The October Commission of Assembly


Overture and Petition rejected
The Commission of Assembly decided not to receive or discuss certain items of business addressed to it. An Overture from the Presbytery of Lochcarron and a petition from the Rev Innes MacRae and others, both asking the Commission to appoint a committee to investigate important concerns which have arisen out of the May Assembly and the June Commission, were rejected as incompetent on the grounds that the Commission could not overturn previous findings of the Assembly or Commission. A pity that this principle did not apply in October 1996!

Reconciliation rejected
Dr David Mackereth, an adherent in the Aberdeen congregation, put forward a plan involving the appointment of independent external arbiters to help reconciliation in the Free Church. The Commission decided not to receive or discuss his proposal. Mr John MacKenzie (Assynt), proposed a similar idea which sought the help of our sister churches to act as neutral arbiters. Again, the Commission decided not to receive or discuss this proposal.

Letters rejected
Two letters were sent to the Commission. The first was from Dr Murdoch Murchison on behalf of the FCDA, signed by over thirty ministers and supporting the two editors of Free Church Foundations. The second was from the Skye Presbytery, expressing unanimous support for the Rev William Macleod (Portree). The Commission of Assembly decided not to receive either letter.

Glasgow Petition
The Glasgow Presbytery petitioned the Commission, requesting the appointment of six general assessors to the Presbytery, i.e. men who would be able to take part in and vote on any matter before the Presbytery. After a vote the Commission accepted this Petition and appointed six assessors - all from Edinburgh Presbytery and four of them from the Buccleuch & Greyfriars congregation. This was a strange move when the Glasgow Presbytery is already a large one and has competently handled difficult matters on previous occasions. The Presbytery is known, however, to be evenly divided when it comes to voting on controversial matters. Some might view the Commission’s decision as a kind of “gerrymandering” or “jury-fixing”.

Lewis Overture against FCDA
This was presented by the Rev I D Campbell (Back), moved by the Rev D MacDonald (Carloway) and seconded by the Rev Iver Martin (Aberdeen). The Overture was carried after a vote. The Commission finding is:
The Commission of Assembly receive Overture (b) from the Presbytery of Lewis and grant its crave.
  1. They declare that the Free Church Defence Association is pursuing a divisive course from the government and discipline of the Free Church of Scotland;
  2. They declare that the office-bearers of the FCDA have adopted a position that is in violation of their position as office-bearers of the Free Church of Scotland;
  3. They call upon the FCDA to disband immediately, requesting that they give notice of their having disbanded to the Principal Clerk by 30th November 1999 at the latest; failing which,
  4. The Commission of Assembly instruct all Presbyteries to,
    • Inform all office-bearers ­ ministers, elders and deacons of the Free Church of Scotland ­ within their bounds who wish to hold office both in the Free Church of Scotland and in the Free Church Defence Association that they are thereby in breach of their ordination vows; and
    • Require of all office-bearers of the Free Church of Scotland within their bounds who are also office-bearers of the Free Church Defence Association that they will forthwith resign their office in the Free Church Defence Association, or else be liable to be declared contumacious in that they will thereby have expressed a resolve to continue their pursuit of an unlawful and unbiblical course of action; in which case Presbyteries are instructed to initiate proceedings against any office-bearer of the Free Church of Scotland who declares that he will not resign his office in the Free Church Defence Association.


Lewis Overture against SRFC
The Lewis Overture against the Stornoway Relief Free Church (SRFC) was presented by the Rev J Maciver (Knock) and moved by the Rev D MacDonald (Carloway). The overture was carried against a direct counter motion and against a compromise motion by last year's Moderator, the Rev D K Macleod (rtd). The Commission finding is:
The Commission of Assembly receive Overture (a) of the Presbytery of Lewis and grant its crave.
  1. They declare that the group known as "Stornoway Relief Free Church" is not a congregation of the Free Church of Scotland, but is rather founded upon sinful schism from the Stornoway Free Church, and is falsely claiming to be the true Stornoway Free Church.
  2. They instruct all ministers and office bearers of the Free Church of Scotland not to support the Stornoway Relief Free Church by preaching, attending services, public statement, or any other way detrimental to the peace of the Free Church of Scotland. The Commission requires all Presbyteries to make diligent inquiry within their own bounds as to whether any minister or office-bearer has taken such action, to inform them of the finding of the Commission, require them to give an undertaking not to engage in such activities in the future, and if such an undertaking is not forthcoming to initiate proceedings against them for contumacy. The Commission requires Presbyteries to report diligence in this matter to a special meeting of the Commission to be held at Edinburgh on Wednesday 8th December 1999 at 7.30 p.m.
  3. Remind all office bearers and communicant members of the Free Church of Scotland of their obligation to give financial support to the gospel ministry in their own congregations, consistent with their vows expressed by their signing a Call to their own minister. While fully endorsing the principle of free-will offering, the Commission denounces in the strongest terms the practice of continuing as an office bearer or communicant member in the Free Church of Scotland while simultaneously withholding, or diverting to any divisive body, funds necessary to the upkeep of gospel ordinances in the Free Church, as inconsistent with a Christian profession and example, and contrary to the practice expected of members of the Free Church of Scotland.


Edinburgh & Perth Overture
The Edinburgh Overture was presented by the Rev A Macdonald (Buccleuch), moved by the Rev D Robertson (Dundee), and seconded by the Rev I Martin (Aberdeen). On a vote being taken the Overture was accepted. The Commission finding is:
The Commission of Assembly receive the Overture of the Presbytery of Edinburgh and Perth and grant its crave to the extent that:
The Commission of Assembly being charged to advert to the interests of the Church on every occasion, that the Church do not suffer, or sustain any prejudice which they can prevent, as they will be answerable, consider that The Special June Commission of Assembly Issue of Free Church Foundations (August 1999), a publication of the FCDA, is gravely prejudicial to the interests of the Church and contains statements which are in contempt of the General Assembly and Commission of Assembly. The Commission of Assembly in June instructed "all officebearers and members to abide by the 1995 finding and, furthermore, not to pursue this matter now or henceforth in any form whatsoever" whereas Free Church Foundations states, "The General Assembly should recall the decision of the 1995 Assembly as being procedurally unsafe" and other such statements. They call Mr William Macleod, Editor of Free Church Foundations, and Mr David P. Murray, Assistant Editor of Free Church Foundations, to the bar of the Commission to establish if they are responsible for publishing these statements and, if so, to withdraw and repudiate these statements, failing which they appoint a Committee to prosecute libels against Mr William Macleod, minister at Portree, and Mr David P. Murray, minister at Lochcarron, before the December meeting of Commission.
In accordance with the above finding the Rev W Macleod and the Rev D P Murray were called to the Bar of the Commission. Both accepted responsibility for Free Church Foundations and especially the reference therein that the General Assembly should recall the 1995 Assembly decision as being procedurally unsafe. Both men stated that they would not withdraw or repudiate the contents thereof.
A committee was accordingly appointed to prepare libels and to prosecute them before the meeting of Commission on 8th December. The committee members are Rev J MacIver (Convener), Rev A Macdonald, Dr I Macdonald, Dr I MacIver and Mr A Mackenzie.
Dissents and protests were submitted concerning the findings arrived at on these three Overtures, but are not given here due to lack of space.

Loyalty
This Commission of Assembly will certainly prove a watershed. It is now abundantly clear that the majority has no interest in a principled settlement of differences, i.e. one that has regard to truth and justice. Their attitude to the minority is: “You must be reconciled to us ­ or else!” The statement from the Free Church issued after the Commission reportedly says (Press & Journal, 8 October): “After years of patiently putting up with provocation from the FCDA the Free Church now requires its ministers and elders to make up their minds ­ are they loyal to the FCDA or to the Free Church of Scotland?” The plain truth is that our ordination vows require us to be loyal to the Constitution of our church. Given that the Constitution of the FCDA is identical to that of the Free Church we see not the slightest contradiction in holding office in both. It is to be feared that by “loyalty” to the Free Church of Scotland is meant submission to the majority ruling party, whatever attitude that party may display to our Constitution.

Authority
The statement adds: “The Free Church is determined to reassert the proper authority of Church courts in spite of the continuing improper campaigning of the FCDA.” Does the majority not realise by now that “the proper authority of Church courts” is exactly what the FCDA has been campaigning for these several years?! It is the improper use of church power that has led us into the present crisis. If the Free Church were to reassert proper discipline the FCDA would disband immediately.

Stand
The Free Church in her official capacity is currently trying to defend the indefensible. She is engaged in a cover-up and is living a lie. We take no pleasure in telling her that it will not work and that the full facts will come out sooner or later. It is our belief that many in her ranks, ministers and elders included, are fully aware that what is being done is utterly perverse and resulting in much suffering for men who are principled enough not to turn their backs on the truth. Who knows but that the Lord will yet bless their faithful stand and deliver us from evil.

Any comments or questions please E-Mail me or Rev William Macleod the Editor.

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