This is an article published in the Broughty Ferry Presbyterian Church Magazine. At the beginning of a new ministry in Sydney it has been good for me to reflect on the Church that will always in some sense be my spiritual home and family. St Peters Free Church In this article I want to share with you something about Broughty Ferry Presbyterian Church’s sister church … Continue reading Farewell St Peters
For technical reasons we are not able to do the Quantum podcast this week – so instead I thought I would share this article that I wrote in 2005 – 13 years later it is fascinating to see that it has largely not dated – I think I would stand by everything in it – perhaps even more passionately today. (its fascinating seeing some of … Continue reading Confessions of a Free Church Minister
(This is the substance of a talk I gave in the place where McCheyne began his ministry. It is not just of historical interest – there are lessons to be learnt from McCheyne in his ‘assistantship period’ for today. Robert Murray McCheyne in Larbert and Dunipace Robert Murray McCheyne was a young man from Edinburgh who became the minister of St Peter’s Church in Dundee … Continue reading Robert Murray McCheyne in Larbert – Lessons from a young minister in the 19th Century
I have had a tough day – mourning over the state of the Church in Scotland – for several reasons – from the apostasy and bitterness of the Rev Johnstone Mackay on BBC Radio Scotland this morning, to the unrealism, arrogance and apathy of much of what I came across today….it breaks your heart. And the death of Billy Graham has affected me more than … Continue reading What’s Gone Wrong? The State of the Church in Scotland today
I used to find it really helpful at the New Year, not only to reflect on the Year that is past, but also to make ‘resolutions’ for the year that lies ahead. The usual ones (lose weight, exercise more, be more organised, manage my finances better, be nicer on social media, get off social media!) seldom lasted beyond the end of January. This year I … Continue reading A Prayer for the New Year – 2018
It’s a sair fecht – as we say up here in Scotland! And that is certainly true of the Christian life and especially ministry. We expect opposition from the world, the devil and indeed from within the darkness of our own hearts – but what discourages me the most is when you get shot at by your own side. A few weeks ago I received … Continue reading Am I a Confused Heretic? A Response to Evangelical Times
St Peter’s Free Church in Dundee is famous throughout the evangelical world for being the church of Robert Murray McCheyne. But many of those who come to the church now, know very little about McCheyne; and many of those who are aware of McCheyne know very little about the current St Peters. This short article is intended to remedy those deficiencies in knowledge! Birth … Continue reading Robert Murray McCheyne and St Peters
Letter: We should celebrate Robert McCheyne The Courier & Advertiser 14 Jun 2016 What a brilliant piece of journalism your Impact 200 series on the men and women of Tayside and Fife who have inspired, challenged and influenced us in the past 200 years, has been. It was fascinating to see and read about who was on it and what they did. Such talent … Continue reading We Should Celebrate Robert Murray McCheyne
