Posted on 11/23/2022 11:52:20 PM PST by Morgana
Fifty-eight congregations in Louisiana have officially disaffiliated from The United Methodist Church, as the second-largest mainline Protestant denomination in the United States continues to experience schism due to its ongoing debate over homosexuality.
The UMC Louisiana Conference held a special session on Saturday, approving the votes of 58 congregations who decided by at least two-thirds vote to leave the UMC.
The Rev. Todd Rossnagel, the director of communication strategies at the Louisiana Conference, told The Christian Post on Monday that the 58 churches came after nine other congregations had disaffiliation votes approved at the annual conference in June.
Earlier this month, the New Orleans-based CBS affiliate WVUE reported that 47 churches in Louisiana voted to leave the UMC. According to Rossnagel, the additional 11 congregations filed their paperwork for the special session shortly after that report was published.
Rossnagel put the total number of congregations still belonging to the Louisiana conference after Saturday's special session at 379, although that figure doesn't include other ministries.
"There are some new start ministries," Rossnagel said. "They haven't technically been chartered yet. They don't technically have a building yet. So, it's very close to 400 when you include that and Wesley Foundations on college campuses all across Louisiana."
Among Louisiana congregations disaffiliating from the UMC is St. Timothy on the Northshore in Mandeville, which boasts approximately 6,000 members. The congregation held a disaffiliation vote earlier this month.
In recent years, the UMC has been embroiled in a divisive debate over whether to allow the ordination of noncelibate homosexuals and the blessing of same-sex unions.
(Excerpt) Read more at christianpost.com ...
Where does ‘Methodist’ Billary stand on this ?
Buried the lede in the wastepaper basket!
Regards,
Same thing is happening with the Southern Baptist Convention with the SBC going down the “woke” road in order to increase numbers and be liked in the secular society. No matter that its against everything the Bible says they are happy to lead their flock with a false gospel as long as they become wealthy. Todays Megachurches that claim to be Christian are not and so many are being lead straight to the lake of fire. Anyone who promotes these Word of Faith preachers and in for a rude awakening on judgement day. Which churches or preachers am I talking about? Just youtube Justin Peters and find out. Heres a hint, if they claim they can control the weather of health the sick then you can consider them false teachers.
These churches are moving to a more conservative [read: eff globohomo] grouping - the Global Methodist Church, which apparently hews to the original mission of UMC [deys agin globohomo].
see post #5
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From the article:
"Although progressives have failed to end the denomination's longstanding ban on the blessing of same-sex marriage and gay ordination, many who hold positions of power within UMC have refused to enforce or follow the rules, prompting many conservatives to leave the denomination."
Thanks! Wasn't in the excerpt posted here!
Still don't understand why the excerpt "flogs" the "schism over homosexuality" angle without making good and clear who is in the minority here.
Regards,
The LGBT thing is doing a remarkable destroying what’s left of Christendom, in virtually all denominations. Kyrie eleison.
The article assumes the reader has been following this issue.
The leavers are those who believe in Scripture and disapprove of homosexuality. The ones who remain are supporters of homosexuality (in the ministry and elsewhere).
It appears that the LGBTQ has effected a hostile takeover of the UMC. If you don't like it, your church can take a vote and "disaffiliate."
Just to clarify for anyone not familiar with him, Justin Peters is one of the “good guys” trying to fight against heresy and apostasy in the church. And TonyM, your post is right on target. It’s never been easier to find a “church” that will tell you anything your itching ears desire to hear, and yet never harder to find a true church that simply follows the Bible and doesn’t try to add to it, ignore it, or chase mystical “experiences.”
I believe they should have fought tooth and nail against those heretics trying to takeover their church. But they are apparently a bunch of lukewarm pussies.
I suggest that the LGBTQ army is refining Christendom by getting rid of the lukewarm believers and fairweather friends.
As an aside, homosexuality is a difficult issue for many Methodists (and other denominations as well) because many congregants have homosexuals in their families and have a softness for them.
Tough love is needed but many people simply don't have the backbone for it.
Same thing for most folks when it comes to raising children who aren't homosexual. Tough love is, well, tough.
Its easier to live by Gods words when his words mean nothing.
“... because many congregants have homosexuals in their families and have a softness for them.”
Absolutely agree that this is the motivation of many of the people who have embraced the LGBT agenda over the past few decades (i.e., not only out of an alleged desire to be “supportive” of the LGBT family member, but also, perhaps more importantly, because the normalization of homosexuality serves to dilute the social stigma that the LGBT family member would have attached to the family in an earlier era). We saw this former social conservative Dick Cheney embracing the lesbianism of his daughter. In my opinion, it doesn’t show a great deal of character on the part of family members who do this. If you thought homosexual acts were wrong before, why are they suddenly okay just because your family member starts doing them? This is analogous to someone opposing drug abuse but then embracing it and celebrating it after their kid became an addict.
I agree with Irish and Rooster on this being a motivation for atta-boying LGBTQWERTY. But I'd say it's a broader temptation than that. If a person feels guilty over his own hedonistic ways, even if they were done years prior and it was all straight sex instead of gay, embracing LGBTQWERTY practices gives an indirect confirmation to straight sex hedonism as well. Basically, lying to gays about the sex habits is a way to lie to yourself about your straight sex habits.
The best way around this is to: 1) accept God's grace through Jesus. None of your past sin matters anyway -- you don't have to figure out ways to excuse it or justify it. And 2) be serious about Jesus in your lifestyle and your message from now on. Love Him, trust Him, love others, live it like ya mean it, and be bold about Him while being humble about yourself.
“... because many congregants have homosexuals in their families and have a softness for them.”
Years ago we were having this debate in my congregation (mostly liberals - we left). But in one meeting I said “My sister is an alchoholic. She is a wonderful and loving person and I love her. And while I would love it if she would go to church with me - I don’t want her leading it or making decisions for the church. She isn’t a good example as a leader.”
God works in mysterious ways though. She spent 35+ years living in fear of death and all of the bad things she had done and poor decisions that she had made.
Then, while in prison for too many DUI’s, some women ministered to her and she found Jesus. It was amazing the transformation. While she wasn’t able to kick the booze completely (when she got out), the fear and wailing was gone.
Shortly before she died she said “I know I’m dying, but I also know that God has got me.”
“I suggest that the LGBTQ army is refining Christendom by getting rid of the lukewarm believers”
That’s a good point. That’s not why the LGWHATEVER movement started, but that seems to be an unintended consequence of it.
It’s positive in that it keeps the Biblical memberships pure. It’s bad in that those groups are more easily identified by TPTB who are woke when it comes to persecution.
I never wanted to be living in the end times, but here we are...
Bittersweet story. I’m glad you’ll see her on the other side some day.
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