A Renaissance of Error: When "Churches" Sanction Adultery And Devour The Flock

ONCE VPON A TIME,

In September 2025, the newly built Renegade Church of Springdale, New England, opened its glass doors for a marriage ceremony many hailed as modern, fresh, and “redemptive.” Yet those who know the witness of Scripture, the testimony of John the Baptist and Christ Himself found in the Holy Bible, and the voice of church history understand that what took place was not a blessing, but a betrayal.

The minister, Pastor Kristian Errs, joined in remarriage two who were already bound by covenant vows to living spouses. Only two months earlier, in July 2025, a solemn public warning had been issued before more than a hundred witnesses, to this Pastor declaring this act contrary to the gospel once delivered to the saints. That warning was ignored, and his church pressed forward in bold defiance as so many have done since the 1960's.

Remarriage by "pastors" is less than 75 years old. Pastor Kristian Errs

The Scriptures according to King James leave no uncertainty:

• “Whosoever putteth away his wife, and marrieth another, committeth adultery” (Luke 16:18).

• “The wife is bound by the law as long as her husband liveth” (1 Corinthians 7:39).

• “The woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth” (Romans 7:2).

• "So then if while her husband liueth, shee be married to another man, shee shalbe called an adulteresse: but if her husband be dead, shee is free from that law, so that she is no adulteresse, though she be married to another man." (Romans 7:3).

  
  

In all three witnesses, the rule is plain: remarriage while a spouse lives is not a covenant but adultery dressed in ceremony.

The Voice of the Early Church

The early fathers, reading these same verses, spoke without hesitation. Hermas, in The Shepherd (2nd century), taught that a man or woman who leaves a spouse and marries another “commits adultery.”

Tertullian, in On Monogamy, wrote: “We do not allow a woman to be married while her husband is alive, nor a man to marry again while his wife survives.” Cyprian of Carthage condemned bishops who winked at such sins, warning that those who “yielded to the multitude” corrupted Christ’s bride.

St. Augustine, though more nuanced, still affirmed: “A woman is bound by the law so long as her husband liveth, even if separated.” The consensus across the early centuries was unbroken—remarriage while the first spouse lives is adultery, and the church may not sanctify it. For more detailed study on this we advise Dr. Joseph and Dr. Patricia Webb's book "Divorce and Remarriage, The Trojan Horse in the Church.

Lessons From History

Church history shows how compromise on marriage leads to collapse. When King Henry VIII demanded annulments to satisfy his lusts, much of England was torn from Rome, not for the sake of reform, but to indulge the king. The bloody wars and schisms that followed bear witness to the danger of bending the gospel to personal desire.

Western church and government history warns: In 1936, King Edward VIII was forced to abdicate the throne of England for an unlawful union with a divorced woman. The world pitied him, but the crown and church judged rightly, so that his indulgence had disqualified him. Therefore, all faithful churches must recognize that when pastors bless adultery under the name of marriage, they abdicate their thrones of spiritual authority.

The Modern Abdication

The act at Springdale was no isolated event. It is part of a larger trend of churches seeking to be “inclusive” at the expense of biblical truth. By calling adultery “marriage,” they think to heal the wound lightly. Yet the apostle Paul warns: “Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor adulterers… shall inherit the kingdom of God” (1 Corinthians 6:9–10).

“When a church—or its very pastor—celebrates what God condemns, it practices a cruel betrayal. Such endorsement does more than fail mercy: it cements souls in their sin and robs them of repentance. In effect, by blessing that union, the pastor not only defies Scripture but curses the flock he was entrusted to guide.”

The Lesson for Today

This story is not chiefly about one pastor or two individuals. It is about the wider church in this generation. If pastors, anxious to fill pews and please men, will not guard the covenant of marriage, then they are repeating the abdication of Edward VIII - laying aside their crown for a private indulgence.

The responsibility does not rest solely on the deceived. It lies heavily upon the shoulders of the shepherds who were charged with watching over the flock but instead handed them over to wolves, wrapped in robes of affirmation.

Let every pulpit take heed: the Scriptures and all of church history are unbending, the testimony of the fathers is unanimous, and the history of the church is filled with the ruin of those who compromised.

The path of faithfulness is narrow but clear: to honor marriage as God has ordained, “till death do us part,” is not optional, it is a requirement of the Gospels and administrative letters of the Will.

White-washed wolves in deceptive clothes.

Brides still wear white even though their integrity is as dead as their virginity.

Let it not be said that pastors led their people into destruction with a smile and a blessing.

Conclusion

The “Renegade Church” of Springdale was no renaissance at all - it was a relapse. It was nothing "new" in England. Instead of reform, it was regression. Instead of glory, it was shame. When churches join hands with the world and sanctify adultery, they cease to be salt and become tasteless dust.

“He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches” (Revelation 2:7). Let us remember, lest in seeking to gain the world’s applause, we lose the Lord’s approval and like this pastor, and unfortunately many others, risk hearing those fearful words, "I neuer knew you: Depart from me, ye that worke iniquity." (Matt 7:23).

Lawful Statement: All names, locations, and identifying details have been changed to protect privacy. This article represents commentary and theological opinion.