Thomas Chalmers was a brilliant man. He had studied
mathematics at St. Andrew’s, and was ordained as a minister to the small
village of Kilmany, with the intention of continuing his work as a professor at
the university. As one biographer puts it, “He thought that a parish minister
could do all that was necessary for his people, and have plenty of time over
for quite other affairs.” His ministry consisted of moral lectures masquerading
as sermons, and he had little regard for any sort of evangelical theology. Then he took ill and found that his only hope
rested in the Lord Jesus Christ.
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| Thomas Chalmers |
From that moment he embarked on a new life. He recovered
from his illness. Then, his sermons changed. His priorities changed. He was
focused on the work of God in Jesus Christ. He fought the moderates in his denomination
which a fervour that eventually led to a split. In 1843, 450 ministers walked
out of the General Assembly, leaving behind salaries and positions, and formed the Free Church of Scotland. They lost
all their church property, yet by Chalmers death in 1847 had built 700 churches
and 400 manses.
This is quite a legacy for a pastor who embarked on ministry
as a diversion from his academic career. We may think that an unconverted
pastor is a rarity. But history is filled with examples of those who are
stirred to the heart in the midst of their ministry.
I am one such example. I tell the story of my movement to salvation
in the testimony linked below. My knowledge of salvation was not a thunderbolt
out of the blue. It was a gradual crumbling of the wall around my heart. It was
a stunning realization that the books on my library shelf and the diplomas on
my study wall meant nothing apart from the saving power of Christ’s blood.
I offered this testimony at Hartland Wesleyan Church in June. I discuss what it means to move from unsaved to saved in the pastorate, and what it means to be a saved pastor in a mainline denomination.
