Presbyterian departure from the three solas

I listened with considerable sadness to Radio Ulster's Sunday Morning Service from Portaferry Presbyterian Church.

Listeners were informed at the start of the service that as the congregation – one of the first in Ireland – is now so small that the church building has been given a major makeover to become a centre for arts and heritage bearing the name Portico.

placeholder image — Portico in Portaferry, which Prince Charles opened last month, above. Picture By: Arthur Allison/Pacemaker

As I listened to the service, I couldn’t help feel that if what was being broadcast was typical, the numerical decline must be due, at least in part, to a departure from ‘the three solas’ which are fundamental to Presbyterianism – Sola Fide, Sola Gratia and Sola Scriptura (ie Salvation through Christ by faith alone and grace alone through scripture alone).