Anti-singing campaigners 'declare war' on Free Kirk

Published on Thursday 17 March 2011 15:17

A CAMPAIGN against the introduction of hymn singing in the Free Church of Scotland is a "declaration of war" against the church, a leading theologian claims.

Prof Donald Macleod, former principal of the Free Church College, has attacked those behind a recent newspaper advert opposing a General Assembly decision to overturn a century-long ban on hymn singing and playing musical instruments.

The decision was narrowly approved last November. But a group of opponents are fighting the move, saying it amounts to "new gimmicks to fill church pews".

They hope a petition will help overturn the decision at this year's General Assembly in May.

The group took out newspaper adverts earlier this month which said: "The biblical values of historic Scottish Presbyterians, already seriously eroded in the national church, have been further eroded by the decision of the Free Church of Scotland last November to depart from its long established form of worship."

It said the decision was an attempt to modernise the church but claimed it has alienated large numbers of members, some of whom have withdrawn financial support.

It said: "It is sad to see the energy of the church being absorbed with yet another attempt to destroy its own foundations, and causing huge division in the process. It is sadder still to see this process being undertaken by misguided leaders of the church who seem intent on focus sing on new gimmicks to fill church pews."

The ad encourages people to sign a petition, called a memorial and protestation, to get the assembly to consider its opposition to the "unbiblical, unconfessional and unconstitutional decision".

In his weekly column in a local newspaper yesterday, Prof Macleod said recent events had done more to discredit the church "than even the most malevolent slanders of press or poet.

He said: "The memorial is nothing short of a declaration of war on the church by men sworn to promote her peace and prosperity.

"No organisation can survive in the face of professed loyalists determined either to get their own way or to wreck it."

He added: "They have a fear of gimmicks. The problem is you need to have led an extremely sheltered life to think that singing hymns is a gimmick."

Last night the Rev Donald Macdonald, one of those behind the memorial, would not comment on Prof Macleod's article.

OUT OF TUNE

Rev David Meredith, current Free Church moderator, March 2011: "There is a degree of irony in these individuals complaining about the decline of Presbyterianism in a non-Presbyterianism manner."

Rev Alex Macdonald, Edinburgh, April 2010: "I would like to see the psalms continue to be used, but I cannot see a good biblical reason for the prohibition (of hymns]."

Rev Ken Stewart, Glasgow, April 2010: "If I didn't think the Bible mandated the singing of inspired songs I would not be so fussy about it."