Posted on 02/23/2014 11:28:04 PM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
A hard-fought effort to move one of Houston's iconic Christian churches from its long-standing denomination to a new, more conservative group narrowly failed Sunday, with the congregation voting heavily in favor of the move but falling short of the supermajority needed for approval.
The leadership of First Presbyterian Church, which was established shortly after Houston's founding, had unanimously endorsed the move from Presbyterian Church USA to the breakaway denomination called ECO, A Covenant Order of Evangelical Presbyterians. The senior pastor, his staff, and the elected leaders from the congregation argued that PCUSA, the nation's largest Presbyterian body, had become too liberal and had drifted from the church's theological foundation. But the final count fell 36 votes short out of 1,681 ballots cast.
"This is the toughest possible outcome in many people's minds,"...............
(Excerpt) Read more at chron.com ...
Where does “1st Pres” stand on corporate decisions by PCUSA to stand with Palestinians in calling for divestment from Israel?
I dunno, not a member.
Wasn’t there an scandal about a decade or so ago where a minister there had an adulterous affair? I didn’t hear too much about it but I thought he had to step down in shame.
Having an active homosexual minister would be hypocritical, celebrating the sins of one while denouncing another for being a sinner.
With $100million in holdings, PCUSA didn't want to lose a member church like First Presbyterian.
If it’s that close, a large minority are being forced to “eat it”! Break away, and buy the church back when it goes bankrupt.
Yes, the biblical hermeneutic that gets you to ordaining women is the same one that gets you to condoning homosexuality
PCUSA’s problem wasn’t ordaining women. It was Louisville’s insistence that churches have quotas. Prebyterians have always been independent minded. If a church wanted a gay pastor, they didn’t want anyone telling them they couldn’t have one.
The Lutherans had a pastor who abandoned his wife and children to take up with his gay lover. And they made him a Bishop!!
Everything is liberal in downtown Houston. No surprise
Sad that this was even close
More than half voted for the change, maybe they should look for a new church to join?
The men stay because the wives, with their social network in church, insist that they do. It’s about social networking, not the gospel.
Understand. Sadly, that is why decency loses.
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