Protestant Truth Society

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The 'No Popery' activities of the PTS in the early Twentieth Century. (Press Association 'Protestant Truth Society Protest - "No Popery" Demonstration', Colonist, Volume LII, Issue 12858, 30 July 1910, Page 2. Retrieved from Papers Past, National Library of New Zealand, 21 April 2012.)

The Protestant Truth Society (PTS) was founded by John Kensit 1889, to 'take a stand against the growing influence of Romanism within church and nation.'[1] It was and remains a strongly Protestant organisation dedicated to combatting what it claims is the influence of the Catholic Church in public life and pursuing moral conservative campaigns to defend the institutions of the family and heterosexuality.

The Society gives the following account of its position today:

Today, our world is very different from that of 1889. Britain no longer 'rules the waves', and she no longer has an Empire, but Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever. Political, social and technological change is continual, but the needs of men's hearts are still the same, and the gospel of Jesus Christ is still the only hope for a weary, sin-sick world.
Romanism is still at variance with the gospel, but so are false religion, irreligion, atheism and all those philosophies and ideologies which set themselves against the truth as it is in Jesus, and enslave the hearts and minds of men and women.[1]


In 1898 the first band of Wickliffe Preachers was appointed. In 1905 the Kensit Memorial Bible College was established in Finchley, to train the Wickliffe Preachers in their work of 'declaring the gospel and defending the faith.'[1]

As of 2012 the PTS is based in Fleet Street, London.

History

1914

On the decision of the British government ot open diplomatical relations with the Vatican in 1914, many Protestant organsations complained and protested including the PTS. In a letter to the King on December 23, 1914 via the Home Secretary (Rt Hon Sir Reginald McKenna):

from the President and Secretary of The Protestant Truth Society: "We your Majesty's most loyal subjects". They suggested that the appointment of Sir Henry Howard to the Holy See had offended the United Kingdom electorate, the overseas Dominions, the Italian nation, the anti-clerical element of France, the Czarist Russians, and European politics in general.
In short, "it is altogether inconsistent with national welfare to•parley with the system of Romanism; all nations coquetting with Romanism as a political power have suffered grievous upheavals; the political intrigues of Romanism may be charged as an underlying cause of the present War."
The principal charge, as to the last point, was that the Vatican courted Germany and Austria as the best hope for Catholicism in contemporary European politics.
"The declared hope by Romish Ecclesiastics (is) that a European conflict would open the way for Austria to restore again the Temporal Power of the Pope." So it goes on; until it comes to an end with an invocation of some not unfamiliar words from the economist, Adam Smith: "The Church of Rome is the most formidable combination that ever was formed against the authority and security of civil government as well as against the liberty, reason and happiness of mankind."[2]

2010

On the visit of the Pope to the UK in 2010 the PTS was amongst those groups (also including Christian Watch) which mounted a protest. In a leaflet also sponsored by other Protestant groups (Association of the Continuing Church Trust, British Council of Protestant Christian Churches, Christian Watch, Church Society, Protestant Alliance, Protestant Reformation Society, Spirit of ’88, Trinitarian Bible Society, United Protestant Council) they claimed:

We reject the Pope’s pretensions to power over governments and churches. The Pope does not owe his present status as monarch of the Vatican City State to God but to a treaty with Mussolini. We reject his blasphemous claim to infallibility. God alone is infallible. The recent scandalous revelations over child abuse demonstrate the corruption of the papacy.[3]

The protest was held on Friday 17th September 2010 in front of The Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre Broad Sanctuary, Westminster, London SW1P 3EE. The Society noted 'Appropriate scriptural placards will be provided'.[4]

People


Name of Director[6] Role Date of Birth Date of Appointment Date of resignation Stated occupation
George Roy Rae Secretary None given 01/08/2004 N/A Not stated
Richard George Richard Barnes Director 22/12/1948 13/02/2006 N/A Chartered Accountant
Duncan Rodney Lecington Boyd Director 18/06/1963 10/11/2003 N/A Barrister Businessman
Michael De Semlyen Director 19/02/1938 10/10/2005 12 June 2002 Distributor
Edwin Kenneth Lloyd Director 18/02/1920 10/10/1995 N/A Retired
Rev Edward John Malcolm Director 18/07/1966 13/11/2000 N/A Clergyman
Kevin McGrane Director 11/05/1960 12/09/2011 N/A Chartered Engineer
William Leeroy Smith Director 24/04/1939 16/04/2007 N/A Retired
Rev Dominic Francis Stockford Director 24/08/1962 16/04/2007 N/A Minister Of Religion
Rev Walter John Cook Secretary Not stated 01/09/1994 31/05/1996 Not stated
Rev Samuel Richard McKay Secretary Not stated 01/06/1996 31/07/2004 Director
Alexander John Roberts Secretary Not stated Pre 28/01/1992 31/08/1994 Not stated
Allan Harold Leslie Bowhill Director 05/08/1943 Pre 28/01/1992 20/07/1995 Clerk In Holy Orders
Rev Maurice Gerald Bowler Director 05/08/1925 Pre 28/01/1992 11/03/2002 Minister Of Religion
Rev Robert David Browne Director 06/09/1905 Pre 28/01/1992 08/05/1996 Minister Of Religion - Retired
Rev George Roland Burrows Director 16/01/1949 14/10/1992 14/11/2011 Minister Of Religion
Rev Brian Garrard Director 24/03/1946 10/06/1996 06/05/1998 Minister Of Religion
Harold Gordon Haynes Hill Director 05/12/1915 Pre 28/01/1992 11/11/2002 Clerk In Holy Orders - Retired
Canon Stanley Holbrooke-Jones Director 18/10/1927 08/11/1999 09/11/2009 Retired Clergyman
Rev Peter William Howe Director 30/09/1934 Pre 28/01/1992 13/04/1992 Minister Of Religion
Alfred Latimer Kensit Director 24/05/1909 Pre 28/01/1992 05/08/1992 Company Secretary-Retired
Rev Frank Walter Martin Director 18/09/1913 Pre 28/01/1992 15/07/1992 Clerk In Holy Orders - Retired
Gordon John Murray Director 18/03/1933 09/11/1998 13/08/2010 Christian Minister
Francis Dermot Nash Director 21/05/1935 17/01/2002 08/11/2010 Retired
Ronald Pearce Director 29/04/1922 13/04/1992 10/12/2001 Retired Insurance Manager
Rev Andrew Robert Price Director 20/09/1960 12/02/2001 15/09/2003 Minister Of Gospel
David Cyril Relf Director 07/12/1922 Pre 28/01/1992 15/09/2003 Retired Solicitor
Alexander John Roberts Director 01/09/1927 12/09/1994 14/11/2005 Minister Of Religion
Major Andrew J H Rutherfoord Director 22/02/1916 Pre 28/01/1992 11/09/1995 Retired Army Officer
Rev Iain Stewart Director 06/11/1931 11/11/1996 11/03/2002 Minister Of Religion
Rev Donald Fredrick Strong Director 18/01/1918 Pre 28/01/1992 02/02/2000 Clerk In Holy Orders - Retired
Rev John Edwin Foster Tredennick Director 15/11/1906 Pre 28/01/1992 04/09/1995 Clerk In Holy Orders - Retired

Resources

Affiliations

Keep Marriage Special an 'expressly Christian pro-marriage campaign', which 'originated with both the Protestant Truth Society and Church Society' in January 2012.[7]

Contact

The Society is registered at Companies House as the Protestant Truth Society (Incorporated), company number 00166825

184 Fleet Street
EC4A 2HJ
London
Telephone: 020 7405 4960

Notes

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 Protestant Truth Society History, accessed 21 April 2012
  2. Alberic Stacpoole No more 'no Popery'? Catholic Herald, 24th September 1982, Page 5, accessed 22 April 2012
  3. Protestant Truth Society Should we welcome the Pope?, London, 2010
  4. Protestant Truth Society Papal Visit Protest - Protestant Truth Society, PDF created 19 August 2010 16.33
  5. Protestant Truth Society PTS Wickliffe Preachers, accessed 23 April 2012
  6. Data compiled from Companies House, accessed on 22 April 2012, unless otherwise stated.
  7. Protestant Truth Society Prayer Letter for April 2012, Accessed 12 April 2012