The Non-Subscribing Presbyterian Church of Ireland

The Non-Subscribing Presbyterian Church of Ireland (NSPCI) is a relatively small but historically quite important denomination within Irish religious life. Even today it has an influence beyond its size as the only avowedly liberal Christian Church in Ireland. The NSPCI was formally established as recently as 1910, however, the different elements that came together to form the denomination have a much longer history and a majority of the congregations date their origins to the 17th century.

Presbyterianism came to Ireland in 1642 with the establishment of the first presbytery at Carrickfergus in County Antrim. In the early 18th century the Presbyterian denomination was divided over the issue of 'subscription' to the Westminster Confession of Faith, ministers were required to sign this document at their ordination. The liberal wing rejected the imposition of non-Biblical creeds and refused to have either ministers or church members subscribe to the Westminster Confession. They stressed the God-given faculty of reason as a means to understanding faith and the Scriptures and with it the crucial element of what they called 'the sacred right of private judgement'. They were called 'New Light' or 'Non-Subscribing' Presbyterians and were basically liberal and tolerant in their approach. Their opponents hoped to uphold a Calvinist orthodoxy and were ultimately successful in having all the Non-Subscribers placed in a separate Presbytery of Antrim in 1725, which still continues today.

Approximately one hundred years later the whole controversy was repeated with the result that another group of Non-Subscribers was forced to separate from the main Presbyterian body. They formed the Remonstrant Synod of Ulster (RSU) in 1830, so called because they remonstrated or protested against compulsory subscription.

Both the Presbytery of Antrim and the RSU are based in Northern Ireland. In the South of Ireland where Protestantism in general and Presbyterianism in particular have always been much weaker the liberal group was called the Synod of Munster. In 1835 these three groups joined together in an Association which was formed into a denomination in 1910.

Today there are a total of 34 congregations with most of them being in Northern Ireland and just two in the Republic of Ireland. We are Presbyterian in our organisation and structure but each congregation is effectively independent. The NSPCI is an active member of the ecumenical Irish Council of Churches and many church members in Northern Ireland are actively involved in various schemes and organisations that are devoted to reconciliation and understanding between the divided communities in the Province. We remain true to our historic liberal witness and have many valued international contacts with other groups not least with the International Association for Religious Freedom and the European Liberal Protestant Network.

David Steers