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Whose Church? There are many misunderstandings going around. No doubt some of these are malicious and intended. Others however arise from a misconception of what has taken place and what we claim we are. Some people think we should leave our churches and manses to them.
You are a new Church? We firmly deny this. If we were a new church we would have no claim on the buildings. But far more importantly, we would lose our claim to our rich spiritual heritage. We have not changed our beliefs. We adhere to all the Constitutional documents of the Free Church and we strongly assert that we are indeed following its beliefs, principles and practices more closely than the residual body.
But you left the Free Church? Again we would dispute this. We certainly walked out of the building which initially constituted the Commission of Assembly, but not before we had tabled a “protest and declinature”. In this we protested against the unconstitutional actions of the Commission, stated that we could no longer regard it as a true authoritative Court of the Free Church and indicated to all commissioners that we would be continuing the Free Church Commission of Assembly in the Magdalen Chapel. In summary, we left a building but we believe we took the true Free Church with us.
You were not put out of the ministry? Some say that we walked away before we were disciplined but that is untrue. We were suspended from the ministry and forbidden to preach the Gospel. True, they promised to pay our stipends till May but we did not enter the ministry to receive a salary. We were called and sent by God to preach His Word. We could not accept this evil attempt to keep us from proclaiming the Good News.
You have a different name? Have you not changed your name to the Free Church of Scotland (Continuing) and surely in that you are admitting you are a different church? Actually a careful study of our Declaration of Reconstitution will reveal that this is not the case. In our Declaration we make quite plain that we regard ourselves as the Free Church of Scotland. We carefully stated that we may be called Free Church of Scotland (Continuing) but this is only for administrative purposes eg. for opening bank accounts. We remain the Free Church of Scotland.
But where are we to worship? People say that they resent being forced to leave their church and having to worship in a hall. But we have barred no one from coming to church. We are preaching the same gospel as we always preached. We believe in what the Free Church has ever stood for. We love its doctrine, worship, government and discipline and are more enthusiastic for these things than the residual body. Why should people leave our churches? Do they believe that we have been guilty of immorality or heresy? Is it that they regard us as suspended ministers and therefore it would be a sin to listen to us preach? Whoever you are, continue with us. We have no intention of forming a new Church. We are determined to retain the Free Church’s witness. Stay with us or return to us. We are not going to change the Church to the right or to the left. Why should you leave us?
Any
comments or questions please E-Mail
me or Rev William Macleod
the Editor. |