Posted on 05/12/2011 2:19:50 PM PDT by NYer
.- The Presbyterian Church USA has voted to remove clergy requirements of marital fidelity or single chastity, thus allowing the ordination of ministers and lay leaders who are openly homosexual or living in unmarried relationships.
“This is a lonely day for Presbyterians who believe what the Bible and the Church have consistently taught: that God’s will is that we be faithful in marriage or chaste in singleness. Now we belong to a denomination that is no longer sure it believes that teaching,” said Allan Wisdom, a director of Presbyterian Action at the ecumenical D.C.-based Institution on Religion & Democracy.
Wisdom thought that the change was a separation from the “historic Christian tradition and the vast majority of the global Church.” It means the denomination will not necessarily support its members who struggle to obey Scripture.
“It will not call them to repentance when they fall short of those standards, and it will not offer God’s forgiveness for what it no longer recognizes as sexual sins. In a society where the abuse of sexuality is devastating millions of lives, this abdication by the PCUSA is tragic.”
An amendment to the Presbyterian constitution was ratified on May 10 by a majority of the church’s 173 regional organizations known as presbyteries, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Since 1997 the church’s constitution required those seeking ordination to be living “in fidelity within the covenant of marriage between a man and a woman, or chastity in singleness.” Now the constitution only requires church officials to examine “each candidate’s calling, gifts, preparation and suitability for the responsibilities of office.”
Regional church bodies will still be able to decide whether or not to ordain open homosexuals. However, some presbyteries have already ordained homosexual clergy and lay leaders without approval.
The change could lead some churches to leave the denomination or seek to join presbyteries more aligned with their views.
Rev. Dan Chun, pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Honolulu, told the Los Angeles Times his church has formally petitioned to move from the Pacific Presbytery, which favors homosexual ordination, to the San Diego Presbytery, which does not. The ordination of homosexuals was a major motive for the request.
He said he feared the vote would be “divisive for our denomination, which has, for the past 50-plus years, been losing membership.”
Michael Adee, a presbyter and executive director of the pro-homosexual group More Light Presbyterians, said the change was an “important moment in the Christian communion.”
“I rejoice that Presbyterians are focusing on what matters most: faith and character, not a person's marital status or sexual orientation,” he told the Los Angeles Times.
Knox Presbyterian Church in Ladera Heights, California hosted the Pacific Presbytery meeting.
Linda Fleming, 63, an elder and deacon at the church, said she had changed her mind on the issue because she thought it was “inevitable.”
“I think it's like letting black people come to white churches, or letting women become ministers. It's inevitable.”
Rev. Mark Brewer, pastor of Bel Air Presbyterian and an opponent of homosexual ordination, said he did not think the vote would cause any immediate crisis.
“I think this is a tectonic plate slowly separating, more than a big earthquake,” he said. He thought Presbyterians would “Stay on the same ship” but “live on different decks.”
The Presbyterian Church USA becomes the fourth mainline Protestant church in the U.S. to approve of openly homosexual clergy, after the Episcopal and Evangelical Lutheran churches and the United Church of Christ.
Post #10 is meant as a joke. However, I do recall a thread about a real men’s Bible study that took place at the local Hooter’s restaurant every week.
How sad.
Forbidden is such a nasty, judgmental word./lib
Heck if they would only allow them to marry — no bad things would happen. Forget the chastity and celibacy — oops wrong church........<sarcasm off/
YES...what YOU said.
Gays and "singles" ~ all makes dolalrs and sense, eh! (Like that pun?)
they'd be better off selling some of their buildings to the Holy Rollers.
It is a joke. Just used a Rush Limbaugh tactic and carried the issue out to a logical extension.
If what was previously considered sexual immorality is accepted by the church as the normal standard, why not men’s fellowship at the Platinum Club? Why can’t the ladies go see the Chippendales? Why not a mission trip to a nudist colony? None of them are any worse that what they have judged to be, contrary to clear Biblical teaching, perfectly acceptable.
Just another reminder why Presbyterians are also known as “The Split Ps”
Prayers for our Christian brethern suffering
and butin the end is wickedly funny too :)
I don't follow you, this is not Politically Correct of America? I think the Presybterians are getting way tooo politically correct and think they need our support as conservative Christians to fight against the liberals destroying them
“Being black or female is not a sin.” —> you are correct, the gay mafia use the civil rights as a pretext for their legalizing of sin.
Of course, there's a lot of change happening. Next week the North-Western Evangelical Bible-Reformed branch of PresbyMennonCongregationalutherAdventipentecostathism is due to split into the Central-North-Western Evangelical Bible-Reformed branch of PresbyMennonCongregationalutherAdventipentecostathism and the Central-Southern-North-Western Evangelical Bible-Reformed branch of PresbyMennonCongregationalutherAdventipentecostathism, but this is good driven as there as a dispute in the Congregation on matters of doctrine, Bobama thought that he should be Preach-pasto-Prophet Elder on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and alternate Sundays while Michelle thought that she should be that -- as she had yoga-pilates-kickboxing class on Thursdays.
Church Announcements:Men’s Fellowship Group to meet next Saturday night at the Platinum Club.
Presbyterian Ladies Circle to leave on weekend retreat to NYC on Friday to see the Chippendale’s.
Sign up for our mission trip to Ocean View Nudist Colony in Ft. Lauderdale in July.
Thank you.
In one sense it is funny; in another greater sense, it is tragic and heartbreaking.
While there were blaring hypocrisies in our society 40 - 50 years ago, particularly as it relates to race and sometimes women trapped in abusive marriages, the net change has not been better, but far worse. Families have born the brunt of the massive lapse in values, and by extension, the children of broken homes and single parent homes where the father has NEVER been around.
I blame the political left and politicians most. But the Christian church bears almost as much blame for two reasons. First, they have caved in to popular culture, for which the Presbyterian Church US can serve as a poster child. Secondly, and most importantly, the church and its members have not worked like they should to win hearts and souls (too much reliance has been placed on political activism - eg Christian Coalition, etc).
Are you saying you do not know the PCA denomination? You can research it....
Micah 3:5-6
5 This is what the LORD says:
“As for the prophets
who lead my people astray,
they proclaim ‘peace’
if they have something to eat,
but prepare to wage war against anyone
who refuses to feed them.
6 Therefore night will come over you, without visions,
and darkness, without divination.
The sun will set for the prophets,
and the day will go dark for them.
Luke 17:1-3
1 Jesus said to his disciples: “Things that cause people to stumble are bound to come, but woe to anyone through whom they come. 2 It would be better for them to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around their neck than to cause one of these little ones to stumble. 3 So watch yourselves.
What’s amazing is that their method is so much aligned with that of the islamofascists.
Better not sell the Parishes, bishops. You’ll be getting more converts than ever this year.
What is the church, the building or the people? Many of these “churches” are going to end up as empty buildiings being put up for sale. I think the people who are still going to church want something more than “whatever” Christianity.
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