Didasko
{{Short description|Scottish Calvinist denomination}}
{{Independent sources|date=January 2025}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox Christian denomination
| name = Didasko
| image = Didasko Logo.png
| caption =
| main_classification = Protestant
| scripture = Bible
| theology = Reformed
Westminster Confession of Faith
| polity = Presbyterian
| associations =
| area = Scotland
| founded_date = 2017
| founded_place =
| separated_from = Church of Scotland
| separations =
| congregations = 7 congregations in Scotland.
| website = https://sites.google.com/view/didaskoscotland/home
}}
{{Religion in Scotland|sidebar=yes}}
Didasko is a family of conservative-evangelical Presbyterian churches in Scotland which have formed a presbytery. It was formed in 2017 as a result of five congregations leaving the Church of Scotland, primarily due to disagreements about human sexuality.{{Cite web |title=Our Corporate members |url=https://www.affinity.org.uk/memberships/corporate-members/#:~:text=The%20Didasko%20Fellowship%20of%20Churches,people%20of%20Scotland%20and%20beyond. |access-date=2025-01-29 |website=Affinity |language=en-GB}}{{Cite web |last=Symes |first=Andrew |date=2017-07-27 |title=Leaving the denomination |url=https://anglicanmainstream.org/leaving-the-denomination/ |access-date=2025-01-29 |website=Anglican Mainstream |language=en-GB}}
Origin
In 2008, the Presbytery of Aberdeen appointed Scott Rennie, a Church of Scotland minister, to serve within its bounds at Queen's Cross Church; the first time that a congregation and presbytery had voted to appoint an openly gay minister. This caused division within the denomination, resulting in some ministers, elders and members leaving the denomination, largely beginning in 2011 with High Hilton Church in Aberdeen.{{Cite web |date=2022-10-07 |title=Gospel Church that left Kirk over liberalism outgrows building |url=https://www.christian.org.uk/news/gospel-church-that-left-the-kirk-over-liberalism-outgrows-building/ |access-date=2025-01-29 |website=www.christian.org.uk |language=en-GB}} In addition, some congregations split, resulting in a breakaway church, and some congregations decided to leave the denomination as a whole.{{Cite web |last=Baines |first=Peter Dickson and Matt |date=2019-04-09 |title=Departing from orthodoxy: what it was like to split from the Church of Scotland - Australian Church Record |url=https://www.australianchurchrecord.net/departing-from-orthodoxy-what-it-was-like-to-split-from-the-church-of-scotland/ |access-date=2025-01-29 |language=en-US}}
Ministers, congregations and breakaways have joined the Free Church of Scotland, the International Presbyterian Church and United Free Church of Scotland.{{Cite book |last=Randall |first=David J |title=A Sad Departure |publisher=Banner of Truth |year=2015 |pages= |language=English}} However, the original five congregations (Cornerstone Community Church, Edinburgh North Church, Grace Church Dundee, Gilcomston and Tron Church) in the Didasko Presbytery decided to come together to form their own fellowship.
Theology
Didasko is a collection of evangelical Presbyterian congregations in Scotland.
They are a confessing fellowship, in that "we confess the faith of Christ crucified, stand firm for the biblical gospel, affirm the historic creeds of catholic Christianity, and hold as a subordinate standard the Westminster Confession of Faith (Scripture itself being the only ultimate authority and standard)."{{Cite web |title=Didasko Fellowship Beliefs and Covenant.pdf |url=https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Yvms8MqKaMUeTa1xHxhQlkVxCkXPwaOG/view |access-date=2025-01-27 |website=Google Docs}}
They are committed to work, pray and support each other in their common mission to proclaim the Good News of Christ to the people of Scotland and beyond.
Churches
| class="wikitable"
!Church !Location !Minister !Web !Founded !Notes |
| Cornerstone Community Church
|Rev. Calum Jack |https://cornerstonestirling.org/ |Split from Stirling North Church of Scotland |
| Edinburgh North Church
|Rev. Stephen Ballingall |http://edinburghnorth.church/ | |
| Grace Church Dundee
|Rev. Dominic Fisher |https://www.gracechurchdundee.co.uk/ | |Split from Logie & St John’s (Cross) Church of Scotland |
| Gilcomston
|Rev. Nathan Owens |https://www.gilcomston.org/ | |Congregation of Gilcomston South Church of Scotland |
| Maxwell Church
|in vacancy |https://maxwellchurch.com/ | |Moved from United Free Church to Didasko in 2024 |
| Trinity Church
|Still to appoint first minister |https://trinity-church.co.uk/ |27 Jan 2025 |New church plant, formed from the majority of the congregation leaving Bishopbriggs Free Church. |
| Tron Church
|Rev. William Philip |https://www.tron.church/ | |Whole congregation of The Tron Church of Scotland. |
Partnerships
References
External links
- [https://www.instagram.com/didaskopresbytery/ Didasko Instagram]
{{Scottish religion}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:2017 establishments in Scotland
Category:Presbyterian denominations established in the 21st century
Category:Presbyterian denominations in Scotland
Category:Christian organisations based in Scotland
Category:Christian organizations established in 2017
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