www. practical company secretary .com
For all corporate administration support and compliance
Signs of a mounting crisis in the Free Church of Scotland are appearing following
its controversial decision to introduce hymns and musical instruments into worship
services.
Hebrides News has learnt well-
A number of other office-
The North Uist-
He has told his large congregation
at Dowanvale Free in Partick, Glasgow, that he plans to stand down as a minister
in the denomination. The church is the former Partick Highland on Dowanhill Street,
surrounded by tenement flats, many occupied by an exiled Hebridean population.
Mr
Stewart may even depart the Free Church for a different Presbyterian denomination.
On
Friday, the church’s governing body voted by a narrow majority of 14 to permit individual
congregations choose to move away from the strict tradition of singing only unaccompanied
psalms.
Some 200 ministers and elders voted 98 to 84 for the change at a historic
plenary assembly of the denomination in Edinburgh -
It is understood 30
members at the session insisted on recording their dissents from the decision.
It
is said that many worshippers on Lewis on Sunday marked their contribution envelopes
'For Congregational Use Only' to keep their funds within psalm-
Rev
Stewart was a fierce critic of the hymn-
On Sunday, he told worshippers:
“It seems clear to me, that in spite of a lifelong adherence to the Free Church and
a lifelong commitment to it, I can no longer continue in it, at least not in office.“
He
said it would be his “greatest grief to leave” Dowanvale and has now taken a month’s
leave to think it over.
On Monday Mr Stewart told Hebrides News he may come to his decision sooner saying:
“It may only take a week.”
The minister is a very popular pastor in Glasgow Highland
circles. In addition to the resident Glasgow and settled Gaelic community, many young
students from Skye and the Western Isles attend services at Dowanvale while studying
in the city.
Mr Stewart said the ditching of psalms-
He also feels the
“manner” of the radical vote on Friday breached “the law of the church and against
the advice of the Assembly Clerks.”
He says the outcome has “serious consequences”
to him and others who dissented as the church should not be making ministers to own,
defend and not prejudice the contentious new position on worship.
Mr Stewart said:
“The church ought not to have required me to do it. Even the church has no right
to alter the meaning of my vows without my consent.”
He told parishioners he was taking
a leave of absence “until the situation becomes plainer.
“If I do decide that I am
bound to leave, I hope you will understand that Ii will not be appearing again in
the pulpit and will endeavour to meet you privately to give personal thanks for all
your help, support and affection which you have shown over the last ten years.”
Perhaps
for those conscious of the ongoing asset dispute following the recent schism which
within the denomination which created the Free Church Continuing, Mr Stewart points
out the Dowanvale church building and the congregation belongs to the Free Church.
A
Free Church statement of the vote said despite the “several dissents from the finding,
there was a lasting atmosphere of brotherliness amongst the commissioners.”
It added
that congregations can continue with psalm-
The statement
hoped for eagerness to “maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” throughout
the denomination.
Rev Stewart comes from Grimsay, North Uist. His wife Anna is from
Lewis. The 47-
Free Church minister plans to leave over hymn row 22/11/10