In the days preceding the meeting of the Ulster Unionist Council in Belfast on November 27, the delegates to the meeting were offered contradictory advice . . .
Some people argued strongly for an acceptance of the Mitchell Review of the Good Friday Agreement, while others strongly opposed any departure from the 'no guns, no government' stance that David Trimble had adopted since the breakdown of negotiations last July. Interestingly, many of those who were most prominent in offering the advice were evangelicals. Evangelical Christians in Ulster are as deeply divided as any other section of the population on the issue of devolution and decommissioning.
Two groups of church ministers went to Stormont in the week before the critical meeting of the Unionist Council to lobby local politicians. One group, which was pressing for acceptance of the deal, was met by an Assembly member, himself an evangelical Christian, who said that it was 'immoral' that they should encourage politicians to accept the inclusion in government of Sinn Fein, so long as the IRA refuses to disarm.
