I recently heard, what I consider a very astute and accurate statement which had been made by an elder of many years standing as his summary of the change that has taken place within the Presbytery of the Free Presbyterian Church.
He said: ‘In earlier times, a minister or an elder would stand up with his Bible in his hand to make his point during a debate. That rarely happens now!’
That to me indicates a lesser knowledge of the Bible amongst many of our Presbytery members and/or there is no basis to be found in the Bible for that which is being supported!
The present controversy that surrounds Rev David Linden and myself, with regards the actions of Rev Marcus Lecky and Rev Ron Johnstone, give proof of the ‘Bible-less’ arguments prevalent today.
I pointed out in an article entitled: Response to Rev R Johnstone’s Presbytery statement against me that in the statement against me that he was allowed to make in Presbytery, which the Officer Bearers permitted without me being informed that the statement was going to be made, contrary to rule 10.5 of the ‘Book of Church Order’, and in his email response to my original article, Unambiguous witness or an uncertain sound — which?, Rev Ron Johnstone did not make one reference to the Bible in defence of his mingling with evangelical ministers in the ecumenical churches.
Again this absence to any reference to God’s Word was sadly seen in Rev Lecky’s upholding of ‘Contemporary Christian Music’.
My article, in response to it was published in ‘The Burning Bush’ and was entitled: Why no Bible references???
Even when this was pointed out, neither man seemed able to produce a defence from God’s Word. That says a lot!
As the elder I quoted at the beginning of this article rightly observed, this was not how things once were in the Free Presbyterian Church!
I recall a newspaper editor remarking to me back in 2008, when the issue of the DUP’s ‘power-sharing with Sinn Fein/IRA’ was still a lively issue, how he was struck by Dr Paisley’s response to a question from a BBC reporter.
The reporter had quoted some of the statements that Dr Paisley had made in former times about the murderous activities of Martin McGuinness, a former IRA commander with whom Dr Paisley had declared he was going to share the ‘Office of the First Minister’, and then the reporter asked: ‘Do you believe that it is God’s will for you to do this?’
The newspaper editor said that he was struck by Dr Paisley’s response; ‘I hope so’!
The editor said he was so used to hearing Dr Paisley in former years declaring with absolute assurance, regarding the actions he took, ‘Thus saith the Lord!’
He had expected just such a confident and assertive response to the question posed by the BBC reporter, but instead there was the lame reply, ‘I hope so!’
I believe that was the day that the drift away from Bible-based replies and reactions to the activities of the ‘ecumenical world’ around us began!
From that time, at an ever increase pace, our Presbytery Officers presided over a church which began to gradually abandon the path entered upon by our founding fathers in 1951!
The attitudes and actions of all too many ministers, both recently ordained and those of a former generation, CANNOT be defended by a resorting to the Bible!
‘Thus saith the Lord’ is a forgotten maxim!
Indeed, efforts have been made in more recent times to try and ‘outlaw’ the applying of the Word of God to the behaviour of ministers and elders.
I was interested in a comment, to which my attention was drawn, by the learned Dr John Gill, whose congregation in 1757, moved to the a location which later became the New Park Street Chapel and then the Metropolitan Tabernacle pastored by Charles Spurgeon.
Dr Gill’s comment centred upon Paul’s rebuke of Peter for his wrong-doing which is recorded in Galatians 2:11. “But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed.”
Dr Gill writes: ‘The reproof was given personally and principally to Peter, though Barnabas and others were concerned with him, because he was the first in it, the chief aggressor, who by his example led on the rest; and this was given publicly before Barnabas, and the other Jews that dissembled with him, and for their sakes as well as his; before the Jews that came from James for their instruction and conviction, and before all the members of the church at Antioch, for the confirmation of such who might be staggered at such conduct; nor was this any breach of the rule of Christ, Mt 18:15 for this was a public offence done before all, and in which all were concerned, and therefore to be rebuked in a public manner: and which was done in this expostulatory way.’
The thinking of our Presbytery Officers is the opposite to this learned and godly man. My use of this text, Galatians 2:11, as a basis for publicly rebuking men who act contrary to God’s Word and their ordination vows has been rejected by the Presbytery Officers. Indeed, the Book of Church Order has embodied within it NOW, a misinterpretation and misapplication of Matthew 18:15.
The words of the Saviour — “Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother” — clearly refer to a private, personal dispute between two Christians and how it is to be resolved.
My contention has been with those who publicly violated their ordination vows which places them in contention with the Lord, to Whom and before Whom they swore vows. They trespassed against the Lord and not me, therefore Matthew 18:15 cannot be applied to such a situation.
Rather it is Paul’s actions recorded in Galatians chapter 2, which must be observed and followed.
If this drift away from the Bible and the path we are charged by the Lord to follow — “Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls,” Jeremiah 6:16 — continues then the days of the Free Presbyterian Church are numbered!
It is a sad fact that there is to be seen amongst some the spirit manifested in response to the command of God that Jeremiah proclaimed. “But they said, We will not walk therein.”
That spirit, I say, is all too evident on Facebook comments etc, which show absolute disdain and contempt for the stand that Rev Linden and myself have made and offer commendation and support to the follies of Revs Johnstone and Lecky.
There is an increasing number of earnest souls awakening to the dangers that have crept into our Presbytery, and who are making their concerns known and praying in prayer meetings and calling for a return in keeping with the words of Jeremiah 6:16.
“Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein.”
May that number increase and become an unstoppable torrent, sweeping away the unscriptural notions and practices that have lodged, like the fowls of the air, (Matthew 13:32) in the branches of our church!
Rev Ivan Foster (Rtd)
Wednesday 17th June, 2026