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A high profile minister who controversy quit the Free Church in protest of its introduction of hymns and music is to begin holding church services close to his former congregation.

 

Rev Kenneth Stewart of North Uist and Glasgow has now joined tiny Reformed Presbyterian Church of Scotland (RPCS)

 

Ironically, Mr Stewart is still living in a Free Church manse but and will led the rival denomination’s first church plant within the exiled Hebridean community around the west end of Glasgow.

 

From this Sunday, Mr Stewart will hold regular services, at both ends of the day, in Thornwood Primary School. The new fellowship is just minutes away from Dowanvale Free Church building where he pastored for the past ten years.

 

Church observers on all sides of Scottish Presbyterianism are keen to see how many of his former congregation will attend his services.

 

Some worshippers from nearby Crow Road Free Church Continuing as well as Gardner Street Church of Scotland may also be attracted.

 

Though the initial numbers attending the Thornwood services may not be great, even a handful of worshippers would be a significant boost for the Reformed Presbyterian  denomination which only has a total of about 100 members.

 

Formerly at Stornoway and Scalpay, Harris, the 47-year-old previously said his position as Free Church preacher was untenable given the determination of so many in the church to drive ahead the contentious break with traditional unaccompanied singing of psalms.

 

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Mr Stewart believes those who drove through the hymns and musical instruments option in worship services should have been the ones to leave the Free Church and not traditionalists like himself.

 

He feels the manner of the radical modernisation vote breached Free Church law.

 

In contrast, the Reformed Presbyterians offers exclusive psalm singing and a clean history untainted by bitter schisms or breakaway churches which litters the ecclesiastical landscape in Presbyterian Scotland..

 

Rev Kenneth Stewart, Hebrides News

Ex-Free Church minister leads rival services         5/5/11