Rend Collective – It’s a ‘sad thing’ transgender people and sodomites can’t preach in certain churches

The ecumenical ‘Christian’ rock band who played for the Pope have appeared to tell a transgender person in a same-sex ‘marriage’ they believe it is “a sad thing” that person would not be allowed to preach or lead worship in certain churches and that church unity doesn’t necessarily seem to extend to them.

Rend Collective voiced this stunning rejection of God’s Word in a Twitter conversation with a person describing themselves as being “transgender and in a same sex marriage”.

Having been contacted by this individual, who call themselves transgender yet also appear to refer to themselves as ‘they’ or ‘them’, meaning we are unsure what gender they are, Rend Collective went into full on compromise mode.

The conversation, which took place last month, originated with the individual contacting Rend Collective on Twitter to express their dismay at Rend Collective playing at a gospel meeting held by Franklin Graham, the son of Billy Graham.

Franklin Graham has publicly and stridently stressed his opposition to the sodomy lobby and for this he is to be commended.

However, his opposition to sodomy and so-called ‘transgender rights’ has received condemnation from this individual, apparently called Franz.

And Rend Collective went into people-pleasing mode to try to placate this transgender individual.

Franz started by saying that Rend Collective were the “last evangelical band I still listen to”, which surely highlights the weak stand, if it can even be called that, which the band takes.

Rend Collective’s initial response says it all. They say: “… in an attempt to foster unity we try not to be selective in who we partner with under the banner of the gospel.”

Take a moment to let that sink in.

Rend Collective have openly admitted to striving not to consider the implications of who they stand beside when they are claiming to be proclaiming Christ.

It is a very clear rejection of the Biblical command to be separated from the workers of iniquity.

2 Corinthians 6:14-17 is crystal clear on this. It says: “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you”.

“Be ye separate, saith the Lord” is the clear command of Scripture. What is less clear is how Rend Collective justify their approach.

No doubt they will hide behind the Great Commission of Christ, but let’s not forget that Jesus didn’t join in with the false teachers to proclaim the ‘gospel’, whereas Rend Collective gleefully and proudly joined hand in hand with the anti-Christian system of Rome at the Pope’s visit to the Republic of Ireland.

We have so often highlighted the evils of Rome that anyone who has read this page, which includes members of Rend Collective, has no fig leaf with which to cover the nakedness of their ecumenical compromise.

But here we have a different type of compromise, indeed, as musicians, they may appreciate being credited as having exhibited a ‘broad range’ of compromise with that which the Bible rejects.

The conversation on Twitter they engaged in with Franz continued.

Franz said to Rend Collective: “Most churches who play your music would not allow me to lead or preach or sing because I’m transgender and in a same-sex marriage. There is no unity for us.”

Rend Collective responded: “I know, it’s a sad thing.”

Now let’s allow that to sink in for a minute.

Rend Collective appear to be saying it is a “sad thing” that homosexuals and transgender people are not allowed in many churches to lead, preach or sing.

The Bible says that homosexuality is an “abomination” (Leviticus 18:22) for any to commit, let alone those in positions of authority in the church. Where do Rend Collective get their theology from? This certainly cannot be from the Bible.

1 Timothy 1:9-11: “Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine; According to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust.”

A raft of sins are listed in that passage above, including “them that defile themselves with mankind”, or sodomites, and they are described as “contrary to sound doctrine”.

And where is this sound doctrine based upon? Verse 11 tells us it is “according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God”.

Our doctrine is to come from the glorious gospel of God and it says that sodomy is contrary to sound doctrine, so how can a church with those who either support it or practice it in positions of leadership be abiding in the gospel of Christ? The simple answer is they cannot.

Yet this is what Rend Collective are declaring publicly on Twitter.

Rend Collective then continue their rejection of God’s Word by saying that “just as some would distance themselves from others for being ‘too liberal’, it’s no better to separate because someone is ‘too conservative’. Doing so ends the dialogue that can lead to healing and unity.”

So ecumenical dialogue is the objective of Rend Collective, it would appear. What they are saying is they will associate with virtually anyone in the name of “unity”.

What they forget is that unity with those who reject the Word of God is repugnant to Him. The passage we quoted earlier from 2 Corinthians 6 asks “what concord hath Christ with Belial?” This is asking how can there be agreement between those who are faithful to God and those who serve sin.

This same topic is visited in Amos 3:3, where it says: “Can two walk together, except they be agreed?”

It is a rhetorical question, the answer is obvious.

Unity is not desirable for its own sake. Look at the unity of the people trying to build the tower of Babel. God created disunity among them through a means which still separates people today – the language barrier.

Genesis 11:6-8 says: “And the Lord said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do. Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech. So the Lord scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city.”

God didn’t consider it a lovely little act of unity, he destroyed their plans.

Remarkably, Franz then responds with a key point, when they say: “Please just know that appearing alongside people will always look like support for them unless you’re actively challenging their views”.

This individual has hit the nail on the head – by appearing at an event ‘headlined’ by another individual, Rend Collective are at best tacitly expressing support for that individual, which is exactly what they did by consorting with Popery in Dublin back in August.

Rend Collective don’t address the point, instead choosing to attempt to flatter Franz with some honeyed words.

Our previous article highlighting Rend Collective, who originate from Bangor Elim Church in north Down, performing during the Papal visit to Ireland in August, attracted a great deal of interest, both from those supporting our comments and those opposed.

Will those who sought to ignore such brazen ecumenical compromise with Rome also choose to ignore this?

God does not ignore it, though He is of course patient and merciful.

However, God hates to see sound judgment not being carried out, and He cannot abide a failure to address sin.

Isaiah 59:13-15 says: “In transgressing and lying against the Lord, and departing away from our God, speaking oppression and revolt, conceiving and uttering from the heart words of falsehood. And judgment is turned away backward, and justice standeth afar off: for truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter. Yea, truth faileth; and he that departeth from evil maketh himself a prey: and the Lord saw it, and it displeased him that there was no judgment.”

Let us be sure to accept fault where it is, rather than seek to excuse it or mask it or outright deny its existence simply because someone we like or admire is responsible.

To demonstrate beyond doubt what we have attributed to Rend Collective, we have included below the conversation they had with this individual.

We implore readers to take this on board and consider if they are content, through study of the Scriptures, this was a God-exalting and Biblically sound and faithful conversation.