Transgender: The New Frontier of a Changing Culture

‘Back to the Future' day has passed with lots of discussion not just about how well the film predicted 2015, but also about the changes we can look forward to in another 25 years’ time. While much was made of the technological changes the biggest surprises for Marty, fast forwarding from the 1980’s, would surely have been the social ones. For without doubt the biggest single cultural change has been the new (First) world order regarding sexuality. In just two decades homosexuality has moved from the margins of society to having mainstream cultural recognition and indeed celebration. The move to legal civil partnerships and then to same-sex marriage has been remarkable – for it to have happened in such a small space of time is really quite astonishing.

It is a reminder that culturally anything really is possible and that the societal norms of 2040 may be staggeringly removed from those we assume at the present time. So are there any clues as to where we might be heading next? I suspect that one good indicator of forthcoming cultural change would be to see what movie and television projects are currently being pitched to media companies. After all the current slew of programmes and films generating debate and shaping popular thinking must have started life, in some cases, several years ago.

Transgender the new frontier

What is clear is that with homosexuality firmly established in the mainstream the new frontier for culture re-shapers is now gender itself. Recent months have seen a succession of stories and programmes in the media concerning transgender. BBC 5-Live interviewed an 11 year old girl starting high school as a boy, Louis Theroux has been looking at transgender kids, Channel 4 have a series of documentaries running on the subject, a new transgender sitcom ‘Boy meets Girl’ has been commissioned by BBC2, transgender is now an ‘East Enders’ storyline, and Hollywood A-lister Eddie Redmayne starred in this year’s release ‘The Danish Girl’, the story of an early pioneer of transgender surgery.

The approach to the issue is the same in all these presentations – to be supportive, to show the bravery of those involved (which many of them undoubtedly are), to render churlish and ignorant any voices of opposition, to win the sympathy of the viewer and to make it mainstream. It is no surprise then that ‘transphobia’ is becoming the latest addition to popular vocabulary or that, as Germaine Greer has shown, it’s the latest flashpoint in the debate over free speech.

The New Me

Transgender feelings aren’t a new phenomenon but the advance of modern surgery and hormone treatments have made it possible to turn such desires into a reality (of sorts). However, lying behind the medical issue is a much deeper philosophical issue concerning the nature of humanness itself. It is the notion that sexuality and in this case physicality are ‘plastic’ aspects of personhood. That is, ‘I’ am not to be defined by my gender when it comes either to relationships or who ‘I’ actually am. So my physicality is arbitrary – just a random imposition of biology which may or may not suit me and, like a set of clothes that I may find hideous, ought to be changeable.

So on current trends it is entirely feasible that by 2040 many children will routinely dress and attend school in a gender different from their biology. Gender based language and pronouns may be phased out in public life. Names may increasingly be unisex as giving a child a ‘gender specific’ name will be frowned upon or seen as constraining them. Switching gender identity between certain situations or phases of life might become commonplace.

Responding to a Cultural Tsunami

For Bible-believing Christians this is another wave of the tsunami of cultural change experienced over recent decades. More and more churches are having to adjust to and work out how to interact with transgender situations. But how should we respond? A question that might, understandably, fill us with a sense of dread and/or weariness. After all we look back at the campaigns against Civil Partnerships and Same Sex Marriage and see how they were swept aside. Like the boy crying ‘wolf’ we feel our protestations have worn thin in the ears of those around us – especially as, for the time being at least, society has not collapsed into chaos despite having ignored us.

Well there are various ways we could go. One would be to demand legislation to prohibit people from making transgender changes, at the very least to lobby against any moves to accommodate transgender people in mainstream society. The two-fold problem with this approach is in trying to impose a Christian worldview on a non-Christian society. Secondly, and precisely because of the first reason, it just won’t ‘wash’ with a fragmented neo-pagan society of competing interests.

We could of course do nothing, say nothing and just resign ourselves to further inexorable moral confusion. That, however, would be an abdication of our responsibility to be ‘salt and light’ in the world, to seek the lost, and to hold out the 'word of life' in a floundering and confused generation. So how do we stand for Biblical truth without presenting ourselves as being oppressive towards transgender people or anyone else? 

Let me suggest we firstly have to recognise that there are those around us who genuinely struggle with their gender. For such their gender is an issue of confusion and sometimes real pain and unhappiness. We have to accept that science and the government have given such people the option to radically alter their physicality and to live in an outwardly changed gender. However, that people have those options should not be our first point of concern.

There is an alternative

Rather than a ‘slam it and ban it’ approach we need to lovingly but also boldly make the case that there is another way someone can go in such situations. As Christians we want to say that there is an alternative to fear and self-loathing, to injections in the stomach, drastic surgery, relationship trauma, family distress, ongoing physical and mental health problems and many of the other not untypical consequences of pursuing gender change.

That alternative, of course, is the Gospel. The Gospel that reveals the God who made each person – who made them male and who made them female. The God who didn’t make a mistake when He did that. The Gospel that explains that we live in a fallen world and because of that there is no aspect of our humanness that isn’t messed up to a greater or lesser degree. The Gospel that shows that God is nonetheless committed to recovering this world and restoring men and women to being what He intended them to be – good and glorious, happy in their own skins and able to enjoy Him for ever. The Gospel that doesn’t oppress anyone, but offers men and women a way to find their true and most satisfying identity in Jesus Christ whether in 1989, 2015 or 2040.

Against Martha-ism

‘Pastors, don’t be a Martha’, was the call to pastors at the first Scottish FIEC Pastoral Retreat held in August this year.

Recognising that so often in ministry the first casualty of busyness is the pastor’s own quality time with the Lord, this new venture was a chance for pastors and ministry workers to take some time out for spiritual refreshment. For pastors constantly ‘giving out’ there is an ever present danger of becoming dry and professional in ministry. So taking time to focus on their own soul and be ‘recharged’ in their love for the Lord is not a luxury for pastors, but crucial if they are to be spiritually fruitful.

In all nine pastors gathered along with Richard Underwood (FIEC Pastoral Ministries Director) and myself for 24 hours of fellowship, Biblical encouragement and private devotional time.

After each meal the group gathered together for some devotional thoughts from Richard and me. Richard unpacked some of the lessons from the story of Mary and Martha, and encouraged the group with Paul’s prayer in Ephesians 3, ‘that Christ may dwell in your hearts’. I reflected on Psalm 32 and the importance of confession and blessings of forgiveness. Each of these times included discussion and group prayer.

Otherwise the Retreat was unprogrammed in order to give the majority of the time for private prayer, reading and personal reflection. Held in the Faith Mission College in Edinburgh those attending were able to use the college facilities including the library, study rooms, the adjacent bookshop and café, along with the student lounge and private bedrooms. A nearby park also offered somewhere to go a walk and ‘smell the roses’.

Having a group together also gave the chance for pastors to chat, share wisdom and pray for each other. The opportunity to be able to share and speak privately with fellow pastors is one way ‘group Retreats’ can be a particular blessing.   

The benefit of FIEC organising a Retreat like this is in helping pastors to do something they want to do but often struggle to schedule or keep to. The reality for many pastors is that dates marked off as ‘Quiet Days’ often aren’t taken because other workload feels more pressing at the time. Further because the pastor is often the only one involved in such diary commitments it’s all too easy to cancel or postpone them. It can also be a struggle to find somewhere suitable for such times (home or church office are rarely ‘distraction free’). Hence the value of being able to book something in advance with others that is set-up especially for that purpose.

All attending have been hugely positive about the Retreat and have expressed their hope that it could be become a regular event in the Scottish FIEC calendar.  

So please give thanks for the blessing and encouragement experienced by all those attending. Pray that its positive effects will be ongoing in the lives of the pastors and their churches. Pray that personal devotional time will be a regular and kept part of pastor’s schedules in all our fellowships.

PERGAMUM - A REAL CHURCH

Introduction to sermon on Pergamum (Revelation 2:12-17). These were real churches - not mythical. In another time they could have been any of our churches....

It’s fair to say that Pergamum Evangelical Church, or PEC as its members refer to it, has had a bit of a rollercoaster ride since it was founded back in the 60’s. It began during the first great church planting movement which saw churches established in all the surrounding provinces. There had been a lot of talk at the time concerning how strategically important PEC would be – being in the regional capital and on the doorstep of government offices and the political ‘movers & shakers’.

Since then it has kept going – solid and stable. Not a household name like Ephesus with its reputation for strong Biblical training, it doesn't have the dynamism of Sardis with its endless ministry initiatives, and certainly doesn’t have the resources of Laodicea which was now planning its fifth extension in 20 years.

PEC’s building is just on the edge of the city centre but in comparison with the Diana Shrines and the glitzy Zeusian Temple it was always going to struggle to be noticed. The city feast days were always awkward – the congregation feeling as if they were only people in the whole city not joining the celebrations at the ‘Temple of Rome & Augustus’. Indeed it was over that very issue that PEC faced its toughest challenge.

Although not a large fellowship enough money had been pledged to employ one of the founding members as a Community Worker. Antipas gave up his job as an Administrator in the Pro-counsel’s office and started building up relationships with local groups. Over a few years he became well known and his work helping in local schools was gladly accepted. Not everyone was a fan though and maliciously, although it was never proved, Antipas was publically asked to take part in one of ceremonies pledging allegiance to Caesar as Lord.

Well of course Antipas made his apologies and declined. But that wasn’t enough, next thing there were calls for an enquiry: What is this man doing in schools, what is he telling folks in the town, who do these Christians think they are in snubbing Caesar and not complying with our ‘Roman values’?

Things started to get really nasty. Letters in the papers, questions raised in the city council. Antipas was pulled in for questioning. After several weeks an ultimatum was delivered – come to the Pledge Ceremony, tone down your ‘Jesus propaganda’ (as they now called it), and we’ll all move on. Of course, Antipas couldn’t agree to that, it would have totally undermined his Gospel convictions and ministry.

Things then went from bad to worse, the church building vandalised and its members harassed in the streets. More accusations were made against Antipas: he was an intolerant fanatic, he was radicalising young people in the city against Rome, and furthermore Christians were clearly a threat to the very stability and security of society. Antipas was advised to leave - but he had always hated bullies so refused.

Nobody is quite sure what happened, or least nobody will admit to knowing, but Antipas’ body was found hanged in a local park. Friends said they thought he’d been beaten – but the Coroner’s report made no mention of that. The authorities immediately called it suicide and closed the case. Those who knew Antipas - knew taking his own life would have been totally against everything he believed.

An uneasy peace descended – the fuss about PEC fizzled out. PEC continued to meet as it had always done, although the numbers dropped considerably for a period.

Of late though things feel different in PEC and not everyone is comfortable with some of the changes. Copies of a new book by T.R. Nicolas have been circulating and a few folks have been reading it together in their Small Group. Well produced, with bite sized chapters and heart-warming anecdotes the book: ‘Change or Die - Getting Ready for Church in the Second Century’, is having quite an impact.  Indeed there are increasing calls for a more relaxed and open line to be taken with local Temples and there are moves to start having an inter-faith prayer forum for the city. 

The elders don’t seem quite sure how to respond, especially as they face an increasing number of pastoral issues – there seems to be a big increase in the number of members visiting the Temple prostitutes.

I wonder what Jesus would make of it all? 

CERTIFICATE IN INDEPENDENT CHURCH MINISTRY

New FIEC partnership with Edinburgh Theological Seminary to strengthen those serving in Independent Churches. 

WHAT HAPPENED TO THE SCOTTISH CHURCH?

An abridged version of this article has been published in Evangelicals Now (July 2015).

WHAT HAPPENDED TO THE SCOTTISH CHURCH?

Christian identification in Scotland has now fallen below that in England.

From being one of the great bastions of evangelical Christianity (‘the land of the Bible’), Scotland has now overtaken England in seeing a decline in Christian identification.

According to recent figures 50.6% of the Scottish population now have no religious affiliation whatsoever, in England the figure is 43.7%. Correspondingly levels of Christian identification are now lower in Scotland than in England - 44.6% opposed to 48.5%[1].  

Some estimates now put the number of conservative evangelicals in Scotland as low as 50,000 – a tiny minority of around 1% of the total population. Its white indigenous population, who in the past were the recipients of unparalleled gospel witness and blessing, are now among the most unreached and gospel resistance people groups in the world today.

Scotland hasn’t just caught up with England in its rejection of Christianity but has surpassed it. Why? What happened in Scotland to cause this accelerated falling away from its historic faith? As one church pastor who had worked in England in the 1990s and then in Scotland in 2000s put it, ‘When I was in England, Scotland was 10 years behind England’s decline, but now it’s 10 years behind England’s growth’.

Culturally Scotland has changed rapidly in recent decades. It’s once white and Presbyterian dominated culture has given way to an increasingly multi-ethnic, politically liberal and secularised society. That, however, doesn’t explain why the decline in Christian identification, which for some time lagged behind England, has so significantly overtaken it. After all most of the wider cultural changes experienced in Scotland are ubiquitous throughout the UK. There are, however, a number of factors that may explain why the Scottish church was particularly vulnerable to experiencing such a contraction.

IMMIGRATION
Scotland has an enviable record of absorbing immigrants with goodwill and generosity. People from around the world have settled in Scotland and found a home without many of the tensions and indeed conflicts that have arisen in other parts of the UK. Interestingly, however, most of Scotland’s post-war immigration has been from Asia and in particular from Muslim communities.

In contrast, England along with similar Asian immigration also received large numbers of people from Christian (often evangelically Christian) cultures, especially in its Afro-Caribbean communities. So that while Scotland has an Afro-Caribbean population of under 1%, the equivalent population in England is 3.5%.

This meant the Scottish church did not receive the same ‘shot in the arm’ from immigration in the way the English church did, nor has it benefitted from the evangelical energy and convictions often brought by such ‘newcomers’. In many churches it is those from immigrant backgrounds who have acted as ‘a brake’ on the theological liberalism that has been so destructive to Gospel growth elsewhere.

None of which is to be negative about the immigration Scotland has had, which as noted has largely been a great civic success. But it is a significant way by which evangelical Christianity has been boosted and its decline offset in England in contrast to Scotland.

SECTARIANISM

‘Too many Protestants, too many Catholics, and not enough Christians’, was the rueful observation of one commentator on the west of Scotland. Another comedian described Glasgow as ‘Belfast lite’. The deep sectarian divisions in Scotland, exemplified by the worst of the Celtic and Rangers rivalry, undoubtedly had the effect of ‘poisoning the well’ of Christianity for many Scots.

Sectarianism meant that in a rapidly secularising culture ‘Christianity’ could be presented as not just irrelevant but as a real social menace – the cause of hatreds and division. The bigotry of many on both sides was ‘grist to the secular mill’ – in that, it could be claimed that the sooner all Christian affiliations were jettisoned the better Scottish society would be. The tragedy, however, was that few of its Saturday afternoon activists ever actually set foot in a church or chapel on Sunday morning.

Sectarianism has been a blight on Scottish society and its demise is something to be celebrated. The cost for the Scottish Church, however, was to be regarded by many as part of a past that Scotland was all the better to leave behind.

MARXIST POLITICS

Potentially dangerous ground this! It’s no secret that Scotland is a ‘left of centre’ nation when it comes to politics. That in itself need be of no great consequence when it comes to the church – after all godly men and women of all political persuasions attend churches and are equally passionate about the Gospel. However, there is perhaps a significance in some of the strands of hard left politics that have been influential in Scotland.

Scottish Socialism like its English counterpart emerged as a consequence of the Industrial Revolution, the development of urban Britain and the gathering together of massed labour. As a movement it contained both those who saw Socialism as an essentially Christian response to the inequalities of society (Christian Socialists), and those saw religion as part of the problem (‘the opiate of the people’).

The industrial make-up of many Scottish cities and towns resulted in Socialist politics becoming a dominant force in many parts of Scotland. A Socialism that in many instances was of the radical Marxist variety. In the 1920’s Glasgow was famously called ‘Red Clydeside’ and in commenting, on that period of near revolutionary ferment in the city, the ‘International Socialist Group’ notes: ‘Clydeside threw up a generation of working class intellectuals versed in Marxism whose impact would be felt in the British working class for years to come[2]’.

The strength of such politics can be seen in that Scotland has returned two of the only three Parliamentary seats ever won by the Communist Party in Britain. Even as recently as 2003 the Marxist ‘Scottish Socialist Party’ had six candidates elected to the Scottish Parliament.

The significance of this for the Scottish church is the proportionately greater influence that strong Marxist thinking has had north of the border. As far back as the 1890s Socialist Sunday Schools were being organised in Glasgow[3]. These classes, which spread across the country and were open to all ages, sought to provide a secular alternative to their Christian counterparts. A socialist, and pointedly divine free ‘10 Commandments’ was even produced to accompany these classes[4].

It is not that such Marxist politics have been absent in England (you only need to think of its northern industrial cities like Liverpool) – or that Scotland hasn’t had Christian Socialists. It is that anti-religious political ideas have had a proportionately greater foothold in Scottish society than in the UK as a whole.

PRESBYTERIAN FRAGMENTATION

As with political parties the general public have little time for fractious churches. Disputes and splits (even when unavoidable) are almost always damaging to the reputation of the church and drain huge amounts of time and energy away from its ability to focus on mission.

Sadly the history of Presbyterianism in Scotland has involved a succession of disputes and splits – with each offshoot claiming to be the true ongoing ‘custodian of the truth’. Of course other church groupings, such as the Brethren or Pentecostalism, have taken such factionalism to even greater extremes. The difference in this case however, is that Presbyterianism has prided itself in being ‘national face’ of the church in Scotland.

The Scottish people have consequently been onlookers to a ‘national church system’ marked by successive divisions for over a century. The physical expression of that, which is impossible to miss, is the multiplicity of Presbyterian churches vying against each other in even the smallest Scottish towns. Contrastingly its national counterpart in England has shown, for better or worse, a quite remarkable capacity to hold itself together.

In more recent times, of course, the tensions underlying that English unity have become clearer and seem increasingly stretched. However, even if England should yet see the ‘national face’ of its church breaking-up – it has had the advantage, until now, of Christianity being less tainted by such ‘national level’ church schism than has Scotland.

One further point is that for all its virtues Presbyterianism tends, by its very structure, to ‘flatten out’ the beliefs and energy of the church as whole – if not to the lowest common denominator, certainly to that which is tolerable to what might be a very theologically diverse grouping. In contrast Episcopalianism, for all its faults, does allow an evangelical bishop much more scope to lead and influence the churches he oversees in a positive and Biblically rooted direction. That is, the national church in England has had more potential, at least from time to time, to buck the trend of liberalism than has been the case in its Scottish counterpart. 

LACK OF INDEPENDENT CHURCHES

Historically Scotland has had a smaller constituency of Independent churches relative to England. The dominance of Reformed Presbyterianism, and a more theologically conservative culture across denominations in general, meant there was less space (or perhaps need) for large numbers of autonomous evangelical churches. Whereas some Independent chapels in England can trace their origins back to the 17^th Century, the first tangible Congregationalist (Independent) churches don’t register in Scotland until the 18^th Century. Indeed it wasn’t until the early 19^th Century before such churches became established in any noticeable numbers in Scotland[5].

The significance of this is that larger institutions (including church denominations) have a tendency to become less effective over time. The pull in all such bodies, religious or otherwise, is to become inward looking, self-protective and attractive to people looking for security rather than challenge.

Now of course within Scottish denominations there are many praiseworthy exceptions to this – men and women who stand out in their passion and vision to evangelise and impact the nation for Christ. However, the sociological fact remains that large organisational structures as a whole tend towards atrophy.

For Scotland the dominance of such groupings meant smaller numbers of independent ‘entrepreneurial’ churches and leaders. The church historian Rodney Stark in examining the high level of Christian identification in the USA, argues that it was the lack of establishment Christianity in the ‘New World’ that instilled the need for churches to be much more driven in seeking growth[6]. The argument being, that in such an environment a local church will ‘stand or fall’ (and its pastor be paid or unpaid) on the basis of the people reached and gathered. Thus the spiritual impetus across all churches to evangelise is augmented in Independent churches with a pressing pragmatic edge.

In other words, the Scottish Church has not had England’s historical advantage in having the same level of self-starting, culturally flexible and missionally-urgent churches that a larger Independent constituency provides.

REFLECTIONS & REASONS TO BE HOPEFUL

All the above are suggestions (speculations) on why Scotland’s ‘fall from faith’ has been so severe. Some are doubtless more significant than others and all of them fit into the larger context of an overall decline in Christian affiliation throughout the British Isles. Nonetheless together, they may give some insights into why a country until recently so apparently strong in its Christian identification has so quickly crumbled in the face of secular challenge. There are however, signs that many of the weaknesses are being addressed and reasons for renewed hope.

Immigration patterns into Scotland are changing with increasing numbers now coming from ‘Christian backgrounds’. The sharp rise in the numbers of ethnically diverse churches being a clear sign of that.

Sectarianism is slowly being squeezed out of Scottish life so that it no longer divides it in the way it once did. This a change that is good for civic society but is also freeing the church from many of its past toxic associations.

The second largest Presbyterian denomination the ‘Free Church of Scotland’ is growing and giving Presbyterianism a clear national voice again in Scotland for the Gospel.

Finally, the number of Independent churches is growing – some coming out of denominations, some new Church Plants, others being founded by the Scotland’s new immigrant communities. Each one, along with existing Independent churches, having the grassroots flexibility, impetus and necessity to adapt itself to the task of engaging the great unreached Mission Field that Scotland has now become.

---

[1] http://www.brin.ac.uk/news/2014/the-british-election-study-2015-religious-affiliation/

[2] http://internationalsocialist.org.uk/index.php/2012/09/the-real-red-clydeside/

[3] http://www.nls.uk/learning-zone/politics-and-society/labour-history

[4] http://gdl.cdlr.strath.ac.uk/redclyde/redcly079.htm

[5] http://hamilton.urc.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/A-Scottish-Congregationalism-edited.pdf

[6] Stark R, The Triumph of Christianity, (Harper One), Ch.20

FIEC PASTORAL OVERNIGHT RETREAT

24th-25th August 2015

Faith Mission Bible College Edinburgh 

A lightly programmed 24 hours for pastors to be refreshed and have time-out for personal prayer and devotions.

So often in the busyness of ministry we struggle to set aside meaningful time for spiritual reflection and to simply enjoy the Lord’s presence. 

Such times are, however, vital if we are to remain fresh in ministry and walk close to the Lord.  Without them ministry quickly becomes dry and burdensome. 

To help pastors schedule such important times and use them well, FIEC is facilitating an overnight pastoral retreat. The great advantage of booking one of the limited number of spaces is…

• It’s in the diary (you’re committed!).
• You have somewhere quiet and set aside to go.
• There will be a light programme of devotional thoughts and prayer to help you focus and be encouraged.
• Trusted friends and experienced pastors will be around should you want to chat or pray with someone.
• There will be plenty of private time and space for you to rest, read, pray and reflect.

PROGRAMME

12pm              Lunch

1pm                 Afternoon Devotion (led by Richard Underwood, FIEC Pastoral Director).

1.45pm      Quiet Time (pray, read, walk, chat, rest...)

6pm                 Dinner

7pm                 Evening Devotion (including prayer groups)

8pm                 Fellowship Time

8.30am      Breakfast

9.30am      Morning Devotion (including prayer groups)

10.15am        Quiet Time

12pm              Lunch – Depart 

Registration

• FIEC Pastor/Pastors' Network Member (£42.00)
• Non FIEC Pastor/Pastors' Network Member (£49.00)
• BOOK YOUR SPACE HERE. 

FIEC Churches Event in Glasgow (April 2015)

Unchanging Truth in a Changing Culture

Written by Andy Hunter on 14.05.2015

In a city with more bookmakers than evangelical churches, there has never been a greater need for gospel-centred churches to encourage one another. Scotland Director Andy Hunter reports on a gathering of FIEC churches in Glasgow which was designed to do just that.

Article Tags

• Local Church
• Scotland

Glasgow, like other large British cities, is a mixture of the poor and the affluent, the built-up inner city and the leafy suburb, the ‘born and bred’ and the newcomer, the religious and irreligious – all making up an increasingly ethnically diverse population.

No single church will be able to reach an area as diverse as the West of Scotland. Rather a range of churches situated in different locations with a variety of ministries is needed if the different communities and cultures that coexist in today’s urban areas are to be engaged with the gospel.

Fortunately Glasgow’s FIEC churches – along with other gospel churches there – are situated in different parts of the city and reflect different aspects of its make-up.

Gospel need and gospel hope

At the end of April six FIEC churches from around the city came together for an evening of fellowship, praise, prayer and ministry. Despite their differences the FIEC churches are united by the great gospel hope they proclaim and hold out. Similarly the many different communities around them are united by their shared need of the gospel.

It was that gospel need and gospel hope that John Stevens (FIEC National Director) brought home in his address to those gathered. He spoke of the unchanging truthfulness of the gospel, its culture and time-transcending power, and thus the need for churches to steadfastly hold on to it and proclaim it without dilution or compromise.

Looking at a number of New Testament passages connected to the church in Corinth, John showed how similar its first century culture was to our own: diverse, immoral, pluralistic and spiritually confused. However, John highlighted that gospel faithfulness was not to be confused with cultural inflexibility. In 1 Corinthians 9v22 Paul writes that he becomes ‘all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some’. The danger of personal preferences and old habits becoming obstacles to communicating the gospel was powerfully summed up as John said:

‘We become in danger of calling people to come to church and be like us, rather than to come to Christ and be like Him.’

Finally, John spoke of the gospel’s enduring power to save and the hope that gives us. Paul was not to give up on Corinth because the Lord had his people there (Acts 18v10) and we must not give up on our own cities and communities today.

Many parts, one mission

The gathering in Glasgow included reports from the FIEC churches on how that gospel call is being put into practice. Iain Shaw (Clarkston Baptist Church) and Al Lightbody (Lenzie Christian Fellowship) represented churches in better-off middle class areas – but they pointed out the huge spiritual poverty there is among those caught up in materialism and who feel no great need for God in their lives.

Raymond Barr (Crosshill Evangelical Church) and Bill Blair (Yoker Evangelical Church) spoke of the challenges of inner city ministry – transient populations, poverty and ethnic diversity.

Philip Teji (Finnieston Evangelical Church) represented a church which is predominantly Asian in its make-up and spoke of its ministry to Christians from Indian and Pakistani backgrounds.

All spoke of the various ways in which their churches are reaching out to their communities, whether through church-based activities (toddler groups, children’s and youth work), direct door-to-door contacts and leafleting, or through community events. These, along with the day-to-day personal contacts of church members, are ensuring that the good news about Jesus Christ is being made known in the West of Scotland.

The event also included a contribution from Alan McKnight (Harper Church) who has been gathering data on the number of gospel churches of all types serving the city. Even considering the most generous estimates, Glasgow’s gospel need is immense with only one ‘evangelical’ church per 7,000 people.

It was consequently great to hear from Pete Stewart (an FIEC Pastors’ Network member) about a new church plant being planned for one of the city’s neediest areas in Barlanark. Pete, along with fellow planter Pete Bell, is backed by 20Schemes and hopes to launch this new work later this year.

Sharing the same Great Commission

The evening was a great reminder of the real unity and fellowship that God’s people share in the gospel. It brought home the challenges but also the opportunities of being a local church in 21st century Britain. Most of all it was a huge encouragement to see a range of churches, different in many ways, sharing and praying together as they carry out the same Great Commission to ‘make disciples of all nations’ for the glory of the same Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

Andy Hunter - FIEC Scotland Director

Before joining FIEC in November 2013, Andy worked for Greenview Church in Glasgow for nine years, prior to which he trained at Oak Hill College in London. He is married to Jessica and they have three children.