4 Corners: Scotland

Smithton-Culloden Free Church, Inverness

The church was started in 1983 by the local Free Church Presbytery identifying an area where new houses were being built. It started with just two or three families. Soon there was a core of 15 people and it grew to 60 in three years. Now the church attracts so many people that there have to be two morning services as well as the evening service. It is currently considering a second rebuild.

David Meredith is the pastor and Smithton-Culloden has been his first and only church. He is married to Nina and they have four children. Among his hobbies are politics and motorbikes. The church also employs Ali MacDonald full time. Her title is that of pastoral worker for families. EN was able to interview David Meredith last spring.

EN: Is Smithton-Culloden a typical Free Church?

DM: Yes, in that we are committed to the Westminster Confession and sing the psalms unaccompanied. But we see a need to connect with the culture — taking the old truths and applying them clearly to contemporary life.

EN: How do you see the situation in Scotland?

DM: Spiritually, there is massive decline. Only 6% of the population attend church. Rural churches seem to be closing on a weekly basis. Secularisation is on the increase. The Scottish Parliament, which came into being under Tony Blair, is pushing a secular agenda — one only has to think of their stance on Section 28 and multi-faith issues to see this. There has been a strong evangelical Christian background in Scot-land. But that seems to have served to inoculate many people against the gospel. People are quite postmodern in outlook and dominated by materialism. There is no ‘felt need’ of Christ.

EN: Have the churches put people off?

DM: Sadly, that has been the case. Some churches have been harsh and pastorally insensitive. Issues, such as seeing all secular music as evil and legalism over things like the Sabbath, have given people a negative view of the church. Sometimes it seemed as if the Sabbath was the only commandment of significance.

EN: What kind of community does the church have to be in order to turn things around?

DM: It has to be a place of truth. The truth of Scripture needs to result in authentic and transparent lives. The church community must mirror perikoresis — penetrating the community.

I am thinking of small groups — but community centred on God, not us/self-help groups so much. We need to be-ware of an over-realised sense of community with the sinner at the centre and God on the edge. Beware groups whose goal is to constantly try to make us feel good. We need groups which are prepared to go through the pain barrier — confessing sin, for example. Christians are slow to apologise and admit they were wrong. Contemporary evangelicalism has been over schismatic. I wonder if the day will come when some evangelical churches will apologise to our communities for our schisms and heavy-handedness at times.

EN: Are there good relationships between churches in Smithton-Culloden?

DM: There are four churches here — the Free Church, Church of Scotland, Baptist and King’s Fellowship. The four pastors meet regularly and pray together. People from all four churches are involved in Scripture Unions in local schools. We hold a joint Good Friday and Pentecost Sunday evening service. But what is needed is Spirit-filled Christian lives, genuine love and evangelistic compassion. That is how the gospel spreads. We need churches that people are not afraid to invite their friends to, engaging in lively, relevant Bible preaching on atonement, justification and resurrection.

EN: You put on a course called ‘How to drug proof your kids’?

DM: Ali, our families’ worker, runs that. It is open to all and raises all the parenting issues. I am not involved, at least in attending or organising! We have a team with a youth pastor and church administrator. The elders are busy with small groups. I love it when there are things going on in the church that I do not know a lot about! The downside of a team is that church work becomes professionalised. It is easier to write a cheque than turn up yourself on a Monday night. I am not comfortable with that.

EN: You have links with a church in Memphis?

DM: Yes, the links started between pastors. Then there was an elders’ visit each way. Then the women had reciprocal visits. It is a large PCA congregation. The Americans have successfully made the Reformed faith stimulating and vibrant and it is good for us to have contact. It is a well-resourced church and is constantly looking for church growth. I would like some of that to rub off on our congregation and denomination.