Fellow believers,
The Presbyterian Church in Ireland’s announcement that a woman minister, Rev Mairísíne Stanfield, has been short‑listed for Moderator of the General Assembly, grieves us deeply. It is a fresh reminder of how far that body has declined from the old Reformed and Scriptural standards once preached with power in Ulster pulpits.
This is not a question of personal ability or natural virtue. It is a question of authority—God’s authority over His Church. The Word of God is unmistakably clear:
“But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence.” — 1 Timothy 2:12
“Let your women keep silence in the churches.” — 1 Corinthians 14:34
The Holy Ghost grounds this teaching not in culture but in creation:
“For Adam was first formed, then Eve.” — 1 Tim. 2:13
That order is not man’s invention; it is the design of Almighty God. When churches overturn it, they do not advance equality—they defy creation order and dishonour Christ’s kingship over His Church.
The Westminster Confession of Faith, which PCI still professes to uphold, states that “the Lord Jesus, as King and Head of His Church, hath therein appointed a government in the hand of Church‑officers” (WCF 30.1). Those officers are defined by Scripture as “the husband of one wife” (1 Tim. 3:2; Titus 1:6). No amount of modern sentiment can erase those words from the sacred page.
The PCI’s drift from the WCF, in this regard, is not an isolated matter. It flows from decades of yielding to worldly philosophy, feminist ideologies, and ecumenical compromise with Rome and liberal Protestantism. The fruit is now plain to all who will see. When a denomination ceases to bow to the authority of Scripture, it will soon bow to the authority of men.
We in the Free Presbyterian Church call upon all true believers to stand fast in the old paths:
“Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls.” — Jeremiah 6:16
Let us pray for those still within PCI who mourn these developments, that the Lord may strengthen their conscience, open their eyes to the enormity of this departure, and draw them back to biblical worship and government. The church of Christ is not strengthened by populism but by obedience.
If the pulpit is no longer guarded by the Word of God, it becomes an echo of the world. But if we remain faithful—however small our number—the Lord will own His truth and revive His work in the midst of these years.
“We ought to obey God rather than men.” — Acts 5:29
Soli Deo Gloria.
