Gospel Church that left Kirk over liberalism outgrows building

A congregation that left the Church of Scotland (CoS) more than ten years ago over the denomination’s approval of a minister in a same-sex relationship continues to thrive.

Revd Peter Dickson and his congregation at High Hilton Church were the first to leave the Kirk after it defended appointing the openly homosexual Minister Revd Scott Rennie to another church in Aberdeen. They formed Trinity Church Aberdeen and subsequently joined the International Presbyterian Church.

Since 2011, Church of Scotland congregations have continued to leave the denomination over its rejection of Scripture.

‘Sign of spring’

The present minister of Trinity, David Gibson, said: “One of the abiding lessons of church history is that when the church tries to reach the world by being as progressive as the world by imitating the world, then it is not long before the church ends up as broken as the world.”

Two years ago, the church bought an large abandoned church building in the centre of Aberdeen to serve God in the city.

After leading the First Presbyterian Church in Columbia, South Carolina for many years, pastor and theologian Dr. Sinclair Ferguson recently returned to his homeland. He has now agreed to be preaching associate at Trinity Church.

He told The Gospel Coalition website: “To me, this is a sign of spring. Who knows what kind of harvest the church will see? Will it be 30-fold? 60-fold? 100-fold? That’s God’s business and his prerogative. But this sign of spring encourages us to keep on sowing.”

‘Unchanging gospel’

The year after High Hilton left the CoS, The Tron Church, Glasgow, also broke with the Kirk over its rejection of Scripture. It also had to move premises, but since then has planted two new congregations. At present, five congregations meet each Sunday across three locations.

The church stated: “Over the centuries, then, this church has remained at the heart of the City of Glasgow, moving its meeting places and relocating for the sake of the gospel on various occasions, but unmoved in its commitment to that unchanging biblical gospel.

“Our prayer is that in future years we shall continue to witness to the Living God made known in Jesus Christ, both in the city centre and throughout Glasgow, as we seek to help nurture and establish gospel ministries in partnership with other churches which honour the truth that is in Jesus.”

Same-sex weddings

Earlier this year, the Church of Scotland voted to allow Ministers to conduct same-sex weddings in its churches.

The 2022 General Assembly voted to redefine marriage by 274 to 136 votes.

The Recognition of Marriage Services Act (Act I 1977) will be amended to ditch the words “husband and wife”, only referring to the parties as “each other”.