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"Take
Heed" Ministries
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Cecil Andrews, PO BOX 13, Ballynahinch, BT24 8AL, Northern Ireland. Telephone/Fax 028 9756 5511. E-MAIL - takeheed@aol.com WEBSITE - http://www.takeheed.net |
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The abuse by ALF McCREARY of ‘journalistic position and power’ exposed. |
On a number of occasions I have challenged the publicly expressed views of ALF McCREARY who is the religious affairs correspondent of the Belfast Telegraph. By his own public admission he is an ordained Elder within the Irish Presbyterian Church although how in conscience he can maintain that in view of the regular conflict between the views expressed in his writings and the truths contained in his Supreme and Subordinate Standards of faith, namely The Bible and The Westminster Confession of Faith is to say the least ‘baffling’.
At this time of the year the 21 Presbyteries of the Irish Presbyterian Church vote to elect a new Moderator who then takes up his year of office in June each year. Last year was a very close vote with 11 Presbyteries voting for Rev Ivan McKay and 10 Presbyteries voting for Rev Ken Newell. Rev McKay would be identified with the ‘evangelical and non-ecumenical’ strand within Irish Presbyterianism whereas Rev Newell would be in the forefront of the ‘liberal and ecumenical’ strand.
On
and in it he said –
‘It
is hard to believe that the annual election of a Presbyterian Moderator is
taking place next week…last year there was a tie in the first round. In the
subsequent election between two candidates, the current Moderator, Dr Ivan
McKay received 11 votes to the 10 of Rev Ken Newell. I have no idea what will
happen this year but I would like to think that a Presbyterian sense of
propriety would ensure that Mr Newell would have the benefit of a fair wind
this time round. The more I become an embedded reporter within
Presbyterianism, the more I try to appreciate its ability to encompass a wide
variety of beliefs and witness. I hope that my trust will be justified next
week’.
Subsequent to the
news of the vote referred to above
ALF McCREARY
again addressed the topic of the
election in his perspectives
page published on
‘The news of the tied election this week for a new Moderator may
seem to some people as exciting as watching paint dry…The Presbyterians held a
perfectly legitimate election which produced a credible result…What was
unusual…was the fact that it produced a tied vote for the second year in
succession…this time the Rev Ken Newell, a progressive [for that read ‘liberal and ecumenical’] from Fitzroy
Presbyterian Church tied with the Rev Dr Harry Uprichard, a conservative [for
that read ‘evangelical and non-ecumenical] from Ahoghill…
According to the rules of the Church the 21 Presbyteries will now
have to chooses between Mr Newell and Dr Uprichard on March2…Common sense
might have suggested that, given last year’s voting figures, the Presbyterian
Church might have given the nod to Ken Newell this time round…I have known
Ken Newell for many years and I have respected his gifts of outreach to other
denominations [for that read ‘ecumenical
compromise’] and to other faiths…The wild card (if one can use that term
for such a process) is that in both years the Monaghan Presbytery voted for Rev
Alistair Kennedy from Bangor. If they had voted for Newell last year he would
have been Moderator and the same would have applied this year in the first
round.
If the current patterns hold,
Monaghan also has the key to next year’s Moderator…I do hope however in the
meantime there will be no telephone hotlines or arm-twisting to “keep Newell
out” or “get Uprichard in” or vice versa.
I THINK THE
I was utterly appalled to read these comments by ALF McCREARY as
with one breath he pleaded for no ‘arm-twisting’ and yet by his
repeated pleas for Ken Newell to be ‘given the nod’ he was by
another breath abusing his position with the Belfast Telegraph to apply some
powerful journalistic ‘arm-twisting’. His misuse of his position
and power did not escape the notice of a ‘Presbyterian Elder in
‘ALF McCREARY (
MR McCREARY on the other hand appears to have set himself up as a
non-elected, self-appointed adviser to the 21 Presbyteries in general and the
Monaghan Presbytery in particular. Members of
Presbyteries should be left to make their decision, voting in accordance with
their conscience, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, without pressure,
ESPECIALLY FROM AN ELDER OF THE CHURCH WHO IS, QUITE CLEARLY, ENDEAVOURING TO
USE HIS POSITION AS A PRESS CORRESPONDENT TO INFLUENCE THE VOTING IN FAVOUR OF
HIS PERSONAL CHOICE OF CANDIDATE. I am sure that this is how both candidates
would wish to see the election conducted.
What a gracious but effective exposure of
ALF McCREARY’S abuse of his
‘journalistic position and power’
Cecil Andrews –
‘Take Heed’ Ministries –
Did ALF McCREARY accept this rightful rebuke from a fellow ‘Presbyterian Elder’ in a fitting, apologetic, repentant manner?
Did he hold his hands up and say –
‘It’s a fair cop; I’m guilty; I’m sorry’
This
is what he wrote in his column on
Laying
it on the line
On
Tuesday week the Presbyterian Church in
Until after the election (if even then) I intend to make no further editorial comment as to the outcome, save to make the point that the Church will indeed make up its mind - not my mind - as it always does, subject to Divine Guidance. That said, however, there is no reason in general why anyone should not make a comment on an issue of some public note, and I cannot see why an office-bearer, such as an elder, should be precluded from having a view on the matter.
Similarly, I cannot see how a citizen with a vote should not comment, say, on the outcome of an Assembly or local council election.
Like other correspondents I welcome all letters on issues of public interest, critical or otherwise, though I would much prefer that they were signed by the writer and that the name was published.
If someone is prepared to add his, or her, voice to a public debate I cannot understand why he or she should wish to hide behind a pseudonym, apart from reasons of personal security. I suppose its called having the courage of one's convictions.
It really is difficult to accept that ALF McCREARY is an ordained Elder of the Presbyterian Church given the Biblical qualifications laid down for such a responsible role. Rather than setting a commendable Christian example by acknowledging his journalistic error in this whole ‘Moderator election affair’ Mr McCREARY has sought here to defend the indefensible and in doing so he misrepresented his ‘over the top’ electioneering on behalf of Ken Newell by reducing it to the level of ‘making a comment’.
[1]
‘I would like to think that a Presbyterian sense of propriety would ensure
that Mr Newell would have the benefit of a fair wind this time round’ [31
January 2004]; [2] ‘Common sense might have suggested that, given last
year’s voting figures, the Presbyterian Church might have given the nod to Ken
Newell this time round… [3] I THINK THE
In the run up to an election in which Mr
McCREARY clearly has a publicly stated ‘theological preference’
where the outcome is concerned, these canvassing views on behalf of one of the
candidates amount to a lot more than simply ‘making a comment’.
As for his cheap comments about ‘Presbyterian
Elder’ exercising a perfectly legitimate and in my book, in this particular
case, a perfectly understandable right to remain anonymous, they really do
betray a less than gracious trait in Mr McCREARY’S
character. In the context of ‘things Christian’ this was a tasteless example of
‘I don’t like the message so I’ll shoot the messenger’.
In the light of this incident and others on record is it not time for both Mr McCREARY and the Belfast Telegraph to take a fresh look at his suitability for this position?
Cecil Andrews –
‘Take heed’ Ministries –