Controversial pastor to visit

By Kent and Sussex Courier | Friday, January 27, 2012, 08:00

A FUNDAMENTALIST pastor who has caused an outcry in the gay community is due to preach at a Tunbridge Wells church this weekend.

CONCERN: Patrick Gillan
OUTSPOKEN: American evangelist Dr Jim Reynolds will preach at St John's Church in Tunbridge Wells this weekend. He has written a book about gays called The Lepers Among Us
Dr Jim Reynolds

American evangelist Dr Jim Reynolds prompted a storm with his book The Lepers Among Us, which focuses on homosexuals' relationship with Christianity.

Last week his appearance in Belfast drew intense protests against the book's use of the word leper.

On Sunday the pastor, who has links to a controversial body called the Core Issues Trust, is due to be a guest preacher at St John's Church.

The trust has enraged the gay community with its approach to homosexuality within society, including recommending therapy to change sexual orientation.

Gay churchgoer Patrick Gillan, 56, from Knights Close in Pembury, objected to the planned appearance, saying: "Dr Reynolds is obviously involved with Core Issues, which is already a controversial organisation.

"My main concern with Core Issues is that they are involved with therapy of some sorts and there is no explanation as to what this is.

"My fear is that the church will buy into this programme."

Dr Reynolds has insisted he just wants to improve relations between the church and the gay community.

But Mr Gillan was sceptical, saying: "You don't come all the way from America to a church in Tunbridge Wells to tell Christians how to love a homosexual."

Vicar of St John's Church Giles Walter said: "Dr Reynolds had a free slot in his programme and we were asked whether we would like him to be our preacher this Sunday morning, and we said that we would be.

"We are certainly aware of his link with the Core Issues Trust and we will listen carefully to what he has to say."

In promoting Sunday's event, the St John's Church website links to a statement from the Core Issues Trust defending its approach.

But the trust's website does encourage homosexuals to reject their sexuality, saying "change is possible".

The Core Issues Trust says it provides support for "relationally and sexually damaged and wounded adults" and aims to help people who "struggle with sexual brokenness".

Jeremy Marks, founder of Courage, a ministry offering support to gay Christians, said the trust's thinking was "illogical" and a "monstrous misrepresentation".

Michael Davidson, director of the Core Issues Trust, told the Courier the organisation wanted churches to reach out to the gay community and encourage them to look at the Bible and evaluate the way they live their lives.

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Comments

Swing, in your research, please also see:

http://tinyurl.com/7afkh6y

http://tinyurl.com/79d8cwr

Book reading and discussion thereof is always better than book burning The problem being the perennial one of available time! I think most of us just Google these days although that can have its own dangers.

Often, the 'reasonableness' of organisations like Core-Issues and guys like Reynolds mask a more insidious agenda, as with many religion based organisations.

Also see:

http://tinyurl.com/6mlz8hg

This latter contains a lot of 'fun' comments, as well as good info

By Jayaydee at 07:41 on 04/02/12
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I will take your advice and read his book-thats assuming they havnt all been burned by the intolerant righteous .

By MrSwing at 23:14 on 03/02/12
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Swing, perhaps you should read up on Reynolds?

By Jayaydee at 00:37 on 03/02/12
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Perhaps you should listen to him first before deciding what he is or isnt.

Nothing wrong with H0m0 given its actual definition is ...

"a genus of hominids including modern man and several extinct species of primitive man."

Any other definition is just slang and I know that some contributors like everything to be factual and exact.

By MrSwing at 22:38 on 02/02/12
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However, Bluejay; it has to be pointed out to readers of this board, that the gay activist, Mr MagLochlainn, "differed with Rev Reynolds in their (his?) final conclusions. He (Rev Reynolds) reckons the gay lifestyle is not acceptable in the Christian faith, but gay Christians like us see no conflict."

Therefore, anything that was previously said by Reynolds is thereby rendered void and it is clear that he and his followers are actually hom(o)phobic. (NB I used (o) to avoid this site automatically deleting the first four letters, as it does for any other words not liked by the DMG.)

By Jayaydee at 18:39 on 02/02/12
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