Minister of Ian Paisley’s old church lashes out at ‘horrendous’ government handling of pandemic fight

The minister of Martyrs’ Memorial church has decried the government’s decision to shut down Sunday worship, while leaving businesses like off-licences free to operate.
By Adam Kula
Published 21st Nov 2020, 06:00 BST
Updated 21st Nov 2020, 10:23 BST
Lord Bannside the Rev Ian Paisley with Free Presbyterian Church moderator Ron Johnstone and Rev Ian Brown pictured in 2010Lord Bannside the Rev Ian Paisley with Free Presbyterian Church moderator Ron Johnstone and Rev Ian Brown pictured in 2010
Lord Bannside the Rev Ian Paisley with Free Presbyterian Church moderator Ron Johnstone and Rev Ian Brown pictured in 2010

Rev Ian Brown, who has been minister-in-charge at the Free Presbyterian church in east Belfast for seven years (where Rev Ian Paisley had formerly ministered,) said that the church was already operating at about two-thirds capacity, with perhaps 100 worshippers on Sunday.

They also spent about £3,000 on things like hand-sanitiser footpumps and a disinfecting “fog machine”.

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He told the News Letter he is “highly offended” churches are deemed “non essential”.

He said: “As far as we’re concerned, the worship of God is the prime duty of man – our first responsibility.

“To relegate that to a point where that isn’t even seen is very poor form for any nation.

“To my knowledge, no churches were consulted prior to the announcement.

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“It is extremely disappointing, when we’ve gone to such lengths, to find the doors – on the decision of government, without consultation – are slammed in our face again.”

He said allowing off-licences to open as churches shut is “a horrendous dichotomy”.

He stressed he was speaking as Martyrs’ Memorial minister, not a denominational spokesman, and also stressed that “we don’t minimise the effects of this virus – we have lost close friends and colleagues”.

“But we must also remember the fact that in the middle of life we’re always facing the reality of death,” he said.

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“Our Lord flagged up our on-going need to keep a proper perspective on these issues with His sentence (from Matthew 10:28):

“‘And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear Him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell’.”

READ MORE FROM THE NEWS LETTER:

Click here: Sammy Wilson: ‘When I show bias there is nothing unconscious about it!’

Click here: Director of group hired to train PSNI dubbed police ‘racist oppressor pigs who deserve the wall’

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Click here: Use transgender pronouns or face possible dismissal: new guidelines for NI’s 23,000 civil servants

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Related topics:Ian BrownBelfast