Tweedsmuir Kirk

Tweedsmuir Kirk in the Scottish village of Tweeddale is a rather attractive Victorian church sitting atop an ancient mound. Perhaps it was the beautiful colours of the autumnal trees gently shedding their leaves, but the place seemed ‘magical’ and unusually beautiful. Surprisingly for a Church of Scotland building, it was unlocked (one sometimes does not even bother trying the doors these days) and the insides were typically Presbyterian, but for the off-side pulpit and lack of gallery. I should like this to have been my church had I been born a Scot and had a choice of where to live. The parish has a good website and a minister, and this seemed to present the Church of Scotland at its best.

And its worst.

A heartbreaking, hand-written note by the visitors’ book pleaded for our names to be added. This church was one of 500 (yes, five hundred!) which the Kirk plans to close by 2028. The added signatures, it was hoped, might persuade the higher powers to keep the doors open. This is denominationalism at its worst; central bureaucrats consulting maps and deciding which churches across the land to close; which premises they will flog off and cash in. HQ’s coffers will bulge, but 500 more Scottish communities (in additional to the countless other churches already closed) will lose their local church and only Christian witness.

The Church of Scotland might reply that falling congregations and depleted funds make the current parish system untennable, but whose fault is that? The C of S has been preaching a diluted and polluted gospel for generations; many of its clergy are more fixated with climate change than salvation, with economic inequalities than preparing sinners for their interview with Almighty God. He has withdrawn His blessing from the Kirk, and now the Kirk must withdraw its presence from 500 more Scottish communities which can ill afford to lose what little hope those pulpits offered. The Scottish Kirk is estate agent and purveyor of ecclesiastical properties first, and spiritual guide second. If you need convincing, see here:

Properties for sale | The Church of Scotland

The skylines of our major cities are covered in minarets and domes; temples to Indian demons are numbered at over 150 and counting. Suicide rates are increasing while godless materialism is now the default option for typical white Britons. And while all this goes on, the Church of Scotland is cashing in and shrivelling up.

This national decline and shrinkage hardly lessens the beauty of Tweedsmuir kirk, nor diminishes the kindness of whoever goes to the trouble of opening and locking up each day -but it does it make it even sadder. The land of the metrical psalm, of Knox and Rutherford, Liddel and M'Cheyne, has squandered its inheritance in a strange and far off country; may it return from the pigsty and find again the hope of Jesus Christ, the only name given to men by which we may be saved.

“Come, Lord Jesus. Sweet Jesus into Thy hand I commend my spirit. Be merciful, Lord, to Thy Church, which Thou hast redeemed. Give peace to this afflicted commonwealth. Raise up faithful pastors who will take charge of Thy Church. Grant us, Lord, the perfect hatred of sin, both by evidences of Thy wrath and mercy.”

-John Knox