A Divided Church

• A Divided Church ‘If a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand.’ (Mrk3:25) Once the Free Presbyterian Church of Ulster was identified by the doctrine of separation; the pulpits and pews were occupied exclusively by those sympathetic to this cause. All this was to change dramatically after Rev Ian Paisley decided to share power with unrepentant terrorists in government.


• Suddenly another voice was raised amongst the Free Presbyterian ranks, that of traditional unionism; now the Free Presbyterian Church of Ulster has to accommodate two separate political movements. On the one hand the followers of the forward looking, mass going, pluralist and integrationist DUP are demanding votes; while on the other, the persecuted, rejected, dissenting and faithful voices of the TUV ask for electoral support.


• This once separatist church has capitulated to sharing in the past; where its ministers and office bearers support DUP partnership with IRA Sinn Fein and is perfectly complicit with mass going by association. Now, the Free Presbyterian Church of Ulster has discovered the voice of opposition from within its own political ranks as TUV members have taken up the torch.


• ‘If a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand’; these are words of wisdom and warning from the Son of God. When Free Presbyterianism relocated to the political site, this has proved to be the place where compromise and sharing took root; now the irony is that this church has to accommodate two separate political opinions within its walls.


• The church that distinguished itself by separation is now distinguished by division; in the past, Free Presbyterians were united in their opposition to ecumenical compromise and political union with Rome. Things are very different now; the Free Presbyterian Church of Ulster is distinguished by division from within; where the TUV are rightly opposing the treachery and duplicity of the DUP IRA Sinn Fein partnership. This is the price to be paid by rejecting separation and embracing sharing.

Rev Mervyn Cotton (Heb13:6)