Clerk of the Assembly must fall on his sword

YOUR correspondent, Concerned Presbyterian (Write Back, November 22), gets to the nub of the current crisis in the leadership of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland by drawing attention to its “love of power”.

It is a long-accepted notion that policies adopted and promoted by those at the top of any organisation generally percolate down to the foot soldiers. Given this, it is no surprise that the Down Presbytery is following the example set by Assembly Buildings.

Concerned Presbyterian refers to John Boyd’s letter (Write Back, November 4), in which, regarding the scandal of excluding gay people, he called for the Clerk of the Assembly to fall on his sword.

But, embattled as he is, and clinging tenaciously to office, he has failed even to address publicly the crisis currently consuming Irish Presbyterianism — a fact noted by numerous others whose letters have, of late, appeared in these pages.

The clerk’s unwillingness to address the issue, even if only in a desperate effort to shore up his position, speaks volumes about the impossibility of his situation.

After all, as a Christian Church, how does one defend a policy which is undoubtedly unchristian?

It’s time for the Clerk of the Assembly to go.

JAMES HAMILTON By email