Cornerstone Church released a statement in response to the widely publicized "Let's Go Brandon" video and event held in its premises.
As previously reported, John Hagee's Cornerstone Church in San Antonio hosted the Reawaken America Tour event during the past week. A video connected to the event went viral on Saturday when a speaker led the audience in a chant of "Let's Go, Brandon," replacing the more vulgar "F-- Joe Biden."
Several prominent Christian figures condemned the chant, saying it was out of place at a Christian gathering.
Cornerstone's reaction to the backlash was to issue a statement to various media sources in which it explicitly dissociated itself from the incident in question and the resulting viral video.
"This past week, Cornerstone Church facilities were used by an outside organization. Cornerstone Church is not associated with this organization and does not endorse their views," the church said on Tuesday.
Apart from the rebukes from prominent religious leaders, News 4 San Antonio reported that a heated discussion regarding the separation of church and state erupted on the Far North Side's social media.
However, church leaders claim that the incident did not take place during services.
"When you were supplying those things, what you're doing is you're endorsing a political party or endorsing political candidates," Oklahoma Pastor Jeremy Coleman said. "You are now a political action committee. You're no longer a church."
According to the pastor, churches who host political groups should be taxed.
"If they love our country, as much as so many of them say that they do, then they shouldn't have any problems supporting our country financially," Coleman added.
On his Wednesday blog, Ozark, Missouri pastor Kevin Carson defended Cornerstone Church by outlining three issues he believes arise from this incident.
"Although I disagree with some of Mr. Hagee's theology and his methods, I defend him today against both fake news and unjust criticism. At the same time, I still believe there is plenty to see here in this story which should provide us the motivation to exercise careful caution," he wrote.
First, he said that renting out a church space exposes the congregation to the possibility of a group or organization doing anything the congregation opposes or hates. Churches, on the other hand, are often rented because of their size. Cornerstone's predicament could hardly be more dire.
Second, Hagee's congregation is an obvious target for critics because they link their love of America, God's love for America, and their belief in Jesus Christ so firmly together.
Carson added that this shows that too frequently in local churches, the love of Jesus and the love of the United States are too closely intertwined.
"God's common grace no doubt has been demonstrated to us in that we get to live in this time and in this place. No doubt the United States of America provides us so many benefits and blessings. However, a pastor in a worship service must be very careful and appropriate as they seek to celebrate being a citizen of America alongside a citizen of Heaven," he said.
