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Western Isles links to church shake up           31/3/11

 

 

 

 

 

A virtually unknown Presbyterian denomination could experience a unique revival in Scotland in the wake of the crisis in mainstream churches.

 

The tiny Reformed Presbyterian Church of Scotland (RPCS) is attracting serious attention from disaffected worshippers in the Church of Scotland as well as the Free Church.

 

On the face of things, two developments taking place this week seem unrelated but on closer scrutiny could mean a change in the ecclesiastical landscape.

 

One Glasgow Hebridean congregation in Glasgow’s westend is exploring splitting with the Church of Scotland and possibly laying claim to the church building.

 

It is strongly understood the Gardner Street church, whose membership is chiefly from the Western Isles, is in talks over a possible link-up with the Reformed Presbyterian Church of Scotland.

 

The congregation, the second last in Glasgow with Gaelic services, fears being merged with a neighbouring church and has been without a minister since last Autumn.

 

They would not have to go far to find a pastor to fill the pulpit and pews as high profile ex-Free Church minister Rev Kenny Stewart, whose last charge was at Dowanvale just about a couple of blocks away, has formally applied to become a minister with the Reformed Presbyterian.

 

Both churches have an overlapping community base. In addition to the resident Glasgow and settled Gaelic community, many young students from Skye and the Western Isles attend services while studying in the city.

 

Mr Stewart, originally from North Uist in the Western Isles, controversially quit the Free Church last month over the row to introduce hymns and music into worship services.

 

Rev Stewart - a fierce critic of the hymn-singing move - resigned as minister of Dowanvale Church, formerly Patrick Highland, and severed his links with the denomination.

 

At the time he urged churchgoers to reflect on their own stance and is expected to attract a number of the Dowanvale worshippers if the developments kick started this week are successful.

 

A statement on the website of the Reformed Presbyterian Church confirmed: “The RPCS has received an application from Rev. Kenneth Stewart (formerly minister of Dowanvale Free Church of Scotland) to be received as a minister in the RPCS.”

 

If developments, which are gathering a rapid pace this week, are fruitful, it could double the Scottish membership of the Reformed Presbyterians almost overnight.

 

Currently its has only about 100 regular worshippers between it two constituted churches in Airdrie and Stranraer.

 

The Gardner Street congregation is about 45-strong but that would be swollen by disaffected worshippers drifting from mainstream churches.

 

Even if the split by the Gardner Street Church of Scotland does not take place, the RP is likely to set up a fellowship body in the westend of Glasgow led by Rev Stewart, similar to its informal worships in south of the Clyde, with the aim of seeking a permanent church building.

 

But developments being played out over the next few days will be watched closely by thousands of traditional churchgoers who may be contemplating leaving the major denominations following contentious breaks with practices.

 

The Church of Scotland has been wounded after it ordained a gay minister into an Aberdeen pulpit while the Free Church is facing an internal challenge for sanctioning hymns and music into services.

 

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..

 

Its website says: “it has a “glorious heritage which can trace its history in an unbroken line back through the Covenanters to the First Reformation Church in Scotland.”

 

Formerly at Stornoway and Scalpay and, for almost the past ten years or so, at Dowanvale Free in Glasgow, 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 change.

 

Mr Stewart believes the dramatic swing towards hymns and music is unconstitutional and broke his ordination vows.

 

At the time he stated: “As I see it, there is no option for an office-bearer under oath but to leave office and seek admission to another church or else hope for amicable division later.”

 

Last year a unique Plenary Assembly decided to break the Free Church of Scotland’s 100-year-old tradition of instrument-free, psalm-only singing.

 

In the seminal change, its governing body voted by a narrow majority of just 14 to permit individual congregations choose to move away from its strict tradition of singing only unaccompanied psalms.

 

Some 200 ministers and elders voted 98 to 84 in favour at the historic forum in Edinburgh four months ago - the first since the denomination was created in 1843 when it split from the Church of Scotland.

 

In an unusual move, over 30 members at the session, including Mr Stewart, insisted on recording their dissent from the decision.

 

Rev Stewart comes from Grimsay, North Uist. His wife Anna is from Lewis. The 47-year-old has served in Free Church pulpits in Scalpay, Canada and Stornoway before ministering at Dowanvale for the past decade until February..