Introduction
In this chapter I want to explain the source and diversity of my data, discuss the methodology I have chosen, and clarify the type of questions this thesis can and cannot address. This work will, primarily, be a study in practical theology, relating to the mission of the local Church, within the context of a Reformed denomination in the British Isles. This research fits into the discipline of practical theology because, according to Paul Ballard and John Pritchard, it deals with the life and practice within the Church, which takes the living context seriously as the foundation for the issues this thesis hopes to discuss. It also has the practical goal of addressing the ‘witness and struggle for the Kingdom of justice and peace.’631 John Swinton and Harriet Mowat also highlight the practical element of such research by defining practical theology as that which seeks to encourage the Christian community to remain faithful to the ‘performed gospel.’632 This lies at the heart of this research because the subject deals with how a Reformed congregation can practise their gospel ministry in the world.
This thesis may not have as wide a context as an abstract piece of writing;
however, part of practical theology is ‘faithful accurate description of the way things are.’633 Robert J. Schrieter brings out the idea that theology is not abstract, but rooted in its context, so that ‘knowledge of the context is part of the theology itself.’634 While the way things are, or the context, cannot necessarily be defined as the way they ought to be, they are, nonetheless,
631 P. Ballard and J. Pritchard, Practical Theology in Action: Christian Thinking in the Service of Church and Society, (London: SPCK, 2006), pp. 5-6.
632 Swinton and Mowatt, Practical Theology and Qualitative Research, p.5.
633 N.T. Anderson, J.W. Carroll, C.S. Dudley, W. McKinney (eds.), Studying Congregations:
A New Handbook, p.16.
634 R.J. Schreiter, ‘Theology in the Congregation: Discovering and Doing,’ in Studying Congregations: A New Handbook, eds. N.T. Anderson, J.W. Carroll, C.S. Dudley, W.
McKinney, p.26.
what forms the background of the topic under consideration. For these reasons, this thesis can be placed within the theological discipline of practical theology.
I have chosen to follow the principles of the Qualitative Constructivist/
Interpretivist Format as outlined by John W. Creswell.635 This format asserts that human communities construct how they understand truth.636 This fits well with the research as I am looking at what happens in the practice of Reformed congregational life. I am considering the definition of Eduard Schweizer that the Church is something which really ‘takes place’ when people come together for worship.637 I am going to consider some practical issues and how they relate to the practice of the Confessional Reformed Churches and, specifically, the Presbyterian tradition. Dealing with any congregation or denomination means considering the beliefs and practices of a great number of individuals formed by many experiences; and, as such, practical theology aids this thesis by considering human experience and challenging these experiences to enable a better practice of gospel ministry.638 Richard Osmer notes two tasks of practical theology that could have a bearing on this research. One of these is the Normative Task, which seeks to ‘open out to forms of theological and ethical reflection.’ This thesis seeks to do this regarding Charismatic and Reformed theology. The other is the Pragmatic Task, which seeks to formulate strategies of action to influence events in a
635 J.W. Creswell, Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches, (Los Angeles, London, New Delhi, Singapore: Sage Publications, 2009), pp.74-75. Accordingly, I include an introduction to the theme - setting the scene, review of the literature and method - then the procedural elements of the contextual
applications.
636 Swinton and Mowat, Practical Theology and Qualitative Research, p.35.
637 E. Schweizer, Church Order in the New Testament, (London: SCM, 1961), p.189.
638 Swinton and Mowat, Practical Theology and Qualitative Research, pp.5-6. C. Savage and W. Presnell note that we are a product of our stories affecting our self-
understanding of who we are, what we think and how we act. C. Savage and W.
Presnell, Narrative Research in Ministry: A Postmodern Research Approach for Faith Communities, (Louisville, KY: Wayne E. Oates Institute, 2008), p.25.
desirable manner.639 I seek to do this by offering a mode of implementing Charismatic practice in a Reformed context. In this context of the gathered Church, I propose to introduce a conversation between the teachings of John Wimber and the theology of the Reformed faith on the practical areas of evangelism, discipleship and ministry operation.
This subject was raised in my mind when I read a statement by William W. Kay:
. . . it was clear that Presbyterian institutions in Northern Ireland and Scotland and high Anglicans have been least receptive to Pentecostal and Charismatic trends.640
Kay makes the statement within the context of worship styles, and the compassion between Anglicanism and Presbyterianism raises a number of concerns. First, rationale for the worship styles of high Anglicanism and Presbyterianism are radically different. Second, I knew from personal experience the widespread practice within Irish Presbyterianism of worship bands, ranging from those congregations who would have a Charismatic leaning to those who were cessationist.641 No reference was given to the Irish Presbyterian Hymnbook, published in 2004, which included a wide variety of
639 R.R. Osmer, Practical Theology: An Introduction, (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2008), p. 139 and 175-176. He states that this has specific application for mainline churches that seek to rework their identity and mission beyond their time of influence and power, culturally.
640 W.K. Kay, Apostolic Networks in Britain: New Ways of Being Church, Studies in Evangelical Thought and History, (Milton Keynes: Paternoster, 2007), p.228. It is noteworthy that Kay cites a friendship between Martyn Lloyd-Jones and Billy Richards.
Atherstone, Jones and Kay, ‘Lloyd-Jones and the Charismatic Controversy’, p.121. Kay makes no mention of this friendship in a previous work. see Kay, Inside Story, pp. 209- 212. Perhaps Kay’s thinking is unclear on this matter.
641 From the Charismatic side there is West Church, Bangor and Orangefield Presbyterian Church, from the cessationist side there is Waringstown Presbyterian Church and First Portadown Presbyterian Church. David Bailie, Minister of West Church, writes of their experience: ‘And a later experience of the Holy Spirit in West Church underlined the dynamic given to people through an infilling with the Spirit, different people receiving different gifts according to the Spirit’s anointing and empowering.’ D. Baillie, ‘50 Years of Ministry,’ <http://www.westchurchbangor.org.uk/magazine/articles/davidbailie.php>, [accessed on 14/5/2010].
praise including some from the Charismatic perspective.642 The fact is that there is a wide spectrum of worship styles within congregations and the singing of historical Protestant hymns, metrical versions of the Psalms, paraphrases of the Bible and modern praise will often be experienced within congregational worship. McIntyre notes there has been a degree of ‘success’
in this area within the Church of Scotland.643 Third, Kay gives no discussion why Presbyterianism, in particular, has a strong rationale for their worship style; namely, the regulative principle. Expediency or pragmatism or even relevancy, are not issues that formulate Presbyterian worship, but how the Bible directs us to worship.644 Fourth, would a discussion regarding the impact of Pentecostal/Charismatic worship styles, which takes no account of spiritual gifts or signs and wonders, limit any discussion of their merit about Irish Presbyterianism and reduce Pentecostal and Charismatic influence to a musical preference and style? Fifth, there is no reference to the historical practice in early Irish Pentecostalism of Psalm singing.645 Cartledge believes that Charismatic influence does travel amongst denominations and, while the contextual form is different, it is, nonetheless, there.646 Sixth, there is historical evidence that the Charismatic Renewal in Ireland began within Presbyterianism when, in 1967, Rev. Tom Smail was invited to Ballysillan congregation by the minister, Rev. John Wynne, who had become aware of
642 The Irish Presbyterian Hymnbook, Trustees of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, (Norwich: Canterbury Press, 2004).
643 McIntyre, The Shape of Pneumatology, p.vii.
644 For a contemporary discussion of the Regulative Principle see: R.A. Muller, Scripture and Worship: Biblical Interpretation and the Directory for Worship, (Phillipsburg, NJ:
P&R Publishing, 2007); D.G. Hart and J.R. Muether, With Reverence and Awe:
Returning to the Basics of Reformed Worship, (Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing, 2002);
R. J. Gore Jr, Covenantal Worship: Reconsidering the Puritan Regulative Principle, (Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing, 2002); M.J. Dawn, Reaching Out Without Dumbing Down: A Theology of Worship for this Urgent Time, (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans,1995);
D.G. Hart, Recovering Mother Kirk: The Case for Liturgy in the Reformed Tradition, (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2003); H.O. Old, Worship Reformed According to Scripture, (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox, 2003); T.J. Keller, ‘Reformed Worship in the Global City,’ in Worship by the Book, ed. D.A. Carson, (Grand Rapids, MI:
Zondervan Publishing House, 2002).
645 J. Robinson, Pentecostal Origins: Early Pentecostalism in Ireland in the Context of the British Isles, (Milton Keynes: Paternoster, 2005), p.163. George Jeffreys led a Ballymena Convention in 1916 by singing the Old Hundredth Psalm.
646 Cartledge, Encountering the Spirit, p.56.
the developing Charismatic Renewal worldwide.647 Smail spoke in both Ballysillan and West Church, Bangor, laying hands on Rev. David Baillie, who would become a key voice in the Irish Renewal Movement. This gave birth to the Charismatic Fellowship including some 100 ministers.648 This being said, I wanted to ask whether Irish Presbyterianism is as unreceptive to Pentecostal and Charismatic practice as Kay believes, and to address whether Charismatic principles are generally incompatible with Presbyterianism, specifically through a conversation with John Wimber.