I agree with the FCC magazine (January 2001). The Free Church has changed. We have to hold our hands up and admit it. A year on from the schism which many predicted would only serve to hasten our demise it is time to reflect on what exactly is going on. Whilst some in the media regard us a cute sociological aberration and some in the weird and wacky world of certain ‘reformed’ networks, look upon us as liberal and corrupt, it remains the fact that the Free Church of Scotland is the largest evangelical Presbyterian denomination not only in Scotland but also in Europe. This itself is important at a time when the idea of denominations and the importance of the church is so under attack. Even Christians have got in on the act preferring to speak of ‘faith communities’ rather than the Church. The evangelical world is becoming dominated by the individualistic ‘business’ model rather than the Church model. ‘Networking’ amongst the ‘right’ people is far more important than feeding the Lord’s flock. Thus we have the absurd situation where, as the number of Christians and churches decline, the number of organizations increases. These are often started, not by churches but by well meaning, well heeled individuals who set up organizations with grandiose titles and who then seek endorsements from the ‘right’ people; the superstar preachers, well connected authors or the influential business people. Lots of fine words are said but the bottom line is that the Church and that indispensable mark of the Church, Church discipline, is disregarded. We are all weakened when money talks louder than piety and when ‘networking’ is more important than Christian fellowship. Too many evangelicals, whilst paying it lip service, have given up on the Church and replaced it with their own organizations and power structures. So yes, it is important what happens to those of us who have not yet given up on the Church and who still see it as Gods instrument to reach the lost. We refuse to believe that we have to join a post modern mixed denomination where it does not matter what others believe as long as we have the freedom to believe what we want. Nor are we prepared to concede that desiring the purity of the Church means that we end up in a narrow sectarian legalistic schismatic cult. Surely it is possible to have a biblical church today?

Which brings us back to the Free Church. Some of us have gone well beyond idolizing the Free Church. We are all too well aware of our imperfections. Indeed one characteristic of many Free Church people over the past years has been spiritual despondency and despair as regards the Church. We have felt that the accusations of irrelevance and legalism from the world have come too close to home. More so we have taken the mockery and patronising comments of our Christian brothers, our ‘friends’ , too seriously. Like them we had almost given up on the Church. But things have changed. Not in the way that our brothers in the FCC suggest. According to ‘the Witness’ the Free Church has changed its structures, its view of church membership and is in the process of changing its worship. We are headed towards a Willow Creek model of the Church. We even encourage our young people to attend night clubs. This is all nonsense. The Free Church still retains a high view of church membership, does not look to Willow Creek as a model (although we can learn from it – as we can learn from others) and has specifically discouraged its young people from attending night clubs (see my article in Free). One can understand why the FCC would want to write this (they after all have to justify their schism to themselves and to the few who they are trying to convince outside), but that does not excuse breaking the 9th commandment. Furthermore they have missed out on the largest change within the Church. A change of attitude. The spirit of doom, gloom and cynicism about the Church is changing into a spirit of optimism (cautious), hope and even joy. Tell it not in Gath (or Portree) but the change within the Free Church over the past year has been nothing short of amazing.

Structures – We have changed from nine presbyteries to six. This in and of itself means very little and could only be a cosmetic change of the ‘swapping deckchairs on the Titanic’ variety. However it could also mean that we have become better organized in order to keep the ship from sinking. Certainly the efficiency and speed with which this was done bodes well for the future. It is surely also better to have presbyteries which are real and which include a variety of congregations where the strong can help the weak, rather than the charade of having nine presbyteries some with only one or two ministeries and no viable charges. At last the Free Church is being realistic and dealing with what IS there rather than what is on paper or merely historical. Incidentally one change that was very encouraging was that for the first time in many years we did not have a financial deficit last year.

Church Membership – There has been an increase in church membership in many areas. For that we should be thankful. It is only the most pharisaical who would not rejoice at the new life in South Uist, or the continuing growth in Smithton. Trying to demean the Lord’s work by raising false fears of a change in standards is an unworthy attempt at self justification and smacks more of the spirit of jealousy than the love of Christ. What is particularly encouraging is not so much the more spectacular growth, as the ongoing one’s and twos that we hear of coming in. It is also encouraging to hear of those returning to the Church. and of people who want to develop new outreaches. The Lord is building his church. We are deeply aware that there will be ‘false professors’ but that has always been the case in a lively church. The only way to guarantee no false professions is to have no professions at all. Not exactly the biblical way to encourage church growth!

Changed worship – I hope so. To happy clappy chorus combo’s? To 19th century organ/hymn sandwiches? To Anglican liturgies? Not in my life time! However there has been a key change in many quarters – from those who hold to the Free Church practice on worship as a matter of tradition to those who are seeking to apply the principles to the world we live in today. The ‘traditionalists’ were those who fought every step of the way to prevent new versions of the psalms being used. In today’s Free Church we respect different applications of the basic regulative principles of simplicity, spirituality and scripturalness. Within the context of unaccompanied singing of scripture there is room for Gaelic psalmody, traditional Scottish psalm tunes, traditional tunes from other cultures and the singing of different metres, shorter versions and other parts of scripture. Slowly but surely Free Church worship is developing and hopefully improving. After all the highest task we can be engaged in is the worship of God – therefore we must offer him our best – and not be content to live on past glories or present disasters.

Young people – One of the most encouraging changes in the Free Church over the past couple of years has been the increasing number and quality of the young people within the Church. They are not coming because we offer ‘clubbing’ or some kind of sop to youth culture. I hope they are coming because they hear biblical relevant preaching, see radical Christianity in action and because the Spirit of God is at work in their hearts. The youth camps, the Big Free rally and the development of youth workers within the Church are all signs of life and progress within this area of the Church’s witness. Perhaps I should also point out that there are a fine crop of young men who are beginning to sense God’s call to the ministry.

All the above might sound as though everything is rosy in the garden. It most certainly is not. We are after all sinners. There are also substantial mountains to overcome. It may sound as though we think that there is no-one like us and that God is somehow with the Free Church exclusively. Not true. We are a very small part of the work of God even in our own small country. God is also at work in different denominations – the minute we limit his work to ourselves we have moved beyond biblical Calvinism.

But nonetheless there is substantial encouragement. There is a fundamental change in attitude and in spirit. That can only be good for the cause of Christ and it can only be good for our country. Because what Scotland needs more than anything else is more biblical churches. May the Lord continue to raise up such, both within and outwith the Free Church of Scotland.

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