I urge Rev Ivan Foster to reconsider his stance on Baptist church services

I was disappointed at Ivan foster’s article (December 8) and letter in the News Letter (December 17).

(‘Baptist pastor’s reasons for defying Covid indoor church ban are not solid,’ and ‘Countless thousands of persecuted believers through the centuries would have been glad of a gathering outside in the cold’)

He doesn’t seem to have any conception of the damage he is doing in undermining the faithful witness of Tandragee Baptists. Online services and drive-ins are no substitute for church services.

If these lockdowns continue they have the very real potential to do irreparable damage, not only to the economy but to the testimony of the church.

There was a time Ivan Foster would have understood this and encouraged his brethren.

Out of respect for his courageous stand in the past I invite him to reconsider.

Morally and spiritually Ulster is on a downward spiral and this letter hasn’t helped.

The wider church may have to live with the consequences.

The Bible is full of stories of New Testament and Old Testament saints who got it wrong.

Confessing this is not a sign of weakness, it is the real essence of a man, and goes to the very core of Christianity.

He has invited Tandragee Baptists to consider they may be wrong, I would offer him a similar invitation.

In thrall to our sin Ulster has turned away from God and He may well have turned away from us.

The man who spent a lifetime contending for the faith would have understood this, and sounded a warning.

The devil now knows Tandragee Baptists are there and they can expect opposition.

The churches, without demur, have taken to the wearing of masks so it should come as no surprise they are closing their doors.

How long before it becomes permanent?

Where once churches were bastions of truth, they now have become vassals of the state.

Churches are noted for this, it is a matter of historical record, but God never leaves Himself without a witness.

During his lifetime Ivan Foster has been a faithful and consistent witness to the truth and has suffered the scorn of unbelievers.

On this occasion I invite him to consider he may be wrong, indeed this should be a consideration for all of us, because it has the potential to do real and lasting damage to the church.

In conclusion, I have to say swopping Bible texts serves no useful purpose, you just keep going round in circles and it causes more confusion.

Sometimes your instincts, honed by the authority of scripture, inform your conscience something is wrong: If it does, you should go with that.

Clive Maxwell, Bleary

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