Islands of unbending fundamentalism

As Scotland’s strictest and most disciplined Protestant church, the congregation would be expected to welcome the baptism of two new members: a boost to their falling numbers and the promise of continuity far into the 21st century.

Instead, the Church is under attack, a high profile adherent has been publicly humiliated and his children branded as unworthy of membership. The strange affair of Alasdair Morrison, the former deputy enterprise and Gaelic minister has dragged the media spot-light on to a religious community, described as the Amish of Scotland. The story broke earlier this week that Mr Morrison had been denied the sacrament of baptism for his son and daughter, because of his attendance at the National Mod, Scotland’s annual celebration of the Gaelic language.

Under the strict auspices of the Free Presbyterian Church the Mod is frowned upon because of the copious amounts of alcohol consumed, it is described by critics as the "whisky Olympics" and the dancing, viewed by members as "ungodly". Yet the affair appears to be more complicated than has been at first presented. Instead, it is being viewed as the culmination of a two year period of mounting concern among Free Presbyterian members over Mr Morrison’s suitability for the church in which his father, Alexander Morrison, was once a prominent minister.

"This is about more than just the Mod," explained a source close to the Free Presbyterian Church. "Mr Morrison was aware of the church’s views."

Another reason behind the break between Mr Morrison and the leadership of the Free Presbyterian Church was his support last year of the government’s plans to repeal Section 28 which prohibited the promotion of homosexuality in schools. Under the Church’s teaching, homosexual acts are condemned as "unnatural" and described as the "sin which brought fire and brimstone from the Lord to the cities of Sodom and Gomorra in the bible". Balancing the views of the faith into which he was born and the policies of New Labour was never going to be easy and Mr Morrison’s stance drew criticism in the religiously conservative Western Isles.

Yet why in a society that is becoming increasingly secular would a small church with only 13 ministers and scarcely 1,000 followers in the whole of Scotland, choose to drive away a high profile member who enjoyed family connections and a desire to remain within the fold? In order to discover the answers to these questions it is important to examine the background to a church that has made a name through its uncompromising stance and the rigorous standards to which members are held.

Like one of a number of Russian dolls, the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland owes its creation to the fine art of schism. After the creation of the Church of Scotland, came the Free Church of Scotland which was formed in 1843 after 200 ministers split from the established Kirk. The Free Presbyterian Church was created when its members split from the Free Church in 1893 over a theological technicality. Two ministers refused to sign a Declaratory Act passed by the General Assembly in 1892. The church has since developed a reputation for holding adherents to the strictest standards. The church came to national prominence in 1989 when it decided to take its most famous member to task. Lord Mackay of Clashfern, was then the lord chancellor, but was reprimanded for attending the requiem mass for Lord Russell of Lillowan, a former colleague.

Among the most vocal critics of Lord Mackay’s behaviour at the time was Alexander Morrison, Alasdair Morrison’s father, who was a Free Presbyterian minister in North Uist. Reverend Morrison was one of a number of members of the Free Presbyterian Synod that met in Inverness in 1989 to condemn Lord Mackay’s actions as incompatible with church membership. The supporters of Lord Mackay later left the church and formed the Associated Presbyterian Churches.

Within the Free Presbyterian Church, their faith and the rules by which they are governed are treated with the utmost sincerity. While the church has 100 followers in Lewis, only about two dozen will be viewed as in ‘full communion’ with the church. In order to achieve such a status, a member must request it and subject himself to a rigorous investigation of his knowledge of scripture and how he conducts his personal life. Only after this has been discussed by the church’s minister and elders will they be informed of whether or not they have been accepted. In comparison, Alasdair Morrison was an adherent, who attended faithfully each Sunday with his wife, Erica, a former Gaelic soap star.

To date, Mr Morrison has made only the briefest of statements about the matter. "I believe this to be a private matter ... all I would say is that we had planned to have our children baptised in the Free Presbyterian Church, but we no longer intend to do so."

The minister concerned, John MacLeod, is ensuring a similar form of omerta, saying yesterday that he was not prepared to comment. "I’m sorry. Church business is private."

Although Mr Morrison is understood not to have made the decision to attend the Mod lightly, he felt not to attend would have been an unforgivable snub. At the time he was a minister of the Scottish parliament with principal responsibility for Gaelic and was expected to attend. He also felt that the organisers had made every effort to ensure the Christian faith of the islands was respected. Speaking to the press earlier in the week he said: "The National Mod is the most important festival celebrating Gaelic culture and I was the Scottish minister with direct responsibility for the language. The Mod organisers were also very careful that the Sabbath was properly observed."

Supporters of Mr Morrison argue that the Free Presbyterian Church has lost a solid role model. A committed politician who returned home every weekend, refused to work on the Sabbath and made a determined attempt to life a respectable Christian life.