Robertson never did buy UPI; Rev. Moon did.
Isn't that special?
Hmmmmm?
Posted on 05/18/2006 9:12:48 AM PDT by NYer
COVINA, May 17 (UPI) — Leaders of the American Baptist Churches of the Pacific Southwest have left the denomination, primarily over its handling of homosexuality.
The region's board of directors unanimously affirmed late last week an earlier recommendation to withdraw from its "Covenant of Relationships and Agreements" with the American Baptist Churches USA, Associated Baptist Press reported Wednesday.
The national denomination, which has its origins in a Civil War-era split from what is now the Southern Baptist Convention, is based in Valley Forge, Pa.
"God's heart is broken when sisters and brothers in Christ divide over matters of scriptural interpretation. We pray God's blessing on PSW as they go their way from the ABC family," said Roy Medley, the denomination's general secretary, according to American Baptist News Service. He also said "this parting of the ways will not diminish our passion, commitment and undaunted spirit to move forward in mission and ministry."
The latest decision ratifies an April 29 "straw poll" vote of delegates from the region's churches. In that vote, held at First Baptist Church in Pomona, Calif., and other locations around the region, members representing congregations voted 1,125-209 to terminate the covenant. In American Baptist polity, such covenants are important written agreements that bind the region with the national body.
The region's executive minister, Dale Salico, said in a May 12 press release that such an "overwhelming response" indicated a "mandate" from the vast majority of the region's American Baptists. The release also noted that 152 of the region's 250 eligible churches participated in the vote.
The region's board of directors, in initially recommending the severance, released a statement saying they made the recommendation because "deep differences of theological convictions and values between the American Baptist Churches of the Pacific Southwest (ABCPSW) and the American Baptist Churches in the USA (ABCUSA) are understood by the board of directors of the ABCPSW as irreconcilable."
Most of the "irreconcilable" differences seemed to focus on the way the denomination, with approximately 1.5 million members in more than 5,800 churches, relates to "gay-friendly" ministers and congregations. Even though American Baptist leaders approved a 1992 resolution opposing homosexual conduct, some ABC conservatives have asserted the wording and the enforcement of the motion on denominational agencies and personnel are not strong enough.
An August 2005 vote by the ABC-USA Ministers' Council particularly riled conservatives in the denomination. In it, the ministers defeated a proposed amendment that would have required members of the organization to be ministers who believe "sexual intimacy is only appropriate in the context of heterosexual marriage."
Progressive and centrist American Baptists, meanwhile, have tried to defend what they see as traditional Baptist stances on congregational autonomy and individual conscience in opposing the ouster of pro-gay churches and leaders.
The region's churches still have to decide individually whether to sever their relationships with the national denomination. A new group, called the Association of American Baptists in the Pacific Southwest, has established itself to coordinate the work of churches that choose to stay in the denomination. The group's Web site says it will work with the Los Angeles Baptist City Society, a local association of American Baptist churches.
In the meantime, according to the departed region's website, American Baptist Churches of the Pacific Southwest will change its name to Transformation Ministries, which the site describes as "a movement of Baptist churches committed to change their worlds for Christ."
ping
See Reply #18 above.
:)
As I said to my former pastor-turned-openly-gay, who informed me that due to his latest studying of the scriptures, he realizes that God understands and condones his homosexuality: "I understand you if you say you are a sinner (like the rest of us mortals) and that you CHOOSE to continue doing what you do. But after spending years at the pulpit teaching me God's Word, don't starting 'changing' God to suit your purposes. You changed. God didn't." What a heartbreak his "new philosophy of God's Word" is to me -- he was a fantastic preacher and teacher for years.
UPI is owned by the company that owns the Washington Times, which is controlled by the Rev. Sun Myung Moon. It is far from a liberal organization.
http://www.rickross.com/reference/unif/unif74.html
Baptist ping
Robertson never did buy UPI; Rev. Moon did. Isn't that special?
Actually, that sentence is aload a crap and quite near blasphemy.
Who claims to know the "heart" of God?
I submit God is pleased when Christians divide over the interpretation of Scripture. Such interpretation divides the goats and the sheep, donchaknow.
Sad story, but good for you for putting God's truth first.
You did get it right. The ABCPSW broke away from the rest of the American Baptists because of their stance (or lack there of) on homosexuality. The ABC is an entirely different denomination from the SBC (some would say that the ABC is basically more liberal than the SBC to give you some reference) who has nothing to do with this split. Sadly, this has been brewing for awhile and was in the works for some time.
And we will stay that way.
We have thrown out two churches in the last year that insisted on including homos in their leadership.
The Bible tells us that, as we approach the End Times, good will be called evil and evil will be called good. It also prophesies that the Church will become largely apostate.
It would appear that the last 50 years have moved us a long ways toward Biblical prophesy...
Robertson never did buy UPI; Rev. Moon did.
Isn't that special?
Hmmmmm?
WKB wrote: "We affirm God's plan for marriage and sexual intimacy – one man, and one woman, for life. Homosexuality is not a "valid alternative lifestyle." The Bible condemns it as sin. It is not, however, unforgivable sin. The same redemption available to all sinners is available to homosexuals. They, too, may become new creations in Christ."
That's it exactly!
From Matthew:
4 He (THE SON OF GOD) answered, "Haven't you read that he who made them from the beginning made them male and female,
5 and said,'For this cause a man shall leave his father and mother, and shall join to his wife; and the two shall become one flesh?'
6 So that they are no more two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, don't let man tear apart."
7 They asked him, "Why then did Moses command us to give her a bill of divorce, and divorce her?"
8 He said to them, "Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts, allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it has not been so.
9 I tell you that whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery; and he who marries her when she is divorced commits adultery."
My comments: A person can either believe or not believe. If you claim to believe, then you don't have the right to pick and choose what to believe. Why? Because Christ didn't leave a middle ground. If He is the Son of God (and I believe He is), then His word is true!
Homosexuality is an abomination. Does that mean homosexuals should be hated? BY NO MEANS! They should be treated with the same respect all of God's children deserve. However, no unrepentant sinner (of any kind) should be allowed to join the Church. This too is scriptual.
Bottom line: please repent, accept Christ's forgiveness, and read the Bible to gain more knowledge of God's wonderful interaction with His creation!
Confession time -- I was a UPI reporter in the late 1980s and early 1990s. My bureau was closed when the Saudi businessmen bought it in 1992. And yes, I met Helen Thomas at a company picnic one time. At that time she was sort of a mythic figure in wire service history. Thomas is an obvious exception, but a lot of the older desk guys who handled reporters' copy were really fairly conservative and they were tough as nails. Most I knew were big Reagan fans. A fair number were vets or covered Korea or Vietnam.
I'm sure Thomas couldn't stand the thought of working for somebody extremely conservative, but most folks I know who left UPI did so because of Moon's kooky "church," not his political views.
Well, as a life-long Southern Baptist who also has studied the issues facing the SBC for the last several years, let me tell you this is essentially the same battle the SBC had many years ago (about 30) over "moderates" running the SBC. That was affectionately known as the "Conservative TAKEOVER" of the SBC. Sound familiar? Well, the "moderates" aren't very moderate and were ticked that the conservatives took over leadership positions and haven't relenquished them yet. That battle largely centered around moderate leaders in the SBC and their stance on abortion. It is essentially the same battle, though.
The ABC has always been much more liberal than the SBC, even before conservatives took it back. That the ABC is losing a large part of their base is not surprising. They have aligned themselves with the homosexual movement for years. The ABC also ticked off the SBC over a "we're not endorsing, but won't chastise" lack of action towards two Baptist churches performing gay marriages a few years ago. That also helped the SBC to eventually break away from the Baptist World Alliance, an organization of world-wide Baptists that the SBC founded many years ago, because the BWA allowed the ABC to continue to participate in the BWA and they remain members to this day.
A few years ago "moderates" in the SBC broke away after finally realizing that they would never get another leader in place until they actually took a stand on controversial issues and formed the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship. The CBF regularly takes shots at the SBC and has a lot of support from none other than Jimmah Carter, who is a proud member of the CBF. They have come under fire as well over homosexuality because they say they don't accept money from individuals (they accept individuals, churches or other organizations to be members) or any other entity who has openly supported homosexual causes, but they refuse to say they won't accept homosexuals or those advocating homosexual causes as members. If you can figure that out, let me know. Basically, they say they won't take their money, but they allow them to be members as long as they pay their dues.
Anyway, the battles over the heart and soul of Baptists are basically the last in a line of battles all other denominations have fought over they last several years. Methodists and several other denominations already allow homos to "wed" and have basically thrown the Bible out the window on such sinful behavior. The SBC drew a line in the sand and refused to cross it, thus ticking off the "moderates", who recently left. (good riddance as far as I am concerned) The ABC is kinda the opposite of the SBC in that it was the liberals in charge and the conservatives who left. We will see how well each grows in the next few years.
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