Here is a report from the BBC which serves to underscore just where the ‘professing Church’ is today! The state of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland is illustrative of the state of all those professing Christian churches who are part and parcel of the theologically liberal and ecumenical ‘empire’ scattered throughout the world.
I will state first of all that this report brings me some measure of comfort, as I am sure it will with all who love the Lord. It is good that there appears to be some within the ranks of the PCI who are ready to stand against the abominably wicked practice of sodomy.
However, I see that this happened in a congregation with a ‘female minister’! Where there is a departure from the ordinances of God, you will find a plunging downward into further odious pursuits! Here we have the abandoning of God’s order for the pulpit, as set forth in 1 Timothy 3. “This [is] a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work. A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife . . .” verses 1-2.
The PCI, in common with most modernistic denominations, has chosen to defy God’s Word in order to placate ‘feminism’. It is not surprising therefore that one who is in a pulpit in defiance of God’s Word should now be found to have justified “approval for that which in scripture God condemns”. The example for her behaviour was set by those who sanctioned her ordination and installation as the minister of the church which they now condemn for acting so wrongly!
I think we should also note the actions of the ‘sodomite’ at the centre of this controversy, Steven Smyrl.
He has acted as have all who have sought to corrupt the Church of Christ by sneaking into its ranks. Jude in his epistle might well have been writing about this man.
“Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort [you] that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ,” Jude 1:3-4.
It is to be noted how brazen and defiant and totally unashamed and unblushing this pervert is! He boldly protests his blamelessness and demands that he be exonerated!
In this he is like his father the devil, one noted for his pride and arrogance!
Sadly, I fear this action will not stop the downgrade of the PCI. Rather, it is but a dying kick, the sudden flicker of flame within the dying coals of a fire in the process of fizzling out, within a church which has for decades been selling out God’s truth. This obscene debacle should serve as a ‘wake-up call’ to those evangelicals within its ranks.
Sadly, I think however it will be seen as justification for them staying in this sinking vessel and so perpetuating their disobedience of God!
Sincerely in Christ’s name,
Ivan Foster.
Presbyterian minister faces sanctions over gay couple support
By Robbie Meredith
BBC News NI Education Correspondent
10th December 2021.
A Presbyterian minister and a church council are facing disciplinary sanctions for “endorsing a homosexual relationship” .
The Rev Katherine Meyer and the Christ Church, Sandymount church council, were found to have justified “approval for that which in scripture God condemns”.
Steven Smyrl was sacked as an elder at the Dublin church in October 2019.
Steven Smyrl had been an elder at Christ Church, Sandymount, in Dublin since 2007
But the Presbyterian Church decided to investigate the leadership which allowed Mr Smyrl – who is in a same-sex marriage – to be an elder.
A judicial commission of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland (PCI) in Belfast ruled that the Dublin and Munster Presbytery could set up what is known as a “Par 161 commission” to investigate Dr Meyer and the church council of Christ Church, Sandymount.
BBC News NI has seen the findings of the Presbytery’s investigation.
It found that the “words and actions of both minister and church council demonstrate their persistent deviation from the confessional standards of the Presbyterian Church”.
‘Sexually immoral people’
It said that this was “to the extent of justifying approval for that which in scripture God condemns”.
The Presbytery said that in 1 Corinthians “Paul instructs the church in Corinth not to associate with sexually immoral people if they bear the name of brother”.
“In contrast, however, both the minister and church council of Christ Church, Sandymount, have supported the homosexual relationship of two of its members over many years.
“The minister and church council have caused scandal injurious to the purity and peace of the Church.”
Steve Smyrl married his partner of 20 years in 2018
Christ Church, Sandymount, is a shared church run by PCI and the Methodist Church in Ireland, but Dr Meyer is a Presbyterian minister.
The PCI’s Dublin and Munster Presbytery found that Mr Smyrl had been co-opted to the church council – which represents and has members from the Presbyterian and Methodist churches – after the PCI had sacked him as an elder.
The Presbytery instructed the church council to reverse that decision, and said that if Dr Meyer did not accept their findings, the presbytery would “initiate disciplinary proceedings” against her.
However, Dr Meyer appealed the decision of the Presbytery investigation to a judicial commission of the church.
A PCI judicial commission is set up at Church House in Belfast and can hear appeals against decisions taken by Presbyteries.
BBC News NI has also seen the findings of the judicial commission.
The judicial commission met on Friday 19 November and rejected Dr Meyer’s appeal against the Presbytery’s investigation.
As a result, the judicial commission also said that the church council should remove Mr Smyrl from the council.
The commission also ruled that Dr Meyer and the church council should accept the findings of the Presbytery investigation by Monday, 20 December 2021, or the Presbytery could initiate “disciplinary proceedings” against her and the council.
When contacted by BBC News NI, Dr Meyer declined to comment.
‘Highly disappointing’
In a statement, the Methodist Church said it would not be appropriate to comment on what is a matter of Presbyterian Church discipline.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the Presbyterian Church in Ireland said it was “highly disappointing that an individual, or individuals, has sought to go out of their way to comment to a journalist on a sensitive internal church matter and, we are led to believe, even pass on papers that are private to that process”.
“While some issues have been considered, matters are still ongoing and further decisions are still to be made,” they said.
“Therefore, it would be inappropriate to comment further and trust that the BBC will respect the sensitivity of an ongoing internal process.”
‘Grave injustice’
When contacted by BBC News NI, Mr Smyrl claimed that the charges were “aimed only at publicly diminishing the lives of gay Presbyterians”.
“The Dublin presbytery has charged our minister, Rev Katherine Meyer, with supporting and endorsing me in a ‘sexually immoral’ relationship,” he said.
“Yet despite being challenged they have failed to produce even a shred of evidence that I have been involved in any form of sexual immorality or indeed sexual activity of any kind.
“Their aim is to squash dissent and to attack and remove anyone who voices even a modicum of support or empathy.
“Unless reason and fairness prevail, this sorry affair can only end in a grave injustice against a blameless pastor and teacher.”