Posted on 05/10/2013 9:44:03 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
A report from the Pennsylvania Pastors' Network reveals that approximately 20 percent of evangelical pastors in the Keystone State are "not in sync" on significant moral and doctrinal issues.
The report contains information compiled from a phone survey conducted by United in Purpose on behalf of PPN. The survey asked evangelical pastors from across the state to respond to 20 questions pertaining to topics such as abortion, same-sex marriage, the authority of the Bible, and how a person can be spiritually saved. The results of the survey are being released in several parts over time.
When asked to respond to the statement, "People can receive eternal salvation only through personal repentance of sin and the grace of God through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, 89 percent of pastors said they would "definitely" teach that position to their church. Another four percent of pastors said they would only "probably" teach that view, and seven percent said they would not teach it at all.
Three-quarters (78 percent) of pastors said they would definitely teach that the Bible is "the only completely reliable source of absolute moral truth," while 11 percent said they would probably teach the same and 10 percent said they would not teach it.
When asked where they stand on certain moral topics, 78 percent of pastors said they would definitely teach that abortion is wrong because "life is a sacred gift of God," while five percent said they would probably teach the same and 17 percent said they would not. More than four-in-five (82 percent) pastors also said they would definitely teach that same-sex marriage is morally wrong because marriage is supposed to be a union between a man and a woman, though two percent said they probably would teach the same and 15 percent said they wouldn't at all. Sam Rohrer, president of PPN, expressed concern about the study's findings in a press release.
"In our day when murder of the unborn is sanctioned by government, the redefining of marriage breeds confusion and uncertainty marks our culture, God's Word is the only source for truth and confidence. We walk away from God and His moral absolutes to our own peril. And it is Pastors who have the direct command to preach and teach a pure Biblical worldview as given by God in His Word," he said.
He later added, "Our nation is in need of rescue and 20 percent of our pastors are falling short of the call and responsibility placed on their lives. It is impossible for those in positions of leadership to lead on matters of life and living when they themselves are not confident that God's Word provides all the answers to all life's questions."
Another finding from the report indicates that 74 percent of evangelical pastors in Pennsylvania would definitely teach that "Christians have a responsibility to uphold the biblical principles on which our country was founded." Another nine percent said they would probably teach the same while 17 percent said they would not.
The report consisted of responses from 114 evangelical pastors representing churches from 17 different denominations plus five non-denominational churches, according to a previously released report from the same survey. Ninety percent of the churches represented by the pastors are primarily white congregations, while four percent are primarily black, two percent are primarily Hispanic and four percent are multi-ethnic.
But despite the diversity among those surveyed, Pastor John Davis of Grace Church in Philadelphia says he is skeptical that the percentages provided in the report accurately reflect the view of all pastors in Pennsylvania or in the United States as a whole.
"If those statistics were accurate I would be encouraged that so many have a high view of Scriptural authority and of biblical morality," said Davis. "Those figures may represent those who profess to be evangelical but I am sadly confident the statistics would be reversed if the survey included all denominations."
In the last days, there will b a great falling away from biblical truth and many false preachers will lead others astray.
Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus.
when you use the man - made doctrine of scripture alone, etc, you end up with this sort of confusion....
you made your reformation beds, now LIE in them.
If they aren’t “in sync” with these basic biblical principles, they aren’t evangelicals.
It’s like saying 1 in 20 Roman Catholics don’t think the pope is head of the church. They really aren’t Roman Catholics in that case.
Or like saying 1 in 20 Mormons don’t really think you need a temple wedding. Not really Mormons then are they?
Say what? The Pope isn't the head of the Church. Jesus is. The Pope is the Bishop of Rome. He is an equal with the Bishop (Patriarch) of, say, Moscow.
Amen.
Alternatively, 4 in 5 are in sync, but that isn't considered noteworthy.
If someone does not believe that, “People can receive eternal salvation only through personal repentance of sin and the grace of God through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ . . . the Bible is the only completely reliable source of absolute moral truth . . . life is a sacred gift of God,” I’m not sure why someone would call that person a pastor, priest, or minister. I’d call that person a guidance counselor - and not a particularly good one.
Sounds to me like you'd make a good Orthodox Christian.
i know - I’m just saying that if you deny the central tenets of a religion, you really aren’t part of that religion.
Somewhere between 10 and 20 percent of evangelical pastors in Pennsylvania aren’t evangelicals and arguably aren’t Christians either. Apparently.
Or maybe this is an opportunity for the “Pastors Network” to update their mailing list and clear out the weeds.
80% in sync. That is a better percentage than elected Republicans that are nominally conservatives.
Can the bishop of Moscow speak ex cathedra on behalf of the entire Roman Catholic church?
There are liberals in every church. We are taught to be on guard.
When the Communists in Soviet Russia began their persecution of the church, the average church dropped from 300 people to 15. That's a 95% falling away. The same thing will occur in the U.S.
“114 evangelical pastors representing churches from 17 different denominations plus five non-denominational churches”
OK we are getting crazy with this stuff. How many Evangelical pastors in Pa? Did they say in the article? Did I miss it? I mean just a ballpark figure would be fine. They want you to believe that 114 pastors decide what all the pastors in Pa believe. And they don’t even tell you how big a group that the 114 are supposed to be representing. It’s like all the states that don’t get exit polled, but the ones that do are supposed to represent a national group, even though the states with exit polling show wild swings between each other among the same group.
Freegards
Sounds to me like you'd make a good Orthodox Christian.
I'd like to think of myself as a good Catholic Christian. The Pope is not the boss of the Church; he is one of the senior Bishops. He may be first among equals (whatever the negotiation among the churches may result in), but the important thing is that in the history of the Church, the senior Bishops are equal.
That is not a tenet, central or otherwise, of the Catholic Church.
Can the bishop of Moscow speak ex cathedra on behalf of the entire Roman Catholic church?
No. That is not his jurisdiction. He can speak on behalf of the Russian Orthodox Church. That is is his jurisdiction. He also cannot speak on behalf of the Greeks or the Alexandrians or the Constantinoplians either. Those don't fall within his jurisdiction either.
At a more local level, the Bishop of Davenport cannot speak on behalf of the Diocese of Peoria. Adjacent dioceses. That is the way that the Church has worked for the last two millennia.
You can think of yourself however you like, but the reality is your statements here have more in common with traditional Orthodox Christian beliefs about the papacy than traditional Catholic Christian beliefs.
The Orthodox Church would describe the Pope as simply the "bishop of Rome" and "first among equals", saying he has no more authority that any other "Metropolitan" (for example, Archbishop Kirill I of Moscow) and that the Roman Catholic has upsurged its authority and gone renegade by declaring papal infallibility and so on.
The Catholic Church, on the other hand, sees the Pope as the Vicar of Christ, the Vicar of Peter, and having special authority over all other bishops as the Supreme pontiff of the Universal Church.
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