In a recent confrontation at Hebron Free Presbyterian Church in Ballymoney, members of the Christian fundamentalist Burke family from County Mayo clashed with local Councillor and Education Authority chairman Mervyn Storey.
The incident unfolded on the evening of August 3,as Mr Storey attempted to enter the church for a service.
Josiah Burke, along with his mother, Martina, confronted Mr Storey, accusing him and the Education Authority of endorsing what they termed ‘transgender ideology.’ Their accusations were captured on video, which Josiah later shared on social media.
The footage shows an exchange, where the Burke family harassed Mr Storey and other church officials as they entered and exited the building.
Tensions reached a boiling point when the Burkes alleged that one of those recording the encounter was assaulted by a church member, leading to further disruption.
The church’s has now released a statement condemning the family’s actions, describing them as a deliberate attempt to disrupt a peaceful assembly of worshippers.
The Kirk Session of Hebron Free Presbyterian Church responded with a statement, asserting their commitment to traditional biblical teachings on gender. They emphasised their opposition to transgenderism and expressed concern over its promotion within educational institutions. Citing scriptural references, the statement reiterated the church’s belief in the binary nature of gender, framing the Burke family’s actions as an affront to their values.
The statement in full reads, “On Sunday night 3rd August 2025 our congregation in Hebron Free Presbyterian Church, Ballymoney, suffered an unseemly attack by some members of the Burke family from Co. Mayo. They entered our church property not to worship but create havoc, filmed without permission, and engaged in shouting and heckling, harassing those who had gathered to worship God. After a blessed day of Christian fellowship and gospel preaching, such behaviour on the part of the Burke’s was totally out of order. Their reprehensible conduct caused great annoyance to the entire congregation, especially to young children and some elderly who had to be evacuated through a side door to avoid their confrontational conduct. Their acclaimed purpose? To call into question our church’s integrity regarding its stance on the issue of transgenderism. Therefore, lest anyone should not be aware of the Burke’s methodology in placing doubt where it doesn’t belong, the Kirk Session of Hebron Free Presbyterian Church reaffirms unanimously our belief and acceptance of the Bible’s teaching on moral values.
“We are utterly opposed to transgenderism, especially its ideology being promoted in our schools and wider society. We believe that God created two genders from the beginning and that there are only two biological sexes – male and female. The Bible teaches that ‘God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it…’ (Genesis 1:27,28). Four thousand years later, Jesus substantiated this when He stated, ‘Have ye not read, that He that made them at the beginning made them male and female’ (Matthew 19:4). It could hardly be clearer from the creation account that God did not intend sexuality and gender to be fluid, being expressed in a continuum. Rather, the absolute position confirmed in Scripture is that there are two sexes, male and female, and the primary determiner of a person’s sex is physical. Ultimately, transgenderism seeks to completely destroy the distinction between men and women that God in His wisdom has created. We commend those fellow-believers who take a stand for Biblical truth within their employment where this transgender ideology is promoted. As Christians we are to speak the truth in love, applying biblical principles without compromise but with compassion (Ephesians 4:15); ultimately pointing others to life changing repentance and faith in Christ.
“The above statement clarifies our view on the sinful trends and practices by the LGBTQ community and their organisations. We pray for all men and women, irrespective of their particular sins in the sight of God, that they might be brought to true repentance and faith in Christ and find mercy and grace in His sight.
“As a Bible-believing Church which has preached Christ in all His fulness since its inception, we find it deeply offensive and reprehensible, that Mrs. Burke would stand outside our premises and point to the church building and shout, ‘This is the gates of Hell.’ This woman claims to be a Christian, but her slanderous behaviour on Sunday evening does not bear any resemblance to Christ or to a genuine possession of the fruit of the Spirit.
“We would like to express our sincere thanks and appreciation to all who have contacted us to express their support of our Church and their absolute disgust at this vicious, angry and aggressive attack on God’s people. It is our prayer that Mrs Burke and her family members might find a path to repentance from the conduct they exhibited on the Lord’s Day.”
Mervyn Storey, a prominent figure in the community, has faced scrutiny due to his position and the polarising nature of the issues at hand. Appointed as chair of the Education Authority in 2024 by Education Minister Paul Givan, Storey has navigated a complex landscape of educational policy and his Christian values.
