Divine Healing Service at St Anne's Cathedral: That would be an ecumenical matter

On the 17th May the Annual Day of Prayer for Renewal and Revival will be held at St Annes Cathedral, Belfast. This event is organised by Divine Healing Ministries and is now in its sixth year. The theme for this year's event is 'Moving Forward Together', and when the list of speakers at the event is examined it becomes evident exactly what is meant by 'Moving Forward Together'. The line up is as ecumenical as it gets with a Church of Ireland Canon, two Presbyterian ministers and two Roman Catholic priests taking part. Add to this a speaker from the Roman Catholic ministry of Koinonia John the Baptist and speakers from Transformations Ireland and 24/7 Prayer Ireland, both ecumenical organisations, all organised by Divine Healing Ministries, an organisation which is itself deeply ecumenical. Such a cross community array of speakers makes it clear that their desire to move forward together does not simply mean Roman Catholic and Protestant living peaceably together side by side, but the two communities united together in one Christian faith.

Full details of those taking part in the service can be found here

Northern Ireland's Lottery funded churches

At the beginning of last year we highlighted the fact that a number of churches in Northern Ireland had received funding from the National Lottery as a means of carrying out work on their buildings, or funding events that they were running. (That article can be read here) The funding received by those churches totaled over £570,000.

In 2013 the number of churches seeking funding from the National Lottery, and the amount of money received by churches was greatly diminished. That said, it is evident that there are still a number of churches which are prepared to use this avenue of funding their work.

The Church of Ireland

Once again the Church of Ireland was the greatest beneficiary of lottery funding, with almost £80,000 obtained by various congreagations:

1. Billy Parish Church received £7,176 from the Big Lottery Fund to purchase equipmemt for their church hall. This was the second year in a row that they looked to the National Lottery for funding.

2. Trory Parish Church received £6,779 from the Big Lottery Fund for their youth club to run a number of activities.

3. Holy Trinity Parish Church Lisnaskea received £9,890 from the Big Lottery Fund in order to purchase tables and chairs for their building.

4. Derryvolgie Parish Church received £50,000 from the Big Lottery Fund to carry out a number of repair and improvement works to their church building.

5. The Church of Ireland's Board for Social Responsibility received £5,006 from the Big Lottery Fund to deliver a seminar training and counseling services.

The Presbyterian Church in Ireland

The Presbyterian Church officially is opposed to the use of Lottery money, yet for the fourth year in a row Friends of Portaferry Presbyterian Church obtained a lottery grant. This was received from the Arts Council in order to host the Portaferry Proms. The sum obtained was £5355. Any claim that it is not the church itself which applies for the funding does not wash, particularly as they are in the process of the applying for further funding for the restoration of the building. Since 2010 Friends of Portaferry Presbyterian Church has received a total of £1,019,690 of lottery funding.

Independent Churches

Redeemer Central Church in Belfast received £8,447 from the Big Lottery Fund to establish a open cinema club.

Addullum Christian Ministries in Larne received £8748 from the Big Lottery Fund to carry out a study into the development of a rehabilitation.

The most ironic of the above applications must be that of the Church of Ireland's Board for Social Responsibility. Gambling is one of the great causes of social problems today and to be looking to the National Lottery for funding Christian projects is surely a matter of social irresponsibility! 

When Abraham met the King of Sodom the king offered him goods as payment for what he had done in rescuing Lot and other inhabitants of Sodom. Abraham refused to take them, saying 'I will not take from a thread even to a shoelatchet, and that I will not take any thing that is thine, lest thou shouldest say, I have made Abram rich'. If only those churches listed above had the same conviction as Abraham. The Lord's work cannot be supported by that which has been received from immoral sources, and hope to receive his blessing.

A list of all Lottery grants relating to Northern Ireland can be found here.

Why I am a Free Presbyterian

Why am I a Free Presbyterian? First and foremost I am of course a Christian, but why do I attend the Free Presbyterian Church? Perhaps it is a question you would also do well to ask yourself if you too attend the Free Presbyterian Church. If attend another denomination it may also cause you to ask some questions about the church which you attend. Yet first of all there are issues which we must clearly state are NOT the reason we are Free Presbyterians.

Family influence: Perhaps you are a Free Presbyterian simply because your parents and grandparents before were before you. This is a very perilous position to be in, to be without a personal conviction about the stand of the denomination but to be part of it just because those before you were also. Personal conviction about the truth of God’s word is essential for the future of the denomination if we are to stand steadfastly in times of testing and trial. I am a Free Presbyterian because it is the church I choose, not because of others.

Hope of salvation: I am not a Free Presbyterian because I believe it save my soul. If you hope that your Free Presbyterianism will somehow help you in the day of judgement then you are greatly mistaken. If you have not accepted Christ as your own and personal saviour then you may as well have sat in the chapel all the days of your life listening to a priest blaspheme the name of Christ for it will do you as much good as having been a Free Presbyterian. Acts 4:12 says that ‘Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved’. Salvation is not found in any church but in the Lord Jesus Christ alone.

Irish Presbyterian Elder investigated over Gay Marriage views

A report carried in today's Belfast Newsletter has highlighted the fact the Alliance Party leader David Ford has stepped aside from his position as a ruling elder at Second Donegore Presbyterian Church whilst the Templepatrick Presbytery investigates his support for Gay Marriage. Despite the opposition of the Presbyterian Church to the introduction of Gay Marriage, Mr Ford a long standing member of the denomination, declared his support for the move last September despite having previously been opposed to it. What action will be taken against Mr Ford by the Presbytery remains to be seen, however it clearly runs contrary to the teaching of scripture for anyone to remain a member of, much less be an office bearer in, a Christian church whilst espousing their support for this legislation.

The issue raises many questions for the Presbyterian Church in Ireland given that other members of the denomination have also voted in favour of Gay Marriage, most notably Naomi Long MP, a deacon in Bloomfield Presbyterian Church. Ministers such as Simon Henning of Ballyblack Presbyterian have also shown their support for the homosexual agenda in the past, despite the teaching of God's Word. Our preferred outcome for such cases is not that these people would be thrown of their churches, but that they would repent of their erroneous views. If however no repentance is forthcoming, then there is no option left but for the church to enforce discipline. What will happen to David Ford? We shall wait and see.

The Newsletter article in relation to this can be read here:

http://www.newsletter.co.uk/news/regional/david-ford-steps-down-as-church-elder-amid-gay-vote-probe-1-5029962

Another article on the matter as carried in the Antrim Guardian can be read here: 

http://www.antrimguardian.co.uk/articles/news/33411/church-rebellion-over-gay-marriage/

Your local church: Sponsored by the National Lottery?

When the National Lottery was launched in 1994 it was met with opposition by many Christians. They viewed it as being detrimental to the lives of many people, knowing the sorrow caused to families because of the curse of gambling. The few who would become rich pales in comparison with those who find themselves caught up in the web of addiction. The catch line of 'It could be you' was meant as an enticement, giving people that hope of a win of millions and their life changed forever. It could however be more appropriately be applied to the prospect of losing all to a gambling addiction, for that could most certainly be you. The opposition of Christian churches to such a venture was justified because of the sorrow that is brought about by gambling. Surely then no church would consider using National Lottery funding as a means of supporting the Lord's work. Sadly that is not the case, for last year a number of churches in Northern Ireland chose to turn their backs on the Word of God and seek funding from the National Lottery, largely to carry out renovations and improvements to their buildings.