Replies

A few years ago I attended a funeral at an Episcopal church of someone I had known my entire life. This church was associated with a well known university. I was surprised that the priest who was now in charge of the church was a woman. I thought that it would seem strange to have a woman presiding over the service but actually there was no problem and it was a fitting memorial service.

Being in this church reminded me of another time I had been there decades earlier. A student who assisted in the church and was also a friend of my family invited me and my siblings to join him while he played music on the church bells on Easter Sunday. We climbed up into the church tower and he assigned us all to certain levers of the carillon. He played all the other ones, some with his feet, and called out to us when our bells were required in the music.

That young man was brilliant and also devoted to the church. Years later I realized that he was gay and so was the family friend whose funeral I later attended.

So it has always been true that some of the people most involved with the church were gay. That never seemed to be a problem because their gayness did not seem to be related to their involvement in the church, except perhaps in how it might be connected to a greater appreciation of liturgical music and art, etc.

The problem I think many people have with gays in the church is not so much their presence; it turns out that they were always there. The thing people object to is the possibility that the church will be turned over to promote gay culture rather than Christianity.

No, the problem is that SCRIPTURE has something to say about church leadership.

I'd imagine that the Scriptures that condemn homosexual behavior would have something to say about homosexuals serving in leadership. Scripture also says something about women serving in certain positions of leadership -- not politically correct to point that out, but then again Scripture has never been politically correct.

Our feelings about how the Church should be run are irrelevant. Church should be run as the Lord prescribed.

The problem I think many people have with gays in the church is not so much their presence; it turns out that they were always there.

Biblically speaking, a church member who is in sin, should be confronted. If that individual refuses to repent, he/she is to be put out of the church.

So, if homosexuals were always there, were open about it so people knew, were members of the church and no one confronted them about it, then the church leadership as a whole sinned.