Sermons allegedly made during an international evangelical conference hosted by the island’s Living Hope church have sparked an unholy row.

Living Hope today took the unusual step of issuing a public statement accusing certain activists groups and parts of the Isle of Man media of trying to ’undermine Christianity and freedom of religion’.

This ’on-going campaign’, they said, included ’false allegations, abusive comments and unbalanced reporting’.

Some 650 delegates attended that Four12 conference held over three days last week at the Villa Marina’s Royal Hall. But those at the event have raised concerns about the content of some of the sermons.

And when those concerns were posted on social media, they prompted hundreds of comments - many critical but some disputing what was claimed to have been said.

Jason Livingston, a preacher at London-based A Radical Church, was alleged to have invited onto stage a man in his 40s who is suffering from prostate cancer.

Mr Livingston has since denied claims that he told the man that he did not need to take his medication as he would be cured by the Holy Spirit.

Mr Livingston told iomtoday: ’We do believe that God can heal people but always encourage people to be responsible and to work with doctors as advised.’

Jonathan Stanfield of Living Hope Church said that those campaigning against freedom of religion were using tactics on social media including lies and misrepresentains.

He insisted no individual with prostate cancer was invited on stage and nobody was told to give up their medicine.

’We believe that God heals in many ways through the medical profession and through the Holy Spirit.’

He also denied any comments were made about homosexuality.

Four12 on its website lists as one of its beliefs that ’any relationship of a sexual nature outside of marriage, or between people of the same sex, is contrary to Scripture and therefore unacceptable to God and His Church.’

Living Hope is a partner church to Four12.

At the conference Euan MacRae, Living Hope director and pastor at its church in Peel, urged delegates to give more money to Four12.

He told them: ’If you are already a church that is partnering with us financially we want to say a massive thank you. It really is a great joy that you give and it facilitates such wonderful work and we just want to take our hats off to you and give you great thanks.

’But we would ask that if you are giving, could you increase it? Could you give more? Could we extend the work even further by stretching deeper, by being even more generous in the glory of King Jesus. Perhaps you are a church who is considering exceeding what you are already giving.

’We really want you to encourage you to do that. We don’t want you to be limited by what’s in your funds. We want you to see by faith what God can do through your generosity. He is a rewarder of faithful saints.’

Tithes and offerings are the principal source of income for the Living Hope church, and the majority is paid directly to its bank accounts by standing order. Latest audited accounts for the church’s charitable company show that income from this source rose to £849,820 in the 12 months to the end of August last year.

Lead elder Jonathan Stanfield received a salary of £60,748, fellow directors Euan MacRae and Chris Staples each received £47,025 and Adrian Porter £42,862.

In 2015, Living Hope was named in the House of Keys as being in the top 20 of Manx-registered charities, ranked by income. Last year, it emerged that elders from Living Hope church had visited six island schools up to five times a year to discuss subjects with pupils.

Mr Stanfield told iomtoday: ’It would seem that there is a vendetta against freedom of religion.

’It is dangerous and unfair to come to conclusions based upon negative social media posts some of which will have been spurred on by Christianophobic activists.

’The biggest ever Christian conference on the Isle of Man is a tall poppy some will want to tear down using any means.’

Living Hope’s full statement can be read here:

https://www.livinghope.im/blog/statement