The Church of Scotland Rev N M Ross
“Reformed and always being reformed”. This phrase was quoted more than once in the General Assembly as characterising Scotland’s national Church in this four-hundred-and-fiftieth anniversary year of the Scottish Reformation. The 1560 Reformation was essentially a return to scriptural teaching, worship and practice, but it has to be admitted that what has been done to reform the Church of Scotland since then has generally not been for the better.
This was seen, for example, in the Church’s commemoration of the Reformation, in a packed Assembly Hall, on the Sabbath which fell between General Assembly sittings. Although there were acts of worship in the ceremony, the programme included historical and musical items and acting, which were altogether inappropriate for the Lord’s Day. One must also question the organisers’ understanding of Scotland’s deliverance from the bondage of the Church of Rome and later from the persecution of Episcopacy, when two Scripture readings during the ceremony were given by a Roman Catholic bishop and an Episcopal bishop.
Assembly Update 7 reports that, in his address to the gathering, the Moderator asked, “What kind of reformation is right for today?” The report went on: “The world doesn’t need the divisions of the Church, so perhaps we need a reformation of our relationships. The passage read by the Roman Catholic Bishop was John Knox’s favourite—Jesus’ prayer that His followers may be one in order that he might bring peace. We must take what we have heard today and take it to [the] future.” How reckless to be manoeuvring the Church in an ecumenical direction, back to the error and superstition from which it was mercifully delivered in the past.
This Romeward drift is seen in the report to the Assembly of the Committee on Ecumenical Relations. It states that the Joint Commission (of the Church of Scotland and the Roman Catholic Church) on Doctrine “published a joint report on Baptism as a study guide for local congregations” and has produced “a joint liturgy for the reaffirmation of baptismal vows . . . drawn up by a small group that included representation from the Scottish Episcopal Church. This liturgy is now available for general use on appropriate ecumenical occasions.” One lone member of Assembly had the good sense to state that the report’s emphasis on Baptism as the way into life with Christ was unbiblical.
The report includes the Joint Commission’s absurd proposal to commemorate the anniversary of the Scottish Reformation by holding a joint service (Church of Scotland and Roman Catholic Church) in St Giles’ Cathedral, Edinburgh. “It is a way”, they state, “of revisiting painful parts of our history in a way that can lead to a healing of memories.” Shame on our national Church for helping rather to heal the wound of the beast (cf Rev 13:3). Astonishingly, the General Assembly also gave a boost to Islam by inviting a Muslim (the Professor of Public Understanding of Islam at Glasgow University) to address it. Not surprisingly they heard the oft-repeated ecumenical lie that all religions are to work together if the world is to have peace.
We note that the Free Church, following last year’s Assembly decision in favour of a homosexual minister, has withdrawn from further talks with the Committee on Ecumenical Relations, at least until “the Special Commission anent Same Sex Relations and Ministry will make its report”.
Although the General Assembly is not due to receive the Special Commission’s report until next year, it did, says a press report, “pass without comment” the Commission’s decision in November to uphold the complaint of two members of the Hamilton Presbytery who complained against the Presbytery’s decision to accept as a ministerial candidate a homosexual man who is in a civil partnership. Meantime the Commission continues to gather the responses of Presbyteries and Kirk Sessions to the 20 or more questions asked in its consultation document. These church courts must hold a secret ballot of their members on some of the questions and submit the results to the Commission. They must also submit an assessment of the amount of disparity in individual views on the other questions. It appears that weight is to be given to the views of individual members of church courts rather than to decisions of the church courts themselves. This procedure weakens the authority of these courts, but it also flags up a deep division in the Church and indicates that those in favour of homosexual ordination are growing in confidence. It was expected that probing questions were to be asked in this Assembly by the opponents of homosexual ordination who are deeply concerned about the Assembly’s ban on open discussion but it appears they were gagged once again.
An issue which dominated much Assembly debate was the very difficult financial situation of the Church (a £5.7 million deficit is budgeted for this year) and the need for severe problematic cutbacks. The reports of several committees highlighted these problems, and the convener of the Ministries Council said that “by 2018, at the present levels of spending, our reserves will be exhausted”. Particularly worrying to many commissioners was the proposal to reduce full-time ministries (that is, not only ministers, but also parish assistants) by more than 100 to begin with and by 1000 by the year 2014. Contributions to the parish ministries fund, said the report, had increased by only 1.8%. A press release states, “One commissioner said that, as an elder, he was appalled when counting the collection in his congregation at the numbers who only gave one or perhaps two pounds a week. He challenged church members to give more, arguing that ten or twenty pounds each week is perfectly affordable to many in this land.”
One way of cutting expenses, said a female commissioner, was to weed out ministers who refuse to accept women as elders and ministers. Although Scripture forbids women to have spiritual rule in the Church (1 Tim 2:10), there are those in the Church who continue to call for an increase in the number of women in office (albeit half of the Church’s elders are female and 200 women are “ordained ministers”). One female commissioner argued that, for more than 40 years, the ordination of women has been accepted and enshrined in the practice and procedure of the Church of Scotland and that those who do not accept women office-bearers are therefore “not upholding the laws of the Church of Scotland”. But the rule of Scripture was ignored, as was the fact that unscriptural practices, although of long duration, can never disannul the Word of God, “which endureth for ever”.
The Church of Scotland could be, as it once was, a tremendous force for moral and spiritual good. Like other Churches, it is trying to grapple with the rapid secularisation of society, but despite spending more than £90 million last year on congregations and ministries, people are increasingly turning their backs on it. Of course it is encouraging that, for example, it voiced its opposition, as one would expect, to the Assisted Dying Bill presently being debated in the Scottish Parliament. It is also doing much good in meeting the material and physical needs of many deprived, vulnerable and elderly people (last year it spent £46.8 million on “social care”). However, we are sure that only when it gives to God the obedience due to Him by fully heeding and preaching His Word, will it see better days. “Prove Me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it” (Mal 3:10). This would be reformation indeed, and this is what the godly in our national Church prayerfully desire. We must likewise pray, “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven”.
The Free Church of Scotland Rev D W B Somerset
The main issue which is continuing to trouble the Free Church is the proposed introduction of hymns and musical instruments into public worship. It was decided that this should be discussed, first at a conference, provisionally arranged for Inverness in September, and then at a special Assembly to be held in November.
Principal Donald Macleod retired as the Principal of the Free Church College. The choice for his successor lay between Professor J L Mackay and Rev Iain D Campbell, and was conducted by a “card vote”, presumably some form of secret ballot. We query whether such a form of voting was scriptural or appropriate. Professor Mackay was elected the new Principal.
It is evident from the notes of the Assembly available on the Free Church website that the Free Church and the Free Presbyterian Church are on rapidly-diverging courses. The impression is of a widespread (though not universal) recklessness in introducing changes, as if there could not possibly be any danger in these things. For example, the General Assembly declared “that all congregations of the Free Church of Scotland are free to enter into gospel partnerships with other local evangelical confessional churches without the need of Assembly legislation”. Another step is the introduction of “team ministries” whereby several congregations could be linked together under two or more ministers. The potential consequences of these changes were not deeply pondered, and Satan will doubtless be considering what use he can make of these openings.
The Lord hath been pleased so to order and determine the state and condition of His children, while they are in this life, that they shall be constantly needy. This dispensation we should submit unto with all quietness of mind, not quarrelling with the wisdom and mercy of our God therein. Yea, more than submission is called for. There is a further duty required, though it be hard to perform it: to take pleasure and to rejoice in this needy state, that the power of Christ may rest upon us.
There are some times of need contrived by the Lord on purpose, that the helpfulness of His grace might the more shine and appear.
Robert Traill