Chalmers' Ministry

Question 1

What was Thomas Chalmers’ background and poor relief principles?

Answer 1

• Born in Fife, ST Andrew’s at 11.
• After coming to Edinburgh, became ministry at Kilmanny in Fife, and preached on Maths, science, and economics. Presby unimpressed. Chalmer’s moderate at that time. He carried moderatism to an extreme.
• While ill, read more evangelical material and was converted from ‘conventional to enthusiastic’ Xnity.
• Preaching was completely changed. Style/content – everything.
• Also became an advocate of overseas mission movement and bible societies.
• Has interest in helping those in poor
• Penny a week system for people to give to poor
• Wanted to tap into national wealth for good of world around him.
• By late 1812 he was lead advocade of missions and revival of Xn faith and reformation of society based on Xn faith.
• According to Chalmers 4 sources of relief in community
• 1) The poor themselves. They tented to save a little for themselves.
• 2) Families
• 3) Tenants and labours wanted assist the poor
• 4) wealthy people
• Wanted to get rid of pauper lists
• Poor relief had 3 principles
• 1) Poor relief and visitation
• 2) Anonymity. Preserve self-respect of people who needed help.
• 3) Community
• 2 dimensions to parish ministry
• 1) Shared commitment to God
• 2)

Question 2

What happened during Chalmers’ time at the Tron?

Answer 2

• 1815, The Tron in Glasgow
• Conditions in Glasgow really bad.
• Church silent on poverty.
• Brown says there were 3 problems at that time
• 1) Established church hadn’t increased accommodation to meet demands of increasing population. This had to building of chapels of ease.
• 2) schools weren’t being supported.
• 3) CofS is that church had relinquished most of its authority over poor relief.
• Interestingly dissenting churches they were giving more of poor than CofS. This attracting people to dissenting churches.
• So Chalmers wanted to created a system of poor relief and revive pastoral ministry so Glashow labouring poor could get same sense of community that rural church had.
• 1816: experiment. Chalmers’ starting point was visitation. He wanted to know them.
   Relentlessly visited the closes.
   Set up special services.
   Chalmers like the poor.
  o Chalmers started Sabbath schools in Tron parish.
  o Charge to new elders was 3fold
   1) Active elders, visit regularly.
   2) Help the poor in their proportions by seeking out the ‘worthy poor’ who needed assistance.
   3) were to encourage other wealthy parishioners to go with them to bring collaboration between wealthy and poor.
   He also used lay people to teach in the parish.
  o Parishoners were not to patronise poor but visit them.
  o He believed in human dignity for all.
  o Parished system was consolidating things.
  o He threatened to move to Stirling because people opposed him.
• Chalmers also published astronomical discourses.
• 1817 visits London and preaching causes a sensation.
• Starts lecture series on Xn living.
• Comes uner criticism from both parties in the church. Comes under criticism from evangelical wing of the church.
• Moral recognition of human beings got him in trouble. Also looked to external evidences.

Question 3

Chalmers’ and the St John’s Experiment

Answer 3

• Moves on to 3rd charge: St John’s Experiment in Glasgow.
• In 1819 he got a free hand to conduct an experiment in urban ministry. Pursue parish ministry which was uninterfered with regarding care of the poor. Promised to eliminate need for poor relief. Said a communal spirit would create stable and self-sufficient society.
• Families to take responsibility for family.
• They did manage to reduce cost of poor relief. They promised to remove everyone from pauper list and they did with with help of elders and deacons. St John’s experiment offered a humane means of reducing poor relief cost.
• Weaknesses of St John’s Experiment:
  o 1) deacons were middle class. Didn’t always reduce real suffering.
  o 2) Chalmers’ could be harsh in his regulations of the poor. Refused relief to unwedded or deserted mothers. He did this cos he believed the father would come to mother’s aid, but he didn’t always do that!
  o It pointed towards a more active response of CofS to urbanisation.
• Chalmers became weary of pressures of urban ministry and became burntout.
• 1823, appointed to chair of moral philosophy in St Andrew’s. His aim was to train future ministers.
• Within a few years he brought community spirit and evangelical fervour.
• Teaching was thoroughly evangelical.
• Chalmers’ stressed the establishment principle. Wanted to work with government towards a godly commonwealth.