Below is an article by Alf McCreary, long-time journalist with the ‘Belfast Telegraph’, though this article by him appeared in the ‘Belfast Newsletter’.
Alf McCreary is an arch-ecumenist who has for many years extolled the modernistic and liberal doctrines which have been gradually introduced to his church, the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, and the two other ecumenical
denominations, the Church of Ireland and the Methodist Church in Ireland.
Being an advocate of ecumenism, he is an outspoken and bitter critic of all things Biblical and orthodox. That may be seen in the article below.
I give one or two examples of his opposition to the old-time gospel.
First of all.
“The Presbyterian Church in Ireland (PCI), for example, has been becoming much more conservative in recent years, and this is seen in its election of moderators. The current Moderator the Very Reverend Dr Sam Mawhinney announced shortly after his election last year that he did not approve of the ordination of female ministers.
This year’s Moderator-elect the Reverend Richard Murray stated in one of his first interviews that it is “the Lord who decides, and if the Lord wants a woman minister to be moderator next year, then that will happen”.
This has to be one of the least persuasive excuses in the long history of the Presbyterian Church which has never elected a woman moderator, and this is particularly depressing because the PCI was the first major church to ordain a woman minister – the Reverend Ruth Patterson in 1976.
Sadly when she stood twice for the moderatorship she failed to get elected. Sadly and significantly on the second occasion she did not get a single vote from any of the 19 Presbyteries.
Such a total rejection by the church which had ordained her as its first female minister was hurtful to many Presbyterians, and extremely regrettable.”
Two things should be noted in this statement by McCreary.
His obvious annoyance at any sign of ‘conservativeness’ re-emerging in the PCI! Of course, what he considers ‘conservative’ is very far short of orthodox Bible teaching!
* His belief in women ministers. He criticises Dr Sam Mawhinney and Reverend Richard Murray for their more than timid comments on the unscriptural practice of the PCI, which both men are ready to live with, since they have been ready to take up the position of Moderator in the PCI with its anti-Bible practice of ordaining women as minsters! You cannot become a Moderator of the PCI without condoning its apostasy!
* The quotation McCreary gives of the present Moderator-elect, Rev Richard Murray, shows him to be a very watery ‘evangellyfish’ indeed! He is reported as saying : “if the Lord wants a woman minister to be moderator next year, then that will happen”.
He thus open the door to the possibility of the Lord one day wanting a ‘ a woman minister to be moderator’!
That borders on blasphemy since the mind and will of the Lord has been clearly stated on this matter.
“This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work. A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach; not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous; one that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity; (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?) Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil. Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil. Likewise must the deacons be grave, not doubletongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre; holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience,” 1 Timothy 3:1-9.
The term ‘bishop’ is interchangeable with the term ‘elder’. They refer to the same office. This made clear in Titus 1:5-7.
“For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee: if any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly. For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre.”
What is to be noticed in these verses is the fact that it is ONLY a MAN who is to hold the office of elder or bishop.
Those denominations which appoint women to such an office defy and disobey God, irrespective how much such a thing pleases Alf McCreary!
Secondly, please note that McCreary goes on to say:
“Such figures are no doubt accurate, but I wonder if those who say that they never pray or go to church, or those who say they never read the Bible, may turn to faith in times of crisis? It is worth noting that when something terrible happens, like a random shooting or a terrible car crash, many people go to church to try to seek consolation or to try to make sense of the senseless. And how do we know where or when a person prays? That is a secret between him or her and God.
Having covered religious affairs as a writer for decades, I have met many people who sit loosely to organised religion, but who are searching for spiritual comfort and meaning for their lives. There are others who live lives which would put many Christians to shame but who never darken the door of a church.”
He condones the ‘casual’ use of prayer and church-going and suggests that such activities are acceptable to God. It is written: “I saw the wicked buried, who had come and gone from the place of the holy, and they were forgotten in the city where they had so done: this is also vanity,” Ecclesiastes 8:10.
This verse graphically describes the common religious practice of millions and which McCreary in his blindness would endorse as a practice acceptable to God.
That he is wrong is seen in the words of this text. Such as come and go “from the place of the holy” remain “wicked” in God’s eyes!
Doubtless, many will find encouragement from the words of McCreary to continue in their careless ways, believing that such ‘coming and going’ in religious paths will take them to heaven!
There will be a day when such will curse the likes of McCreary for encouraging such a view! “He that withholdeth corn, the people shall curse him,” Proverbs 11:26. McCreary withholds the ‘corn’ of God’s Word and instead would feed people with the ‘chaff’ of his own perverted notions!
Sincerely in Christ’s name,
Ivan Foster
YES, FEWER OF US MAY BE GOING TO CHURCH, BUT FAITH IS STILL ALL AROUND
By Alf McCreary
Published 2nd Mar 2024, 00:01 GMT
The recent survey published by the Evangelical Alliance on the state of church-going in Northern Ireland is timely and interesting but in the broad sense it confirms what we already know – namely that attendance is generally dropping compared to what it was 10 or 20 years ago.
The recent survey published by the Evangelical Alliance on the state of church-going in Northern Ireland is timely and interesting but in the broad sense it confirms what we already know – namely that attendance is generally dropping compared to what it was 10 or 20 years ago.
The Evangelical Alliance report said that only 12% of people in Northern Ireland read the Bible once a week
Even the term “evangelical” is problematic. Nowadays it is taken to mean those churches whose main aim is outreach, evangelisation and the attraction of new members, and these are generally more conservative in their theology.
However, many people in the mainstream churches would claim also to be “evangelical” in that their mission too is to spread the Gospel. By the same token, however, those who claim to be “liberal” are often regarded by the conservatives as “soft “on social issues such as same-sex relationships.
The Presbyterian Church in Ireland (PCI), for example, has been becoming much more conservative in recent years, and this is seen in its election of moderators.
The current Moderator the Very Reverend Dr Sam Mawhinney announced shortly after his election last year that he did not approve of the ordination of female ministers.
This year’s Moderator-elect the Reverend Richard Murray stated in one of his first interviews that it is “the Lord who decides, and if the Lord wants a woman minister to be moderator next year, then that will happen”.
This has to be one of the least persuasive excuses in the long history of the Presbyterian Church which has never elected a woman moderator, and this is particularly depressing because the PCI was the first major church to ordain a woman minister – the Reverend Ruth Patterson in 1976.
Sadly when she stood twice for the moderatorship she failed to get elected. Sadly and significantly on the second occasion she did not get a single vote from any of the 19 Presbyteries.
Such a total rejection by the church which had ordained her as its first female minister was hurtful to many Presbyterians, and extremely regrettable.
In recent years the PCI has taken to promising its membership that there will be a female moderator some time, but people are entitled to ask “when?”. So far, not so good.
This poor record of failing to elect women to the moderatorship in an age of the widespread appointments of women to top posts in politics, industry, banking and other major aspects of modern life has not helped recruitment and evangelisation in the PCI, and members are leaving to join other denominations which give women the respect and authorisation to take top posts which they deserve.
On a broader canvas the Evangelical Alliance report reveals, for example, that only 23% of those surveyed claim to go to church once a week, while 35% of people in Northern Ireland pray only once a week and only 12% read the Bible once a week.
Equally fascinating is the statistic that 46% of practising Protestants say they are evangelical, while the figure for Catholics is 38%. Given the secularisation of society it is no surprise that only 31% of Northern people claim that they never pray, and that 25% never go to church.
Such figures are no doubt accurate, but I wonder if those who say that they never pray or go to church, or those who say they never read the Bible, may turn to faith in times of crisis? It is worth noting that when something terrible happens, like a random shooting or a terrible car crash, many people go to church to try to seek consolation or to try to make sense of the senseless. And how do we know where or when a person prays? That is a secret between him or her and God.
Having covered religious affairs as a writer for decades, I have met many people who sit loosely to organised religion, but who are searching for spiritual comfort and meaning for their lives. There are others who live lives which would put many Christians to shame but who never darken the door of a church. Many years ago on a working trip to Vietnam on behalf of Christian Aid, I was helped greatly by a local woman whom I thought was an exemplary Christian, whereas in fact she was a Confucian.
Since then I never judge people on what they believe, or say they believe, but on what they do. Also I never try to make people believe what I believe, nor do I tell someone “you are wrong in your faith”. That is for a higher judge than me to determine.
Sometimes you get a major example of faith in action which is ennobling and inspiring. I read in last Saturday’s Times that the Russian opposition leader and hero Alexei Navalny, who was murdered by the Kremlin and whose funeral took place in Moscow yesterday, was a practising Christian although at one time he had been a militant atheist.
In his show trial in Moscow in 2021 he told the court: “I am now a believer and that helps me a lot in my activities because everything becomes much, much easier.”
Apparently he was particularly challenged by the Sermon on the Mount, and the words of Jesus “blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied”.
Such an example of total courage, sacrifice and Christian commitment by Alexei Navalny crosses the centuries and the barriers of man-made religion, and it ought to inspire us all.
The Times ended its report on Navalny with a extremely timely quote from the Danish theologian and philosopher Soren Kierkegaard – “The tyrant dies and his rule is over, the martyr dies and his rule begins.”
We should never forget that.