Let Christian Men Be Men: The Bierton Crisis

David Clarke tells of his Secession from the Bierton Strict and Particular Baptist Church, in 1984 over matters of conscience. This Church was formed in 1831 and registered as a Calvinistic Protestant dissenting Society and became a Gospel Standard Cause, in 1981, but sadly fell into serious doctrinal errors teaching general redemption to Sunday school children, maintaining that the law of Moses was the rule of life for the believer, and not the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. The church were unable to distinguish between the 7th day Sabbath and the Lord's Day, which caused critical judgments by some and infringements on church members liberties. This was despite the fact their articles of religion taught otherwise. This included censorship over the use of cassette recorders and other electronic means of communication. David brings attention to other serious superstitious views, which included reverence of a Holy Table and a belief the Chapel building was the house of God. David also records the actions of a certain woman exercising usurped authority over the male members of the church which left the Church members powerless, so leaving its members unable to function as a cause of Christ. This happened 46 years ago and the chapel was closed for worship 16 years later, in December 2002 after all the former church members died. David is now the sole remaining member of the Bierton Strict and Particular Baptists, as his membership was never terminated by the church, according to strict rules of church membership. David also records the difficulties that arose from within and without the church due to certain objections that arose against their articles of religion that denied Duty Faith, Duty Repentance, and certain ministerial addresses to mixed congregations, and strict communion practice. All of which matters. He was able to clarify and set out the scriptural view on this matter with the aid and assistance from other Gospel Standard ministers, the writing of Dr John Gill and others, but not to the satisfaction of the members. This was during the time he was the secretary of the church in 1982 and a sent minister of the gospel. This publication is to encourage any who are called to the ministry to earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. Jude 1:6. And recommends Dr. John Gill's Body of Doctrinal and Practical Divinity and believes this personal testimony will educate and enable others to learn from.