Fellowship of faith

Published on Tuesday 11 August 2009 21:33

The idea that the Fellowship of Confessing Churches is "part of a push toward a potential schism" (your report, 7 August) may be the speculation of one (notably, anonymous) "Kirk member", but even a cursory glance at its website makes plain that this is not so.

The fellowship is explicitly "not a breakaway group", but "a fellowship of congregations of the Church of Scotland" who see the need to make clear to all, in the light of public confusion caused by recent events in the Kirk, that they, at least, still gladly confess the historic, orthodox Christian faith.

The Confessing Churches Covenant says nothing about a "campaign of non-co-operation". Nor does it contain only the (three) paragraphs singled out in your article. The covenant is a basic, ten-point confession of belief no orthodox Christian should have any issue with. The confession is thus clearly, and deliberately, "in reaffirmation of our historic identity as the Church of Scotland", not a departure from it.

We are not rebels. We are orthodox, Christian churches, and we want the world to know it. We warmly urge all congregations that believe likewise to stand with us, for the sake of the gospel of Christ in Scotland.

REV DR WILLIAM J U PHILIP

St George's Tron Church

Buchanan Street

Glasgow

I am saddened to read about a threatened rebellion in the Kirk over the appointment of a "gay" clergyman at the hearty invitation of his congregation.

The reason behind this threatened action is contained in a few paragraphs of a book written several thousand years ago? It has been translated many times into many languages. The copy we now use was put together by King James VI, who was certainly not the most stable of people, with a great delight for burning witches.

There is often considerable doubt over the correct attitude toward gay people, and when faced with such a doubt, we should ask: "What would Jesus have done?" I cannot see him casting the well-accepted minister from a post into which he has been warmly invited by people who know him well. Nor to dissociate himself from those who picked him. Can any of you?

J R HALL

Colinton Grove

Edinburgh