Tandragee Baptist: Rev Foster is wrong in his undermining of our faithful witness

In response to the undermining of the faithful witness of Tandragee Baptist Church by Rev Ivan Foster:

(Rev Foster’s article can be read here ‘Baptist pastor’s reasons for defying Covid indoor church ban are not solid,’ December 8).

1. The building:

Your conclusion that church is not the building, and that in Scripture and Church history many met in the open air is correct. However, when a building is the common use of that congregation, and then government steps in to disrupt that assembly, it does mean that government has overstepped their God given mandate to punish the evil doer.

Are there not ancient laws in this land (such as Magna Carta) that protect us from such tyranny? You cite that churches are able to meet ‘online’. Surely you do not see this as a literal gathering of God’s people?

Surely the gathering of God’s people should be a literal one, and not a virtual one? How then is baptism to be administered online? Or the Lord’s table? Or congregational singing?

I watch much Christian teaching online, but I certainly never count it as church! New Testament Christianity is the literal gathering of God’s people plus the full program of what a NT Church should be (congregational singing, prayer, preaching, Lord’s Table, baptism etc). Meeting online is not full NT worship. It falls short of that.

You then mention ‘drive in church’ services. Again, preaching and prayer is possible at these meetings. But they full short of a full NT gathering of God’s people.

I’ve attended a good number over the last few months and have yet to see a baptism, have yet to see the Lord’s table taken, and it seems most drive ins have given up on, or never even attempted congregational singing. So drive in church, is (at this time of year) a cold, miserable, poor substitute for a fully functioning NT church meeting.

You also mention how many early Christians met in their homes. Now this is a situation where full NT worship can take place (congregational singing, prayer, preaching, Lord’s Table, baptism etc). But as you are aware, Stormont has ruled against such gatherings, and have made these illegal also.

Therefore, in the current situation, the churches in NI cannot meet and gather in church worship in the full NT program because of government decree.

The fact is that full function of NT worship (either by assembly in a building or in a home) has been outlawed in this country. This is beyond the mandate of government and therefore as NT believers we ought to obey God rather than men and meet together as God’s people in our buildings or at house church meetings despite what the powers that be decree.

2. Not Gospel specific persecution:

But persecution it is! When the prophet Daniel was commanded to pray to the false god, so too were all the citizens of that land. It was a universal removal of religious freedom. The unrighteous law was much broader in its scope and was not only targeted towards faithful Daniel. We have a similar situation in NI.

The Covid regulations are not specifically targeted at Christians, but Christians do find themselves caught up in the board net of these unrighteous dictates. Regulations that across the land have in total or in part removed freedom of assembly, freedom of movement, freedom of association, freedom of religion, freedom to protest and so on.

The lockdown laws go against scriptural guidelines for disease control. Lockdown restrictions of healthy people is not Biblical! (Lev 13:1-6) Mandatory mask wearing for healthy people is not biblical! (Lev 13:45).

You cite the apparent blessings of online Christianity. True, many hear the word of God online. But this form of spreading the word of God and preaching has already been meeting with great success over the last few decades anyway.

Online preaching should only act as a supplement for real church not a replacement for it! As mentioned, online church is no substitute for real church, and online church is far from something to celebrate! The numbers on line tell us many watch and tune in. But the reality is that many tune in and tune out.

How many actually sit and listen from start to finish we will never know. Many, due to the natural disruption and settings of sitting at home do not pay attention to what is being said. Real church is a more ideal setting for paying attention, keeping children in good order, and a place with less worldly distractions.

It should also be mentioned the disastrous impact online church has had on the good habit of routine church attendance. Good habits take years to form, and sadly for many, regaining this habit may never happen. Sunday schools closed, youth fellowships forsaken, prayer meetings moved ‘online’, far from being a blessing, lockdown substitute church has had a disastrous impact on the function of the NT church.

In contrast, Tandragee Baptist maintained the literal gathering together of their people, congregational singing, maintained the ordinances of the Lord’s Table and Baptism, and have been blessed for it. Their meetings have been well attended and the full programme of what a NT church is meant to be has been maintained.

In summary, we can ask the simple question, ‘Has the faith and practice of the NT church in NI been disrupted and hindered by the Covid restrictions?’ The answer is Yes! How can anyone be so blind to say otherwise? Satan often attacks the Lord’s Church in a way we do not expect. He is a serpent!

We have been expecting a gospel specific persecution, but many have failed to see this broader attack that has encompassed all. Satan may have attacked from a new direction, but if he achieves the same goal (the disruption and/or shut down of the NT church witness) then what does he care? As long as he achieves his goal!

3. Love for our neighbour:

You state we ought to forsake church assembly out of love for our neighbour? For fear of spreading the deadly virus? As mentioned to you before, the virus is nowhere near as deadly as was initially claimed, with the death rate closer to that of a bad year of seasonal flu.

Research it properly for yourself. Sadly, it seems you have succumbed to the media fear and hype, as have many of the general population.

When it comes to love for our neighbour in times of plague, washing and cleanliness, and separation if showing symptoms is the Biblical way we love our neighbour. Mask wearing, quarantine, and social distancing are for lepers! (Those who are sick, NOT those who are well).

Read carefully the Leviticus passage you misquoted in the paper! The lepers were to obey those guidelines, not the whole healthy nation! To treat those who are healthy, as if they are indeed sick, is to overstep the scriptural guidance (Matt 9:12). The nation of Israel was never locked down and forced into quarantine because of leprosy! Those who had the disease had to obey the measures.

But perhaps we should push your ‘love your neighbour’ and stay away from church idea. I take it you will never drive your car to church again?

The chances of dying in a car accident or killing someone else as you drive are about the same odds as dying of Covid. If you truly love your neighbour, then don’t ever risk innocent people’s lives by driving to church again! What about other deadly diseases other than Covid?

There are plenty of them. Perhaps before ever leaving home again, make sure to be tested for the full spectrum of deadly diseases, just in case you pass something on and kill someone. Surely if you truly loved your neighbour you would take all these precautions?

When we depart from God’s guidelines for loving our neighbour, then this is the kind of logical absurdities we can end up believing. The age old question in cultures down through the centuries has been, ‘At what price freedom?’.

Freedom in a society always comes at a cost. The NI executive could pass a law banning all driving in an effort to drive down the number of road deaths. Such legislation would work I’m sure. But at what cost? The loss of freedom and the ruin of the economy. When trying to reach the correct view on safety on one hand and freedom on the other, the Bible gives us the perfect balance.

The fruit of ignoring the Bible’s balanced approach by many of the world’s governments is now evident, and will increasingly be seen, as businesses collapse, suicide rates skyrocket, domestic violence rates double, personal and religious freedoms removed, many needing medical care denied because of Covid being a priority, and so on and so on.

All because man in his wisdom goes beyond the guidance of the Bible. A position which you publically now support?

• Luke Barker is a college graduate of the Free Presbyterian Whitefield College of the Bible

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