What a coincidence: I am reading about the Free Church of Scotland because an organization I am studying a PCA cooperative called the UK Partnership, which is a partnership of US churches helping assist a church planting movement within the UK, including within the Free Church.
Key Scottish partners in this endeavor are:
- Generations, a church planting initiative specifically focused on energizing Free Church congregations to plant and support Free Church missions.
- Cornhill Scotland, a ministry training program whose board chair is the wonderful preacher, William Philip, of Tron Church. Though between pastors right now, London City Presbyterian Church is another source of fine sermons (I only recently learned that this is a Free Church congregation).
What is the coincidence? The coincidence is that Sandy Finlayson has a new book on one of the leading founders of the Free Church, Thomas Chalmers. Sandy talks about the book on yesterday’s Mortification of Spin episode. Sandy directs the Westminster Theological Seminary library (having bailed me out of a couple of potential headaches) as well as Professor of Theological Biography (faculty bio).
His book is called, Chief Scottish Man: The Life and Ministry of Thomas Chalmers. He wrote a smaller book for the same publisher in 2015, but this new book looks to be much fuller. It is currently not very easy to get a hold of (check wtsbooks.com), but this will become the best easily-approachable book on Thomas Chalmers.
Want an example of Chalmers? He preached a wonderful (but horribly-titled) sermon, “The Expulsive Power of a New Affection.” A couple of years ago John Piper wrote a short article on this sermon (with links) because he loves it, too. I could not imagine maintaining my attention long enough to sit through this sermon. However, it is a stirring reminder that our affection for Jesus and our affection for any and everything else, is related. Chalmers contends that the former has the power to expel the latter. It is a masterful thesis.
It is good to see a new work on Chalmers and I hope Sandy’s book finds a large audience.
