Harbour Faith Community – Church of Ireland extension priding itself on being ‘LGBT affirming’

2 Peter 2:1-2: “But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.”

Today in Northern Ireland, a number of new Church of Ireland fellowships are being formed, mimicking the charismatic style of church.

This is something we have already addressed recently when looking at Hope Community Church in Craigavon, County Armagh.

However, there is another such movement born out of the Church of Ireland which deserves attention and that is the ‘Harbour Faith Community’, based in the coastal town of Carrickfergus, County Antrim.

The Harbour Faith Community is an offshoot of St Colman’s Church of Ireland in Kilroot, Carrickfergus and the only name which appears to be directly linked to it is a Steve Ames.

Our photograph shows him smiling during what appears to have been a baptism service for the Harbour Faith Community.

In its statement regarding itself, the Harbour Faith Community calls itself ‘Anglican’, ‘progressive’ and ‘LGBT affirming’.

This is one of its primary creeds and, despite what the Bible clearly has to say regarding sodomy, this clearly matters little to Harbour Faith Community.

While we have covered the topic of sodomy on numerous occasions of late, we will repeat several passages from the Scriptures which are absolutely fundamental in forming a Biblical view on homosexuality.

Leviticus 18:22: “Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.”

Romans 1:22-27: “Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.”

We will also include a passage from Matthew 19 in which Jesus reaffirmed the natural order He Himself, being God, established in Genesis. This is because the Harbour Faith Community seems to reject all parts of Scripture other than the four gospels, and only then the “nice” bits about loving your neighbour.

It says in Matthew 19:4-5: “And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?”

That doesn’t leave much room for sodomite marriage or transgenderism, does it?

Only, somehow Harbour Faith Community seems to squeeze through anyway.

This is what they say on their website: “There continues to be condemnation of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender persons from the community of faith, or at least a tolerance of such condemnation and exclusion through silence.

“We are convinced that such actions are inconsistent with Christ’s teachings.”

Well, as long as they’re convinced! Notice how not one verse of Scripture is offered to back up their point. Personal notions are much more important to such than faithfulness to the Word of God.

We were recently contacted by a gentleman who stated his concern that Christians at present are possibly placing too much emphasis on the sin of sodomy compared to other sins.

However, this is where the war is being waged at the moment, this is the trendiest sin of our day and as such we must speak out against it, else we are failing in our duty as Christians.

In a blog posting on their website, they discuss what they mean by calling themselves “progressive Christians”.

It appears to be a theological free-for-all, as this quote from their blog entry shows.

It says: “We (that is, “progressive Christians”) differ widely with regard to the inerrancy of Scripture, the existence and nature of hell, intercessory prayer, salvation by atonement, the practice of worship and the doctrine of original sin.”

So they have no fixed beliefs on virtually every vital doctrine from God’s Word (though according to that same blog post doctrine is “fair game” for being altered).

We cannot address all those issues in this article but we will look at a few.

The Bible is God’s Word, penned by human authors under God’s inspiration.

2 Timothy 3:16 says: “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness”.

The word inspiration also means “God-breathed”, meaning the Bible constitutes God’s very own breath and if it is not inerrant, then God ceases to be perfect and is therefore unable to save us from our sins.

To deny the existence of hell is also easily demonstrable nonsense.

God will punish the unregenerate in hell. Once again, we will use Jesus’ own words to demonstrate this.

Luke 12:4-5: “And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.”

Jesus preached the existence of hell, but these “progressive Christians” at Harbour Faith Community disgracefully seem to claim to have a greater revelation than God Himself.

It certainly seems much more like regressive Christianity, though the word Christianity seems misplaced.

Questioning salvation by atonement and original sin are absolutely reprehensible moves to make for anyone professing to be a Christian.

Salvation by atonement is absolutely fundamental to the Christian faith; there is absolutely no room for debate on this matter.

Ephesians 1:7 says: “In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace.”

1 Peter 3:18 says: “For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit.”

Our sins, if we are one of God’s elect, were atoned for on the Cross at Calvary and we are saved through Jesus’ blood.

Original sin is another vital doctrine clearly demonstrated through the Word of God.

Romans 5:12: “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.”

To question these doctrines is to reject God and as such, Harbour Faith Community and other so-called “progressive Christians” must be rejected too.

Isaiah 5:20: “Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!”