Category: RPCS

Songs of the Spirit, The Place of the Psalms in the Worship of God, edited by Kenneth Stewart

Songs of the Spirit coverSongs of the Spirit can be purchased from Peter and Rachel Reynolds Books. It is £5 and the proceeds go to hospices in Scotland. Estimated postage costs are: USA (0-7): £1.80; USA (8-9) & Rest of World including EU: £3.30

A sample chapter is here. View Sample

Songs of the Spirit is an important study on the subject of praise. We need sound teaching on biblical worship. The worship that God commands from us, rather than that which we choose to give to Him. A variety of authors from various Churches have contributed to this volume. They share a common conviction that we must worship God in the songs that He Himself has inspired. “It is the conviction of all who contribute to this book that the recovery of earnest, intelligent and spiritual unaccompanied singing of Psalms in the praise of the church is a major part of the repentance and renewal so badly needed in the church today.”

Another publication called Reformed Worship may also be of interest. It is £1. View Sample

Reformed Worship is a vital guide to Reformed Worship Coverworship. Nothing is more sacred and more important than the worship of God. The Bible must have the pre-eminent place in our worship services. But how should a service of public worship feel and sound when the Word of God has central place and reverence for God governs everything? This booklet describes a service of reverent worship grounded upon Scripture principles. It will be helpful for those who conduct public worship as well as those seeking for worship that truly honours God. It will have a hearty reception where there is a sincere desire to know how to worship God in spirit and in truth. It is extracted and updated from an older publication called The Directory of Public Worship. This updated extract is in no way meant to replace the original authoritative document. Instead, it shows its abiding relevance and may encourage many to read the original for themselves.

Thanks to Matthew Vogan for sending this information along!

Two new students at the Scottish RP Theological Seminary and the ordination of Rev. Donnie Mackinnon of Stirling

Mr. Craig Scott and Mr. Gary Gunn
Mr. Craig Scott and Mr. Gary Gunn

From the Reformed Presbyterian Church of Scotland’s website:

“At a Presbytery meeting held on the 31st August Mr. Gary Gunn and Mr. Craig Scott, both members of Glasgow RPCS, were taken under care of Presbytery and given a provisional license to preach.”

Also, Rev. Donnie Mackinnon was ordained and installed as the church planting pastor of Stirling. From the RPCS website: 

“On Friday the 30th August, Mr. Donnie Mackinnon, a licentiate of the Scottish Presbytery, was ordained and inducted as organising minister of the new Stirling church plant.”

“The service of ordination and induction was held at Glasgow Reformed Presbyterian Church.  Beside the members of Presbytery there were many there from the Airdrie, Glasgow, North Edinburgh, and Stornoway congregations as well as visitors from the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America, the Free Church of Scotland, the Free Church of Scotland, Continuing, and other churches.”

Members of Presbytery present at the ordination Standing left to right: Rev. Peter Loughridge (North Edinburgh); Rev. Andrew Quigley (Airdrie); Mr. D. R. Macdonald (Stornoway); Rev. Tim Donachie; Mr. George Rodger (Airdrie); Mr. Iain Gillies (Glasgow); Mr. Ian Shaw (Airdrie) Seated left to right: Rev. Donald Macdonald (Stornoway); Mr. Sam Bell (Airdrie); Mr. Bill Lucas (Stornoway); Rev. Donnie Mackinnon (Stirling); Rev. Kenneth Stewart (Glasgow); Mr. M.D. Maclean (Stornoway)
Members of Presbytery present at the ordination
Standing left to right: Rev. Peter Loughridge (North Edinburgh); Rev. Andrew Quigley (Airdrie); Mr. D. R. Macdonald (Stornoway); Rev. Tim Donachie; Mr. George Rodger (Airdrie); Mr. Iain Gillies (Glasgow); Mr. Ian Shaw (Airdrie)
Seated left to right: Rev. Donald Macdonald (Stornoway); Mr. Sam Bell (Airdrie); Mr. Bill Lucas (Stornoway); Rev. Donnie Mackinnon (Stirling); Rev. Kenneth Stewart (Glasgow); Mr. M.D. Maclean (Stornoway)

“Rev. Kenneth Stewart, the moderator of Presbytery, gave the charge to Mr. Mackinnon and the congregation.  Preaching from 2 Timothy 4, he powerfully set out the work of the minister in preaching the Word, reproving, rebuking, and exhorting with patience and teaching.  Rev. Andrew Quigley, the Presbytery Clerk, then put the ordination vows to Mr. Mackinnon.  Mr. Mackinnon was then ordained and inducted through prayer made by Rev. Donald Macdonald and by the laying on of hands.”

Please pray for this new church plant and these new students.

Update on the Stornoway RPCS church plant:

Culregrein Mission House, Stornoway

The following is from the September 2011 Stornoway RPCS congregational newsletter:

“It has been 2 months now since services of public worship commenced in Stornoway under the auspices of the Reformed Presbyterian Church of Scotland. We have been meeting in the small Culregrein mission house on Perceval Road. To date we have enjoyed pulpit supply from able preachers including Rev David Karoon, Rev Kenneth Stewart, Rev Andrew Quigley and Mr Stephen Steele. Rev David Karoon is from Singapore and was previously a minister in Arran before recently joining the RP Church in Scotland. Rev Kenneth Stewart who is well known to us in these parts is currently the minister of the RP congregation in Glasgow. Rev. Andrew Quigley is the minister of the RP congregation in Airdrie where he has been since 1994. Finally Stephen Steele is about to commence studies as a divinity student at the Irish RP college in Belfast.

For those of you who do not belong to the congregation, we would very much appreciate your prayers as we look to establish this fellowship and along with our brethren in other denominations in Stornoway seek to be as salt and light to the surrounding community and to reach the lost with the Gospel.”

From an earlier post here

From the Reformed Presbyterian Church of Scotland newsletter found here:

“In June 2010 the Airdrie RP Congregation began afternoon services in Glasgow out of a desire to see Christ establish an RP congregation in the city once again. This step of faith, supported by the RPCS Presbytery, was realised on Lord’s Day morning 22nd May 2011 when over 100 people gathered in Thornwood Primary School for the formal constitution of the new Glasgow RP Church. Many in the congregation, drawn from Airdrie, Stranraer, and Glasgow had a real sense of just how privileged they were, conscious of the fact that it has been 140 years since the last RP Church was established in Scotland.

The Rev. Andrew Quigley preached on the theme of ‘The Christian Faith, our glorious inheritance in Christ’. He made the point that for too long the RP Church in Scotland had been known for what it did not do. That, he said, was changing. Now we are becoming known as a Church which proclaims the gospel of Christ. A Church which is prayerfully expecting and working to see men, women, young people, and children converted and then conformed to the image of Christ.

The Rev. Gerald Milligan, Moderator of Presbytery, then put the terms of membership of the Reformed Presbyterian Church of Scotland to the 20 men and women who were becoming members. The Church was then formally constituted by the Rev. Milligan as he led the congregation in prayer. After the singing of Psalm 72, Rev. Kenneth Stewart, the newly appointed organising minister, led in prayer and pronounced the benediction. The new congregation has been averaging in the 40s at both morning and evening worship which is a cause for great thanksgiving. We also know of another dozen or so people who have indicated that they will be coming to the church from the middle of June on.”

New RP Church in Glasgow: UPDATE

From the Reformed Presbyterian Church of Scotland newsletter found here:

“In June 2010 the Airdrie RP Congregation began afternoon services in Glasgow out of a desire to see Christ establish an RP congregation in the city once again. This step of faith, supported by the RPCS Presbytery, was realised on Lord’s Day morning 22nd May 2011 when over 100 people gathered in Thornwood Primary School for the formal constitution of the new Glasgow RP Church. Many in the congregation, drawn from Airdrie, Stranraer, and Glasgow had a real sense of just how privileged they were, conscious of the fact that it has been 140 years since the last RP Church was established in Scotland.

The Rev. Andrew Quigley preached on the theme of ‘The Christian Faith, our glorious inheritance in Christ’. He made the point that for too long the RP Church in Scotland had been known for what it did not do. That, he said, was changing. Now we are becoming known as a Church which proclaims the gospel of Christ. A Church which is prayerfully expecting and working to see men, women, young people, and children converted and then conformed to the image of Christ.

The Rev. Gerald Milligan, Moderator of Presbytery, then put the terms of membership of the Reformed Presbyterian Church of Scotland to the 20 men and women who were becoming members. The Church was then formally constituted by the Rev. Milligan as he led the congregation in prayer. After the singing of Psalm 72, Rev. Kenneth Stewart, the newly appointed organising minister, led in prayer and pronounced the benediction. The new congregation has been averaging in the 40s at both morning and evening worship which is a cause for great thanksgiving. We also know of another dozen or so people who have indicated that they will be coming to the church from the middle of June on.”

Rev David Karoon leaves the Free Church of Scotland for the Reformed Presbyterian Church of Scotland

The Reformed Presbyterian Church of Scotland (RPCS) is reporting the following on their website:

“Presbytery met on Saturday the 2nd July and accepted Rev. David Karoon’s application to become a minister in the RPCS. Rev. Karoon was previously a minister in the Free Church of Scotland. ” found here

The Hebrides News gives the following information here on 7/7/11:

“A number of Western Isles worshippers seem set to quit the Free Church and set up a Stornoway branch of a rival denomination in protest of its controversial introduction of hymns and music. A small cohort of about 20 or so disaffected Free Church worshippers, drawn from about eight island households, are expressing varying degrees of interest in breaking away from the long established Hebridean denomination to join a proposed Lewis-based church plant of the Reformed Presbyterian Church of Scotland (RPCS). Rev David Karoon who has resigned as minister of Arran Free Church has joined the Reformed Presbyterian and will take services in Stornoway.  He applied after resigning the Free Church pulpit. A Reformed Presbyterian spokesman confirmed: “Presbytery met on Saturday the 2nd July and accepted Rev David Karoon’s application to become a minister in the RPCS.” It is believed at least one elder has resigned from Stornoway Free Church with a view to joining the rival denomination. Dissidents may look towards the Reformed Presbyterians because they offer exclusive psalm singing and a clean history untainted by bitter splits or breakaway churches which litters the ecclesiastical landscape in Presbyterian Scotland. The tiny Reformed Presbyterian Church of Scotland (RPCS) is now on its way to double its number of churches as a result of the internal anger within the Free Church over ditching exclusive psalm singing and no musical instruments. Admittingly the RPCS only had two small constituted churches in Scotland. The high profile Rev Kenneth Stewart of North Uist and Glasgow – who left the Free over the hymns row – previously criticised the Free Church for “abandoning its constitutional heritage.”  But Rev Kenneth Stewart is now heading a brand new third congregation in the Hebridean area of Westend Glasgow. It took 140 years for it to become the first Scottish RP church plant when it was officially constituted on 22nd May. Just 40 days later, Stornoway seems to be next on the list.”

and also here on 7/7/2011:

“A number of disaffected Free Church members have invited the Reformed Presbyterian Church of Scotland (RPCS) to commence regular Sunday services on Lewis. One possible venue is the small prayer meeting house on Perceval Road in Culnagrein, Stornoway. Rev David Karoon is due to start regular Sunday services from this weekend. The island parishioners are breaking away from the Free in favour of the RPCS services. If interest grows sufficiently a permanent RPCS church may be constituted  and a permanent minister would then be sought. The development  follows the Free Church’s controversial decision to accept hymns and music. Last week, Mr Karoon, who comes from Singapore, resigned as pastor of Arran Free Church because he was opposed to it abandoning its traditional psalm-only stance.  He then applied and was accepted as a minister with the Reformed Presbyterians. A Reformed Presbyterian spokesman confirmed: “Presbytery met on Saturday the 2nd July and accepted Rev David Karoon’s application to become a minister in the RPCS.” Rev Andrew Quigley, minister of the Airdrie RP Church and presently preaching in America, said the Scottish RP Church’s decision to plant a church in Stornoway was taken because a number of Christians asked them to do so. He added that it was a decision motivated solely by a positive desire to proclaim the Gospel. He said: “Our goal, by God’s grace and for His glory, is to see sinners converted to Christ and become committed followers of the Lord.” It is believed at least one elder has resigned from Stornoway Free Church with a view to joining the rival denomination. The tiny Reformed Presbyterian Church of Scotland (RPCS) is now on its way to double its number of churches as a result of the internal anger within the Free Church over ditching exclusive psalm singing and no musical instruments. Admittingly the RPCS only had two small constituted churches in Scotland. But Rev Kenneth Stewart, of North Uist and Glasgow, is now heading a brand new third congregation in the Hebridean area of Westend Glasgow. The church, the first new Scottish RP church plant in 140 years, was formalised on 22nd May. Formerly at Stornoway and Scalpay and, for past ten years or so, at Dowanvale Free in Glasgow, the 48-year-old previously said his position as Free Church preacher was untenable given the determination of so many in the church to drive ahead the contentious change. Though he was last on Lewis recently on behalf of the RPCS he will not be on the island on the run up to the new church services.”

UPDATED April 16, 2011: Rev. Kenneth Stewart to the RPCS…

The Rev. Kenneth Stewart, formerly of Dowenvale Free Church of Scotland

The following is from the Reformed Presbyterian Church of Scotland website.

“The RPCS has received an application from Rev. Kenneth Stewart (formerly minister of Dowanvale Free Church of Scotland) to be received as a minister in the RPCS.” found here

And later as of April 16th:

“Rev. Kenneth Stewart, upon his assent to the ordination vows of the RPCS, became a minister in the Reformed Presbyterian Church of Scotland on Saturday the 16th April.”

Any thoughts?

Thanks to Connor Quigley for bringing this to our attention.

Some previous posts on this topic here and here