Free Church Moderator calls for Church Unity

In his Moderatorial Address, the Rev Dr John Ross, Moderator of the Free
Church of Scotland, lamented the present fractured state of the Presbyterian
Church in Scotland and issued a call for the formation of a new united Church.

Dr Ross argued that in recent years there has been an aggressive sabotage of
Scotland's Christian heritage, combined with increasing social exclusion,
family breakdown, soaring abortion rates, gender confusion and a collapse of
Church attendance. If the present rate of Scottish Church decline continues,
by 2020 it will reach a point not experienced since the days of St. Columba
and the Celtic Church, 1400 years ago.

The Free Church of Scotland aspires to be more active than it currently is
in evangelism and planting new congregations, but, Dr Ross asserted, "The
scale of the mission confronting us calls for the creation of a new Presbyterian Church made up of the Free Church of Scotland and the confessional congregations of the Church of Scotland, along with all others who desire to be reunited in wholehearted commitment to Christ, Scripture and mission."

"I long to see a rejection of the fractious tendencies of our history and a
growing involvement with other Christians in a movement towards unity. I
want to see the people of God working hand in hand to heal and reunite the
fragments of a torn and disordered church. With all my heart, I desire foolish rivalry to be ended."

The church Dr Ross envisaged would be confessional, caring and contextual.

A reunited Presbyterian Church would be committed to the Westminster
Confession of Faith. This would avoid confusion in its message to the world
and facilitate its mission. "By calling itself confessional a church is in fact saying that it is a missionary church and accepts the commission to confess Christ and his gospel before the unbelieving world."

Having agreed sustainable theological and moral boundaries, the Church would
not be obsessed with doctrine but would seek, like its Lord, to respond with
holistic compassion to the many needy people in Scotland today.

Referring to the late Dr Francis Schaeffer, Dr Ross said, "He passionately
believed that 'the final apologetic' was love, the love that Christians show
to unbelievers. Such love would be a cherished mark of a reconstructed
Presbyterian Church in Scotland."

The congregations of a new Scottish Church would therefore need to remind
themselves that they did not exist for their members but to facilitate their
mission in reaching out to the community of which they were part.

"Congregations unwilling to change will cease to exist as effective centres
of Christian influence. I don't know about you, but I have no enthusiasm to
remain a minister or a member of a terminally declining church with a
dwindling influence. A Church that has an ambition to win the nation for
Christ . must embrace a thorough systemic overhaul of its attitudes,
institutions, structures and practices."

We must remember, Dr Ross said, that "Christ accommodated himself to us, he
spoke our language, he ate our food, he wore our clothes, he assumed our
nature in indissoluble union with his divine nature, he experienced our
temptations, he carried our sorrows and he bore our sins. He did not require
us to adapt to him. He took us as we were. We, in turn, can make no prior
demands on those to whom we explain the Good News. But whatever may be the
cost for us in terms of our status, identity or reputation, the investment
will be worthwhile if through it men and women of Scotland are led in faith
to love and serve Christ and humanity at home and overseas."