Vineyard Church and Hope Community Church – more easy-believists back ecumenical ‘New Wine’ Conference

We have previously featured on ‘Protestant Revival’ numerous characters taking part in the ecumenical ‘New Wine’ Conference, which kicked off yesterday (Sunday) and runs through to this Friday, 13 July.

These have included Philip Emerson and Dave Wylie, two of the lead pastors of the Emmanuel Church in the Craigavon area and confirmed Church of Ireland ecumenists, Canons Henry Blair and Mark Harvey.

On the Conference’s website, they have listed literally dozens of speakers, and while we cannot focus on them all, for obvious reasons, there are some more individuals taking part of note.

These include several representatives of the Vineyard Church, including two who are or were heavily involved with the Causeway Coast Vineyard Church in Coleraine, County Londonderry.

This is of course the church whose former leader is Alan Scott, a man who, during a message he delivered at the Causeway Coast Vineyard, said he was “all in” with the Pope.

The other participant we wish to highlight is Rev Craig Cooney, minister at one of the new charismatic Church of Ireland plants springing up in numerous locations, this one called Hope Community Church, based in Craigavon.

Indeed, Rev Craig Cooney, prior to taking up his role in Craigavon, held the position of ‘Teaching Pastor’ for a year at the Causeway Coast Vineyard Church.

Before we go any further, we will demonstrate beyond contention the ecumenical nature of this event.

At the ‘New Wine’ Conference there will be at least three speakers from the Roman Catholic Church. They are Bishop Kevin Doran, the Bishop of the Elphin Diocese; Dr Fodhla McGrane of Clonard Monastery in west Belfast and Paddy Monaghan of the Evangelical Catholic Initiative.

The Roman Catholic Church is an anti-Christian organisation, and teaches numerous falsehoods, not least of which is its blasphemy of salvation by works and sacramental merit.

The Bible, however, teaches of a far simpler, greater salvation – through faith.

Ephesians 2:8-9 says: “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”

We cannot earn our salvation, which Rome still to this day teaches. One must only look at the Pope’s offer of plenary indulgences to those who attend his planned visit to the Republic of Ireland next month to see Rome has not moved one iota since the Reformation.

The matter of the Romanist deceit regarding salvation is the most grave of its manifold blasphemies, for they attempt to erect a bar between its followers and eternal glory in heaven.

And this is the key reason why so-called Protestant preachers and supposedly God-exalting church leaders should remain separate from perpetrators of such papal deceit.

God’s curse is on the Roman Catholic system, with its false gospel of works. Galatians 1:9 says: “As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.”

We are not to fellowship with or even extend good wishes to those who preach another gospel.

2 John 1:9-11: “Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.”

By associating with such messengers of “that man of sin”, the Pope, Rev Craig Cooney and those representatives of the Vineyard Church are made partaker of their evil deeds.

Most observers of religious affairs in Northern Ireland will have probably heard of the controversy at Knocknamuckley Church of Ireland a few years ago, where the ludicrous conduct of Rev Alan Kilpatrick grabbed headlines in the country’s regional papers.

His highly irreverent style of dress in church, his abandonment of traditional worship, his bringing in of an interpretive dance troop on Easter Sunday 2015 and his links with the extreme Pentecostal movement, Bethel Supernatural Ministry, eventually led to him leaving the church, located between Portadown and Lurgan in County Armagh.

Given his list of transgressions, one would have expected a supposedly God-exalting church to have washed their hands of Rev Alan Kilpatrick.

However, the local diocese of the Church of Ireland instead allowed him to set up a new fellowship, which became Hope Community Church, based in Craigavon.

Rev Alan Kilpatrick left in 2017 and was then replaced by Rev Craig Cooney.

At his installation, a report on the Church of Ireland’s website quoted Rev Craig Cooney as saying he planned to “build on the great foundations laid by my predecessor, Rev Alan Kilpatrick”.

1 Corinthians 3:8-11 outlines the only sure foundation to God’s work.

It says: “Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour. For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building. According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.”

Can it be said that Rev Alan Kilpatrick laid foundations in Jesus Christ? Based on the activities he supported and those he disregarded, we do not believe it can be said that he did.

Therefore the foundations Rev Craig Cooney is building upon are like the sand the foolish man built his house on.

On a side note, who was it who preached the message at Rev Craig Cooney’s installation in Hope Community Church? Rev David McClay, the leader of the ‘New Wine’ movement in Ireland.

Rev Craig Cooney, in his previous charge in Dublin at St Catherine’s Church of Ireland, also demonstrated his ecumenical desire by helping raise funds for the nearby Roman Catholic church, also called St Catherine’s.

A table quiz called ‘St Catherine’s United’ was held. We are told that, “at the end of the evening, the Rev Craig Cooney, minister of CORE, presented Father Niall Coughlin with a cheque for €2,000”.

We are further told that, speaking after the event, Rev Craig Cooney said: “Not only was a large amount of money raised, but more importantly, friendships have been forged which can be developed in the months and years ahead.”

Rev Craig Cooney was avowedly stating his desire to press ahead with ecumenical relationships, and he is certainly fulfilling that most unbiblical vow by speaking at the ‘New Wine’ Conference.

‘New Wine’ would also be a rather appropriate event for the Vineyard Church to be represented at and they are up to their necks in this conference.

Two people with significant links to Causeway Coast Vineyard, Scott McNamara and Colleen McSorley, are to address the conference and two leaders in the ‘Desert Vineyard’, Jonathan Rue, who appears to be a celebrity draw to the event, and Joshua Miller.

The fact all four of these characters are attending this event with Papists seems to be consistent with Alan Scott’s shameful declaration that he is “all in” with the Pope.

Indeed, Colleen McSorley regularly retweets the ramblings of Alan Scott on Twitter, as he follows the time-honoured tradition of the charismatic of sharing something he believes to be profound, but is in fact as deep as your fingernail.

For those looking true meaning and depth, we can look in just one direction, and that is to Christ.

Romans 11:33: “O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!”