Posted on 07/09/2008 4:32:10 AM PDT by johnstown
The Episcopal Church has been at the forefront of baptizing active homosexual lifestyle as God-blessed.
Since 1960, that denomination has decreased in membership by 48%.
The United Methodist Church has been roiled by those adamant on establishing homosexual lifestyles as Christian legitimate. In the fight for one side or another that denomination has decreased in membership by 25%.
The Presbyterian Church (USA) has likewise been embroiled in the tussle. That denomination has decreased in membership by 44%.
The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) has also been riddled with in-house fighting over homosexual lifestyles as anti-God or pro-God. That denomination's membership has decreased 74%.
The Evangelical Lutheran Church of America has permitted the fight to be more open, some in administration arguing homosexual lifestyles as okay with God. That denomination's membership has decreased by 31%.
The United Church of Christ (Congregational) has defended aggressively homosexual activity as totally legitimate in the definition of "Christian." In the last 40 years, that denomination has lost 40% of its original membership.
By contrast, denominations preaching the Bible as divine revelation, openly stating their love for homosexuals but their disdain for homosexual activity, have grown in membership and church attendance.
For instance, the Southern Baptist Convention has increased in membership by 76% according to the National Council of Churches statistics for 2007.
Read James L. Clark's "The Church Homosexual Problem" at http://www.postchronicle.com/cgi-bin/artman/exec/view.cgi?archive=75&num=153523
Is it possible that the Anglicans and Episcopalians don’t CARE if they shrink? Some of these denominations have large endowments from generous bequests from religious widows from a bygone era when the denominations seemed to mean something. But if the congregations shrink, the money can go even farther for salaries and special projects.
Maybe homosexuals are a little hazy on the concept.
“Pro-Homosexual Denominations Lose Numbers”
Yes, but their “moral superiority” to the rest of us makes them they gain so much MORE than can be counted in mere membership numbers.
Hmmmmm. Pronoun trouble.
Should have read: “...makes them gain...”
Sorry.
The question is what were the numbers for each denomination before they decided to reject Scriptural teaching on homosexuality and what are their numbers now?
In the case of the SBC, the reported increase seems arbitrary. The SBC has grown 76% since 1962.
I don't think the ECUSA, UMC, PCUSA, DOC, ELCA or UCC have been teaching these doctrines since 1962.
Especially since the UMC has only existed since 1968, the PCUSA since 1983, and ELCA since 1988.
Losing almost 50% of your membership is stunning—even as the US population has doubled. Even GM isn’t doing that badly. In most organizations, that would trigger some soul searching. However, you are probably right—they don’t care. As long as those who remain share their “values”, they won’t ask where all the people went. They will also be content as long as the MSM refers to them as “traditional, mainstream churches”—long after they’ve become stark-raving, new-age looney bins.
They don’t seem to care. Why should they? They don’t have any real sense of answering morally at the Judgment Seat of Christ for anything personal or church-wise.
It seems these constituents are lazy about their religion—just let happen what happens. Not all of the constituents are like that, but it appears that many are. The really sensitive Christians in their number often have moved out to worship elsewhere where the Bible is preached and lived out.
oh, the ‘moral superiority’!
Episcopalians going down the tubes ping
Not very PC, but it sums it up pretty well...
Yes.
Jesus gave His disciples permission to analyze others’ fruit—some good, some bad.
We cannot judge a soul to heaven or hell. That is God’s doing.
But Jesus did give His grace children permission to analyze others’ fruit.
The lesson here is, when a church loses it’s focus on Christ and the Bible it is headed into the dumpster...
Having been inside PCUSA as a church Elder I can tell you they do care. They just don’t understand why and refuse to open their eyes. The problems that I saw. 1) A high % of the members are elderly and are dying, thus reducing your membership. 2) The old folks also tend to resist changes to make church more attractive to a younger generation. 3) the older folks also don’t want to spend money on things that younger couples need, like childrens programs. My Church spent $3500 in emergency funding to re-upholster some pews because they were too hard but would not spend $300 for childrens bibles.
They are happy because things are the same for them. One really rich lady said “you will grow this church over my dead body”. They needed her money so she got her way.
They don’t see the radicals who have entered the church leadership and are pushing the liberal agenda. Many of those that do think the reason they aren’t growing is because they haven’t accepted the liberal agenda.
Its sad because there were many great God loving people in that church. The church I’m at now has its problems but is growing like gangbusters. I think its because it remains God focused.
Here’s my morning Barf story!
God commands us to leave Sodom and Gomorrah and not to look back.
In a theological sense, you have contradicted yourself.
Man is only denied the power to condemn.
They have denied Genesis, which is the most important part of the Bible.
A pretty neat trick. "We love you...now get the hell away from me."
I was raised a Methodist, but there’s no way I’d support them today, mainly because they are gun grabbers.
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