You have to admire the peaceable manner in which St James’ Church, Broughty Ferry, managed its split. Rev Alberto de Paula led a portion of the congregation away from the central structure of the Church of Scotland without rancour or bitterness.
After an emotional service, both sides, who could not agree on a number of matters, said goodbye and pledged to remain friends.
I met Alberto when he came to Scotland as an assistant minister. I remember he felt called to Arbroath from the silver beaches, warm seas and sunshine of Brazil. Now that’s a man of faith!
While Alberto inspired a harmonious exodus, history shows that church disputes in Scotland were not always handled with mutual respect.
In Dundee in 1898, a shocking outbreak of violence among members left a minister sheltering in his vestry and worshippers injured.
Tempers flared when Walter Walsh, the new minister at Gilfillan Memorial Church called a meeting to discuss finance.
From the start there was shouting and hooting and threats of violence between young men. Then, 20 minutes before the end, the meeting descended into bedlam.
A middle-aged women whacked a younger woman with her umbrella. Both parties were restrained but an ugly fist fight broke out among other females. One man tried to restore order but his friend, fearing for his life, dragged him to safety.
Newspaper reports say the belligerence spread to all the women who employed the most profane language.
Mr Walsh locked himself in the vestry and shouted “go away”. Police restored order but the assaulted girl remained hysterical.
Popularity did not follow prohibitionist Mr Walsh. Two years later he was stoned for his part in a “peace” meeting and jostled by a crowd of several hundred.
In my online blog last year, I made reference to one of the most vicious kirk fights in Scotland, which was reported in The Courier in 1896.
A wealthy chap called Robert Stirling livened up a service by giving a woman a sound kicking for taking his seat.
Robert Stirling turned into a “wild bear” and even ripped the hat off Mrs Walls, the wife of a spirit dealer.
They both laid claim to a seat and Mr Stirling was known to leap over pews to get into his place. One Sunday Stirling burst into the kirk in a fury. He wedged himself next to Mrs Walls and struck out with his elbows.
Stirling lashed out with his feet, kicking her legs. He even put his foot through his own hat. Stirling took revenge for the damage to his own hat by tearing off the hat from the head of Mrs Walls.
Someone returned the hat to Mrs Walls but Stirling grabbed it and pushed his own hat on Mrs Wall’s head.
At the court case, minister Angus Morrison at the Kirkintilloch church said he was not in the church at time but was aware there had been a dispute over a seat.