The Ecumenical movement is not ecumenical at all.  It will allow diversity of views on such ‘unimportant’ issues as whether Jesus was born of a virgin, rose from the dead or is the Son of God, but it cannot allow people to deviate from the current social liberal ethos which dominates the established churches.

At New Year if you had gone  to the Glasgow Churches together website you would have found my Free Church New Years Message posted there. If you go there now and click the link you will find that it has been removed, apparently after a complaint from Kelvin Holdsworth, provost of St Mary’s Cathedral in Glasgow.

He tweeted “take down the anti-gay and islamophobic material you’ve published and do so quickly.” Others joined in saying there was no place for such material.  And so it was removed.  So much for the dialogue, diversity and equality of the ecumenical movement!

1. The Ecumenical movement is not ecumenical at all.  It will allow diversity of views on such ‘unimportant’ issues as whether Jesus was born of a virgin, rose from the dead or is the Son of God, but it cannot allow people to deviate from the current social liberal ethos which dominates the established churches.
2. ‘Liberals’ like Kelvin Holdsworth are not liberal at all.  They are close-minded and intolerant to anyone who does not hold their political, social or theological views.  Bear in mind that this is the same man who demanded that churches which did not share his views on homosexuality should have their charitable status removed (this would include the Free Church, evangelical churches and the Catholics – so much for ecumenicism!).
3. Liberals are scared to allow different points of view.  Although they speak about dialogue, they won’t actually allow it.  They are scared that once people see the irrationality and unscripturalness of their views, they might be exposed.  So in the name of love and tolerance, they ban all those who don’t share their views.

True biblical ecumenicism is where Christians who follow Christ, believe his Word and hold to the main doctrines (as expressed in the Apostles Creed) work together for the good of the Kingdom and the advance of the Gospel.  The kind of political ecumenicism espoused by Kelvin Holdsworth, and the establishment of the C of S, is not worthy of the name Christian.  Christ himself warned us about the false prophets who would come in sheeps clothing.  Maybe we should take heed to what Christ said?!  Why do evangelical Christians keep shoring up and supporting these false prophets?

If you want to see the censored message which so threatened and offended Mr Holdsworth- click here

By the way, you will notice that the Glasgow churches together website has as its motto the old Glasgow city motto – Lord, Let Glasgow flourish by the preaching of your word and the praising of your name.  The hypocrisy is breathtaking.  Because the last thing Kelvin Holdsworth and others will allow is the preaching of God’s word. Indeed he wants those churches who do, punished, censured and excluded!

David Robertson is the Moderator of the Free Church of Scotland. He’s also the minister of St Peter’s Free Church in Dundee and director of Solas the Centre for Public Christianity. This article appeared on his blog and is used with permission.

[Editor’s note: One or more original URLs (links) referenced in this article are no longer valid; those links have been removed.]