig will not be led by men, except in so far as these men will go according to the Word of God. From what we know of them we are fully convinced that they have a better grasp of the principles of the Church of the Reformation in Scotland than to remain in a Church where a minister would dare to suggest to the Assembly that its Committee on Public Worship should prepare prayers for the dead, or whose Assembly would decide that there was “nothing illegal” in innovations which had been characterised as “ritualistic and Episcopalian.” It were well if many in the Church of Scotland had as much regard for Scriptural worship and doctrine as the 300 souls in Uig who joined the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland.
Free Church.
The Free Church Assembly met in the Assembly Hall, Edinburgh, when the Rev. William MacLeod, Dornoch, was elected as the new Moderator. There was no opening address given by the new Moderator this year which is a departure from the usual custom observed. Complaint was made that the generations were drifting further and further away from the principles of the Church. Rev. Kenneth A.Rae, Stornoway, said that his experience had been that not only were many of their people entirely ignorant as to these principles, but they were entirely indifferent. “As a matter of fact,” he continued, “when they had the opportunity of having these principles imparted to them they showed by their absence that they had no desire to hear anything about it.”
The Assembly continued sitting for a much shorter period on this occasion owing to the international situation.