The utterly disgraceful 'sacking' of Rev. Stephen Dickinson this week from his congregations of Cairnalbana and Glenarm Presbyterian churches in Northern Ireland, is the latest incident to blight that denomination's already chequered history. The church's powerful Judicial Commission was acting true to form with its repugnance towards evangelical Christianity. Mr Dickinson's dismissal came as no surprise to me, as one who was treated in the same despicable way 20 years ago in March by that 'Christian' church. The Dickinsons are devastated by the church's decision, and understandably so, a decision from which there is no appeal, .
The persecution of evangelicals by the church is endemic. Dozens of ministers are off work because of stress-related situations. Bullying of ministers by colleagues and other elders is notorious within the churches. Perhaps the biggest offenders are those who 'stand by' and allow such situations to go on without challenge.
Mr Dickinson cannot expect any pastoral care or support from the church, despite their granting him leave to live in the Manse for up to 18 months, with a salary promise of the same time period. Since churches have their own 'dirty tricks departments,' Mr Dickinson cannot expect to have any colleagues remain friendly with him - that would be much too dangerous for the colleagues. He will be ostracised and left to his own devices. Any attempt to find another church will find prospective congregations against him having been poisoned by 'the faceless men in grey suits' wearing or not wearing clerical collars. It will not be easy for him or his dear wife, Sharon, and the family.
The Presbyterian Church in Ireland's (PCI) track record of removing ministers from their charge has this very interesting fact - they only remove evangelicals. That theologically liberal and ecumenical denomination has at no time taken the same extreme measures against liberal ministers, and certainly not against the ecumenicals that are in its ministry. Such men will never be removed from their churches because the churches they serve are themselves liberal and ecumenical churches. I do not know of one liberal and ecumenical minister who was ever removed from their congregations in that denomination, but I could name a growing number of Evangelicals, that is, Gospel preaching ministers who have had the treatment from this menacing Commission.
Again, it is factually true that Presbyterian ministers can have Roman priests in their church and taking part in church services and no action will be taken against them. In fact, this also guarantees longevity of ministry within that religious organisation.
But if a minister is a Gospel man, and his message upsets some of "the people that count" (which every congregation has), then his actions will have taken a step towards his removal. You can be a womanising church elder, yet be protected by the church authorities; but if you preach a strong and clear Gospel of grace, your time is limited. An elder can promote same sex marriages and sodomy, and be kept on; the church will not remove him; the most she will do in such situations is to ask them to stand down temporarily; but if an elder (teaching or ruling) dares to take a strong Gospel stand in the church, his card is marked.
What makes it even more disappointing is that, as in days of old, the church's Judicial Commission usually has a token few evangelicals serving on it; so it is today. But the reality is that those token evangelicals are powerless to do anything to defend their Evangelical colleagues; thus, when the evangelical cause is being 'judged' at this liberal and ecumenical Commission, the outcome is a foregone conclusion. Evangelicals just cannot win when their case goes to that body. It seems that evangelicals who serve on this body are eventually neutered so that they cannot be effective members of this evangelical-destroying commission. It's remit seems to be to rid PCI of all clear-cut evangelical ministers, so that it remains an ineffective church in our country.
It is surely wrong for any church body to deal in such a scurrilous way with Gospel ministers. This action of the Judicial Commission of PCI will have the desired effect of pulling those Gospel ministers who want to be faithful to Christ into line, and effectively neutering them. PCI has not been known as a Gospel church for many decades and it will not become such any time soon. Other denominations are following the example set by PCI, and removing Gospel ministers so that congregations can be "at peace in Zion."
In the meantime, those Gospel ministers who serve Christ first, and the church only, and at best, second, will have to watch their steps if they wish to retain their ministries. Long gone are the days when ministers of principle occupied the church's pulpits, men who put their devotion to Christ and His Gospel before anything the church might say, men who were prepared to pay the price of faithfulness to the Saviour. Instead, today the church has many "wicked pragmatists," (Dr Al N. Martin's memorable phrase), men who can tell which way the wind is blowing, and follow its leading. They are sure to keep in with the right people in senior management positions within the churches because they have "the power of life and death" over Gospel ministries.
The church has degenerated into an institution, and as such, has departed from the biblical Gospel it is called upon to proclaim. Sadly, for many ministers, it would appear, such a calling is just too costly. Turkeys still do not vote for Christmas!
4 comments:
I have never heard so much total drivel in my life.
There is NO persecution of evangelical preachers within that church and Rev Dickinson was not ousted due any theological differences.
The biggest problem is that many ministers seem to think that its THEIR church and they have some sort of right to dictate to the people who ultimately pay their salaries.
When the various courts of the church (at every level) meet and make recommendations and someone
willfully goes against those then what can they expect? In any other line of work if your bosses
tell you to do something and you refuse your woudl be sacked. Why shoudl a minsier be any different.
As for ministers being 'stressed' they have no idea what stress is. Good salary, free house, big pension
and very unlikely (very rare) to ever lose their job. They shuodl perhaps consider the rest of us
who have to struggle to pay mortgage, feed family etc on a low wage with virtually no security.
Then realise what real stress is.
Clearly you also have an axe to grind in this respect
Coleen, I am disappointed at your attitude to this article. When an evangelical minister is trying to minister in a liberal and ecumenical denomination, the only way he can continue to do so is by keeping in with the church authorities.
Why is it that in PCI, not one liberal and ecumenical minister has been dismissed by that church? And, why is it that only evangelicals have been so mis-treated? Can you name me one liberal and ecumenical minister who has been removed from his ministry by PCI for not preaching the Gospel, for example?
Further, why is it that evangelical ministers within Baptist, Elim, Congregationalist, Reformed Presbyterian, Free Presbyterian, Independent Methodist and totally independent churches have been ousted by their church authorities?
There is a growing anti-evangelical movement within the churches in which conservative evangelicals are being ousted and "liberal evangelicals" (whatever they are!) are being protected, because liberalism in all its pernicious forms is anti-evangelical; hence the big churches tolerate these liberal evangelicals.
As to stress, the Gospel ministry is a stressful work, but the ministry as undertaken by many within the churches today is not - it's a nice cosy job that, as you say, pays very well, and provides exceptional side benefits, with equally excellent job security - but only for those who know how to play the church game and actually play it.
And my axe? Yes, I am a convinced and practicing evangelical who is concerned about the poor state of the church in today's post-Christian climate, and believing that the state of our country and the world is an exact reflection of the state of the Christian church. What is happening in the world is an accurate picture of what is going on within the churches. My grinding axe is the promotion of the Gospel to all men, something the church does not want because churches could not handle an influx of Christians into membership.
So teach Gospel preaching ministers a clear message by sacking them, and this will pull other ministers who want to take the Gospel seriously into denominational line; and they are doing so quite effectively. So long as ministers do not challenge what the denomination is doing, all will be well for them - this side of eternity; what happens after that is anybody's guess!
Thank you for your comment.
Coleen, not all ministers are paid high salaries. My Husband was a pastor, we ploughed every penny we had into the ministry. We got no salary no house. I minded children throughout the day, my husband worked odd jobs. A ministers life is a miserable one a lot of the time. I had a nervous breakdown, because of the congregation. My I lost a baby son in the late stages of pregnancy. All I got was the congregations problems, told it wasn't a proper baby, and had to get out of my sick bed, two days after my son died in order to cook the old men's dinner. Until you have been a Pastor Coleen, don't comment!
I endorse what this writer has said. In the big denominations, ministers are very well paid, no doubt about that. But in smaller churches, ministers are very poorly paid, at times not much above subsistence, and at others, well below that.
You have to have been there to know the real problems being a Manse family. Ministers are often vilified by members and colleagues, his wife is targeted at times for "the treatment," and even their children become the target of attacks, just to get at the minister.
Another evangelical minister has been 'sacked' just last week (September 2013 in Northern Ireland) by his denomination for preaching the Gospel. His church members were not used with hearing the Gospel and when he arrived, they just did not want to hear the Gospel of God.
How can anyone say that evangelical preachers are not persecuted within the churches?
So, Coleen, please show a little bit of grace and have some compassion towards those who have paid a high price for fidelity to the Gospel, and to their wives and children.
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