Extremist Protestant Demonstrates

Rage greets assembly

By GERRY BELLETT
Pastor Jack Glass, the Scottish Protestant, labelled an extremist by Ulster’s Rev. lan Paisley, stood outside the Pacific Coliseum on Sunday, 30 pieces of silver in one hand, a Bible in the other and rage in his heart.

Unlike many of the protesters gathering to hurl abuse at members of the World Council of Churches Sixth Assembly, Mr. Glass isn’t new at the job.

“This’ll be my third,” said the clergyman who flew in from Glasgow with three supporters to stage what is likely to be the smallest anti WCC demonstration planned for Vancouver.

“I was at Uppsala (Sweden, 1968) and Nairobi in 1975. “

He was arrested by police in Nairobi for interrupting the last WCC assembly. Swiss police grabbed him while he was trying to enter Switzerland to protest a papal visit and the Italian police showed him the inside of a cell for demonstrating in St. Peter’s Square against Queen Elizabeth’s meeting with the Pope.

In Britain, he was constantly shadowed by police because of his attempts to disrupt Pope John Paul II’s visit to Britain last year.

But on Sunday, there were no policemen to be seen as Pastor Glass waited unsuccessfully to spot an old antagonist, Robert Runcie, the Archbishop of Canterbury, leader of the world’s 70 million Anglicans.

The archbishop was among the prelates at the coliseum to attend the opening ceremonies of the Sixth Assembly of the World Council of Churches.

To Pastor Glass, Runcie is a Roman Catholic in disguise.

“He’s a hypocrite for accepting the stipend from a church whose faith he doesn’t believe,” he said.

As for the collection of coins in the bag: “These pieces of silver are for him and the rest of those who believe in the World Council of Churches,” thundered the Glaswegian pastor who has confronted the archbishop on many occasions.

“This isn’t the church of Christ, it’s the church of Judas Iscariot. And they are subsidizing bloodshed in the name of Christ,” he said, waving his Bible as dignitaries and guests filled the 15,000-seat coliseum.

This year, his protest is against the WCC’s support of African guerrilla groups that received money from the council under its program to combat racism.

The Vancouver Sun 25.7.83