Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

To: magslinger
I think you should investigate an Independent Christian Church. I hope you can find where you live a church community like the one I am now a happy member. The Church is led by our elders, members of the congregation, not a hierarchy separated from the church. I see them every week (well, most weeks) and not just on Sundays. They are of us, not above us. They are guided by the The Bible and prayer. The preaching minister is important to decision making, but at the end of the day, he is just a hired hand. We don't have un-Christian policies shoved upon us.

The problem with this is that church leadership exists on a continuum from episcopalian through presbyterian to independent. While independently led Christian churches are much easier to corrupt individually, it's more difficult to get them all moving in one direction.

Episcopalian or Presbyterian churches on the other hand are very difficult to corrupt individually, but once the train goes off the tracks (as it has with the ELCA, the Methodists, and the Epsicopalians) it's time to abandon ship. The Southern Baptist Convention is the only church group that I know of which has engaged in the fight against homosexuality and liberalism and won. Independent churches have fallen victim to everything from the holy laughter movement (people rolling on the floor, barking like dogs, etc) to anti-vaccination campaigns. While I'm glad that you have found a place to attend with a clear conscience it probably requires you to be more vigilant than ever about
143 posted on 05/24/2006 6:10:07 AM PDT by Old_Mil (http://www.constitutionparty.org - Forging a Rebirth of Freedom.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 93 | View Replies ]


To: Old_Mil
The problem with this is that church leadership exists on a continuum from episcopalian through presbyterian to independent. While independently led Christian churches are much easier to corrupt individually, it's more difficult to get them all moving in one direction.

You got that right. I know how difficult it is just to keep our lone church body moving in more or less the same direction. I know the church leadership feel like cat herders. I count this independence as a good thing.

Episcopalian or Presbyterian churches on the other hand are very difficult to corrupt individually, but once the train goes off the tracks (as it has with the ELCA, the Methodists, and the Epsicopalians) it's time to abandon ship. The Southern Baptist Convention is the only church group that I know of which has engaged in the fight against homosexuality and liberalism and won.

The problem with hierarchal churches is that the leadership in such churches is separated from the congregations. This separation IMHO makes infiltration easier. I know our leadership. They have been in my home and I in theirs. I trust them.

While I'm glad that you have found a place to attend with a clear conscience it probably requires you to be more vigilant than ever about

More vigilance, perhaps, but less watching, any changes in attitude or membership of the board of elders would be immediately noticed. Sure, there are some odd practices in independent churches, especially ones run by the minister, like Westboro Baptist Church. (I know they are surely not Southern Baptist, a Southern Baptist church was runner up in our search for a new church home.) Our set up with elders, deacons, preaching minister and body in general makes hijacking of the church difficult, if not impossible.

207 posted on 05/24/2006 10:19:14 AM PDT by magslinger (WWJBD? What Would Jack Bauer Do?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 143 | View Replies ]

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article


FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson