Paganism promoted again by Church of Ireland in County Armagh

2 Timothy 3:13: “But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.”

In May 2018, we highlighted the abominable and outrageous situation wherein a Church of Ireland ‘minister’ was revealed to be the leader of an organisation called the ‘Centre for Celtic Spirituality’ and was promoting and practising various pagan rituals.

This included holding events which ‘Rev’ Grace Clunie (pictured, top) described as “earthwalks”, with one such event held to mark the pagan festival of Beltane (or Bealtaine).

Curiously, the website on which she promoted such, with other recommendations including “creating an outdoor prayer shrine or befriending a tree to pray / meditate outdoors”, seems to have disappeared since we last wrote about it.

Sadly, the centre itself hasn’t disappeared.

And just three weeks ago, on Wednesday, 12 February a Church of Ireland parish centre in County Armagh was the venue for an event addressed by ‘Rev’ Grace Clunie entitled, ‘Celtic Spirituality and St Brigid’.

The ‘Jethro Centre’ in Lurgan played host to this celebration of paganism.

In our article almost two years ago we highlighted much of what is wrong with the Celtic Spirituality nonsense espoused by ‘Rev’ Grace Clunie and would invite you to read that article by clicking here.

The possibly fictional character of St Brigid is nothing but the subject of pagan folklore hijacked by Rome and given a Chriatian gloss (a particular skill of Rome’s).

Saint Brigid is widely recognised as being a pagan goddess transformed by Rome into one of their ‘saints’.

So why would a Church of Ireland ‘minister’ want to speak in such a manner about a pagan deity turned Papist saint?

Furthermore, why would the Church of Ireland, supposedly a Christian, not pagan or Papist (though paganism and Popery are pretty similar) church, tolerate one of its ‘ministers’ speaking about a pagan deity turned Papist saint?

One likely reason is that the Church of Ireland doesn’t particularly care what goes on under its banner or by those who collect their wages from them and live in their properties.

To see a clear example of this, one must only look at the disgraceful case of Rev Andrew Rawding, Church of Ireland minister in the Coalisland and Stewartstown areas of County Tyrone.

Not only does he appear to be striving to make himself the patron saint of the sodomite movement by attending every ‘Pride’ parade he can find and by taking up the role of vice-Chairman of the utterly ungodly Mid-Ulster Pride grouping, but he has hosted at least one of its meetings in his own house.

Well, we should say he has hosted at least one of its meetings in the rectory provided to him by the Church of Ireland which, unless it is unlike virtually every other Church of Ireland rectory in the country, is provided to him rent or mortgage free.

What does the Church of Ireland do about this? They can’t have not heard about his antics, given he has done his utmost to ensure he has received maximum publicity for his stance in defying God.

Indeed, we know for a fact this was brought directly to the attention of the recently retired Archbishop of Armagh, Most Ecumenical Richard Clarke (pictured, below), the most senior figure in the Church of Ireland.

What did he do about it? Nothing.

Indeed, ‘Rev’ Grace Clunie’s promotion of paganism is carried out within just a few miles of Armagh city, the site of Most Ecumenical Richard Clarke’s episcopal seat.

Job 11:14 gives us sound guidance as to what we should do when we are confronted by sin, be it our own or that under our responsibility.

It says: “If iniquity be in thine hand, put it far away, and let not wickedness dwell in thy tabernacles.”

It is within the power of the Archbishop of Armagh, or was when these outrageous situations presented themselves, to do something about and refuse to let it dwell in the tabernacles of his church.

However, he has very clearly failed to do so, an action (or inaction) which is reprehensible.

This event at the Jethro Centre was promoted by what is called the ‘Community Outreach Group’, according to the Roman Catholic parish bulletin for Lurgan.

The website for the Jethro Centre states this of the Community Outreach Group: “The Community Outreach Group, which comes under the umbrella of SPCA, was formed in 2004 as a result of an initiative by the Rev Dr Maurice Elliott, a former rector of Shankill Parish, and is a partnership between the churches of Shankill Parish, St Peter’s Parish and St Paul’s Parish.”

St Peter’s and St Paul’s are both Roman Catholic churches, so this is an overtly ecumenical group.

Rev Dr Maurice Elliott (pictured, below), referred to in the quote above, is the Director of the Theological Institute of the Church of Ireland, meaning he is in charge of the training of aspiring ministers within that denomination.

Given his clear commitment to mingling with Romanism, it would appear highly unlikely he is a satisfactory individual to entrust with training men whose chief purpose ought to be the fearless preaching of the full counsel of God, which would include denouncing false religions such as that of Rome.

This is but yet further evidence of the weakness of the Church of Ireland in these days of apostasy and departure from God’s Word.

Dear Christian, be wary of allowing yourself to fall under the influence of such dangerous events as this, which mere attendance at will have the effect of damaging your walk with Christ and His cause in our land.

Romans 12:1-2: “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”