Free Presbyterian ministers criticise Castlewellan walk

Free Presbyterian ministers criticise Castlewellan walk

17 April 2019

THE Free Presbyterian Church has spoken out against a planned cross-community event in Castlewellan on Good Friday.

Six Free Presbyterian ministers have described a proposed Easter unity march as a “sad and shameful act of wild apostasy”.

The Good Friday walk is organised by the Castlewellan Area Bible/Prayer Group and Churches Forum, which includes representatives of St Malachy’s Roman Catholic Church and St Paul’s Church of Ireland Church.

In a letter in this week’s Down Recorder, the Free Presbyterian ministers say they are “deeply concerned” by the ecumenical walk.

They say the walk “stands at odds with the Bible’s teachings” and have called on the town’s Church of Ireland community not to participate in the event.

However, Castlewellan parish priest Fr Denis McKinlay last night said he was “disappointed” by the comments.

He pointed out that the Good Friday walk is a long-standing tradition in Castlewellan and that everybody in the town is welcome to take part.

The letter has been written by Rev Daniel Henderson, minister of Moneyslane Free Presbyterian Church, Rev Andrew Patterson, of Mourne FPC, Rev Ian Harris, of Annalong FPC, Rev David Smith, of Banbridge FPC, Rev Paul Hanna, of Mount Merrion FPC, and Rev Gordon Ferguson, of Ardaragh FPC.  

They say: “We, as ministers of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, are deeply concerned by this ecumenical walk and are stating our ural objection to this event taking place which, in the light of God’s Holy and Inspired Word, stands at odds with the Bible’s teachings.

“As Free Presbyterian ministers in the local area, we feel it is our duty to highlight this sad and shameful act of wilful apostasy in the town of Castlewellan.

“The Church of Ireland is supposedly a Protestant denomination; therefore we would implore St Paul’s Church of Ireland in Castlewellan to return back to its former Biblical and Protestant position by not participating in an act of departure from Christ by uniting with the Church of Rome.”

They continue: “The Scriptures make it abundantly clear that any ‘church’ which promotes the ungodly doctrine of salvation by works and does not accept the Lord Jesus Christ as the only way of salvation is not a Christian church but, rather, an institution that true Christians ought to be separated from. This is undoubtedly the position of Roman Catholicism.

“There are many doctrinal differences between the Church of Ireland and the Church of Rome, the fundamental difference being that they preach and believe very different messages and ultimately cannot be united.

“As Free Presbyterians, we would like to remind both those in the Church of Ireland and the Roman Catholic Church that good works do not save an individual, the Lord Jesus Christ alone saves.

“Therefore, we conclude by beseeching those in St Paul’s Church of Ireland who love the Lord Jesus as their Saviour to not participate in any false unity march that would grieve the True and Living God.”

Fr McKinlay said this was the first time in his memory that there had been a protest against the walk.

“I think it is a sad reflection on life in today’s world that men who preach the Christian gospel do not want others to walk with them,” he remarked.

“I feel all of this is incredulous to say the least. There have never been protests about this walk in my time and I have been in Castlewellan for ten years.”

Fr McKinlay praised what he described as the “excellent community relations” in Castlewellan and pointed out to a number of initiatives, such an inter-church choir, the Peace Bell and Peace Maze in the local forest park and a cross-community website involving all the churches in the Castlewellan area which was set up two years ago by the International Council of Churches under the auspices of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland.