Margaret Wilson was a fugitive by the time she was 18. Her crime? Worshiping freely in defiance of the king.

On May 11, 1685, the Scotswoman was drowned alongside Margaret MacLauchlan, 63, in the Solway Firth at Wigtown for the crime of attending outlawed church services and asserting that Christ alone was head of the Church.

Just before she died, Wilson sang from Psalm 25: “My sins and faults of youth do thou, O Lord, forget: After thy mercy think on me, and for thy goodness great. God good and upright is: the way he’ll sinners show. The meek in judgment he will guide, and make his path to know.”

In honor of martyrs like Wilson, Southwest Ohio Reformed Presbyterian Fellowship (SWORP) in Mason, Ohio, recently held a Scottish conventicle reenactment.

“During the 16th and 17th Centuries, many Christians in England, Scotland and Ireland were persecuted for proclaiming the truths of the Bible and for worshiping freely. These church reformers worshiped in secret, holding outlawed open-air services known as conventicles,” explained Dr. Richard Knodel, pastor of SWORP.

The event paid homage to the rich history of the church and included worship like that of the 16th Century Scots. Three sermons were preached—modeled after Richard Cameron’s message on Psalm 46.

Phil Pockras, pastor of Belle Center RPC in Belle Center, Ohio, spoke to the “Disquiet Within.” Seminarian Stephen McCollum of Northern Ireland preached on “What is Forbidden?” Pastor Knodel delivered the last message on “What is Required?”

Interspersed between the sermons were historical narratives and psalm singing.

“Before the first millennia, (Celtic) Scotland was a nation committed to the proclamation and evangelism of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Men of zeal would travel in small boats to brave the treacherous seas so that the lost could hear the gospel of Christ. However, the Roman Catholic doctrines also crept across the North Sea and infiltrated Scotland’s borders,” Matt Filbert, director of RP Missions, explained in a history of pre-Reformation Scotland.  By the 12th Century, under the reign of King David I, the demolition of the truer Celtic church was complete, and in its stead sat Romanism. “By the 1500s the nation, which was once deep seated in the truth, was adulterated by false teaching. However, this did not deter a remnant from the desire to know and live for the truth of Christ.” Filbert went on to talk about church reformers Patrick Hamilton, George Wishart and John Knox.

Greg Scott Damerow, a member of SWORP Fellowship, provided an overview of the historical significance of conventicles. Pastor Knodel spoke about the Killing Times—a period of conflict between the Presbyterian Covenanters and the forces of Kings Charles II and James VII (1680-1688).

Many of the psalms selected for the conventicle had historical significance, including Psalm 6, which was John Knox’s favorite while on the French galley ship; Psalm 76, sung by Covenanters at the Drumclog Conventicle on June 1, 1679; Psalm 118, which was quoted by Donald Cargill on the gallows, July 27, 1681; and Psalm 25, sung by Margaret Wilson.

Pastor Knodel and his wife, Susan, spent four years living in Scotland. During their ministry, they organized Scottish Reformation tours and visited significant historical sites, including that of the two Margaret martyrs.

“A 21st Century conventicle is an opportunity to worship God while remembering those that gathered in troubled times past,” said Knodel. “Our hope is to honor those who have died for their faith and reflect on the relevance of their themes for our world today.”

Knodel said his church hopes to make the reenactment an annual event. “I hope the conventicles will become a wonderful tradition, remembering the depth of faith and sacrifices that the Covenanters endured for their beliefs,” he explained.

Audio files of the histories and sermons can be found by searching “Conventicle 2012” at www.sermonaudio.com/sworp.

For more information about the Southwest Ohio Reformed Presbyterian Fellowship, please visit www.reformedohio.com or contact Dr. Knodel at (937) 750-9459 or info@swohiorpc.org.

—Lisa Knodel is a member of Southwest Ohio RP Fellowship in Mason, Ohio. She resides in Springboro with her husband, Chris, and children, Kaiya, 5, and Kaden, 1.