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Struggling Cottage Grove Church Asks Older Members To Go Away (MN)
CBS Minnesoto ^ | 01/22/2020 | CBS Minnesota

Posted on 01/21/2020 12:48:46 PM PST by aimhigh

A struggling Minnesota church is asking its older parishioners to leave in hopes of making it more attractive to young families.

Grove United Methodist Church in the St. Paul suburb of Cottage Grove is closing in June, with plans to relaunch in November. The present members, most of them over 60 years old, will be invited to worship elsewhere, the St. Paul Pioneer Press reported. The church is asking that they stay away for two years, then consult the pastor about reapplying.

“I pray for this church, getting through this age-discrimination thing,” William Gackstetter said at church on a recent Sunday as the gray-haired heads around him nodded in agreement. But church officials said the congregation needs a reset and the best way is to appeal to younger people.

(Excerpt) Read more at minnesota.cbslocal.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Miscellaneous; News/Current Events; US: Minnesota
KEYWORDS: agediscrimination; church; cottagegrove; elderlychristians; methodists; old; stpaul; waronchristians
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To: 2nd amendment mama

I think you missed this:
“The older members will not be physically barred from attending, Peters said, but the expectation is that they won’t.”


61 posted on 01/21/2020 2:45:53 PM PST by toast
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To: aimhigh

Still think death panels weren’t real? They would kill anyone over 60 in an instant, just for convenience.


62 posted on 01/21/2020 2:46:05 PM PST by DesertRhino (Dog is man's best friend, and moslems hate dogs. Add that up. ....)
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To: aimhigh

The Methodist church is voting in May on whether to accept Homosexual marriage, and clergy. They may not want the old people there until after they can get the change complete.


63 posted on 01/21/2020 2:50:03 PM PST by political1 (Love your neighbors)
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To: toast; aimhigh
I actually have no business commenting, because I'm not a Methodist, but still:

"The new church leadership has asked the banished older attendees to stay away from worship and Bible study, but to continue maintaining the building site and donating money for the funding of the church operations."

An apt word comes to mind: "chutzpah". Methodist brothers and sisters, resist for the sake of the Gospel!

64 posted on 01/21/2020 2:51:16 PM PST by Mrs. Don-o ("Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good." - Romans 12:9)
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To: PGR88
But its actually all a lie - its propaganda to cover and disguise the fact that some leftist or LGBTQ pastor wants the conservatives OUT.

I think you hit the nail on the head.

65 posted on 01/21/2020 3:22:29 PM PST by DouglasKC
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To: aimhigh

Hope they change their Wills and leave nothing to the church.


66 posted on 01/21/2020 3:30:02 PM PST by bgill
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To: aimhigh

I had to take a double take to see if it was the Babylon Bee that printed this.


67 posted on 01/21/2020 3:35:16 PM PST by Sawdring
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To: aimhigh

Just incredible.


68 posted on 01/21/2020 4:04:09 PM PST by vladimir998 ( Apparently I'm still living in your head rent free. At least now it isn't empty.)
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To: toast

The point is that the article clearly says that they are being told to stay away. The fact that they are not being “physically barred” which implies security or similar forcing them away is irrelevant.


69 posted on 01/21/2020 4:19:09 PM PST by Stravinsky
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To: Stravinsky

No church is going to forbid people from attending just because they are old.

This church is about to go through a big change and reading between the lines there is an entrenched group of church members that are fighting it. I’ve seen it at other churches.

It looks like this group decided to take it to the media. I don’t trust the media.


70 posted on 01/21/2020 4:48:16 PM PST by toast
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To: kaehurowing

Yeah! That will work. How about loss leader coupons and promises of wealth untold in return for handsome donations.

Unreal. Get used to it. The children raised these last decades are running the show now. This is just their beginning.


71 posted on 01/21/2020 4:58:29 PM PST by Sequoyah101 (We are governed by the consent of the governed and we are fools for allowing it.)
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To: polymuser
the aging membership has been asked to continue maintaining the church until it reopens without them. “They want us to mow the lawn and shovel the snow,” he said. “As if anyone would do that."


72 posted on 01/21/2020 6:14:54 PM PST by Albion Wilde (It is fatal to enter any war without the will to win it. --Douglas MacArthur)
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To: aimhigh

With such Godless leadership this church is doomed regardless of their attempts to “save” it.


73 posted on 01/21/2020 6:41:42 PM PST by Rebelbase
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To: aimhigh

Revelation covers God’s opinion of this. “ I will vomit you out of My mouth.”


74 posted on 01/21/2020 6:53:13 PM PST by Rebelbase
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To: toast

“No church is going to forbid people from attending just because they are old.”

The church leadership itself has asked the old people to leave. That translates into “we don’t want you here”.


75 posted on 01/21/2020 6:56:05 PM PST by Rebelbase
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