“The preacher sought to find out acceptable words: and that which was written was upright, even words of truth,” Ecclesiastes 12:10.
Earlier today, I had started and almost finished an examination of a statement issued by Rev Paul Thompson yesterday, defending his decision to participate in a meeting in Draperstown Presbyterian Church, which I, and others, had criticised.
The organisers of the meeting was a group going by the Irish name:
The sympathies of this organisation may be understood by considering the activities of the man who is its secretary:
Mr Seán Mac Giolla Fhiondáin
I understand from a Google search, that his name basically means, ‘Son of the servant of St. Fionnán/Brendan. The name derives from Giolla Fhiondáin, where Giolla means devotee or servant, and Fhiondáin refers to the saint. While there are multiple Irish saints named Fionnán, the name is often associated with Saint Finnian of Clonard.’
Hmmm!!!!!
This individual recently took part in a ‘commemoration gathering’, honouring the IRA terrorists shot by the army during their attack on Loughgall police station, back in 1987.
I left off that article because the following statement had been issued by Rev Paul Thompson.
That statement would imply that Rev Thompson was not acquainted with the character of the organisation from which he had accepted an invitation to speak at a meeting in Draperstown Presbyterian Church.
If I believed that, then I must consider Mr Thompson quite a naive fool to accept an invitation from an organisation that went under an Irish name and yet he did not investigate just who or what it was he was getting involved with!
I simply do not believe that Mr Thompson is an ‘innocent abroad’. I must reject the implication that he did not know who he was getting mixed up with!
Last Year
I posted an article back in April last year, entitled:
The Irish Language and the Sinn Fein/IRA campaign to extort more money from the public purse to finance their ‘Gaelitising’ Ulster!
It was a response to a report by the BBC here in Northern Ireland, of a meeting in Antrim.
‘The report was all about a meeting entitled: ‘Preispitéirigh agus an Ghaeilge’, and was held at Farranshane House in Antrim’s Rathenraw estate. It was organised by the Pastor of Antrim Free Presbyterian Church, the Rev Paul Thompson.’
In the light of his previous venture into this subject, it would be hard to credit that he was unaware of those he was getting involved with.
Defence
As for Mr Thompson’s defence of readiness to preach in an Irish Presbyterian Church and that by his doing so he would not be involved in an unscriptural ‘ecclesiastical association of any kind’ and was not be in violation of his ordination oath, that I believe is far from the truth!
Here are some terms of the oath he undertook.
Will you maintain with all the strength God shall give you the position on Biblical separation from apostasy as taken by the Free Presbyterian Church of Ulster in 1951 at the time of its secession from the Presbyterian Church in Ireland?
As God helps you will you expose and resist the continued apostasy from Christ manifested within Irish Presbyterianism, Methodism, Episcopalianism and other visible church bodies; exhorting God’s people to obey the teaching and commandment of 1 Timothy 6: 3-5?
Perhaps he could explain how that by entering the pulpit of an Irish Presbyterian church to speak at a meeting announced and endorsed by the minister of that church, he was not giving at least some degree of endorsement of that church, affiliated and incorporated in the gross apostasy of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland?
Separation
And furthermore, how by so doing he was fulfilling his oath to ‘maintain with all the strength God shall give you the position on Biblical separation from apostasy as taken by the Free Presbyterian Church of Ulster in 1951 at the time of its secession from the Presbyterian Church in Ireland’ and ‘expose and resist the continued apostasy from Christ manifested within Irish Presbyterianism?’
Tesco
Some time ago, there was a controversy involving Tesco when it faced criticism and calls for boycotts from certain groups, including The Christian Institute, regarding its support for LGBTQ+ organisations.
Christians were loathe to enter the store because of its association with these immoral groups and customer levels dropped.
Perhaps Rev Thompson should learn that who you are may be told by the company you keep!
Corrupting
Paul taught:—
“Evil communications corrupt good manners,” 1 Cors 15:33.
As one commentator remarked: ‘There is no difficulty in this saying; he who frequents the company of bad or corrupt men will soon be as they are.’
Would Mr Thompson believe that there is no violation of his oath if he were to occupy the pulpit of a Roman Catholic chapel?
The oath that he swore includes a mention of Romanism.
‘As God helps you will you expose and resist the errors of Romanism and all other false religions, and the errors of charismatism with all of its counterfeits of the genuine doctrine of the person and work of the Holy Spirit?’
I cannot see those members of the Presbytery, from whom he sought counsel and received encouragement to enter a Presbyterian Church in Ireland pulpit, likewise encouraging him to enter a Roman Catholic pulpit, and yet his ordination oath requires equal opposition to both Irish Presbyterianism and Popery.
WHY ????
I just wonder what his unnamed ‘counsellors’ (I am sure that they are very glad now that they were not identified) were thinking about? Their only excuse for such folly would be that they were not informed of the full truth before giving that advice!
Even then, it can never be right for a Free Presbyterian minister to preach from the pulpit of a church so heavily involved in apostasy as is the Presbyterian Church in Ireland!
As it is, Mr Thompson has again gone out on a limb and he needs to recognise that one of these days the Lord will saw through that limb!
Rev Ivan Foster (Rtd)
12th May 2026