Posted on 02/26/2019 2:51:56 PM PST by lightman
After passionate speeches, prayers and tears, the “one, last shot” for the One Church Plan was defeated by a vote of 449-374 at The United Methodist Church’s 2019 General Conference.
The Rev. Tom Berlin, Virginia Conference, spoke for a minority report for the One Church Plan that was submitted last night. A minority report is a substitution for the report of the legislative committee. Delegates opposed the bishops’ recommended One Church Plan by a vote of 436 to 386 on Feb. 25. That vote was 53 to almost 47 percent.
“I have a love of the church that sometimes I do not even understand,” he said in presenting the report to the denomination’s top lawmaking assembly. “Sometimes I get emotional when I talk about it because I catch a glimpse of what we can be with God’s help.”
Berlin told delegates that approving the One Church Plan did not force any pastor or church to perform same-sex marriages, nor did it force anyone to change what they believe about the Bible. But the plan would allow conferences to ordain LGBTQ pastors, as well as allowing churches to host and pastors to officiate at same-sex marriages.
“If the Traditional Plan is voted in, it will be a virus that will make the American church very sick,” he said. “Many pastors are going to leave, many annual conference will leave. … There will be trials, and they will be on the news. The only news about the church will be about people we don’t serve.”
And he warned the virus would cross oceans and make the whole church sick.
However, other delegates stood to talk about following God’s “true word.”
Nancy Denardo, Western Pennsylvania, cited Scriptures in her argument against the One Church Plan.
“Friends, please stop sowing seeds of deceit,” she said. “I’m truly sorry if the truth of the Gospel hurts anyone; I love you and I love you enough to tell the truth.”
Lyndsey Stearns, West Ohio, a young person who described herself as a future pastor, spoke in favor of the One Church Plan and told the body in the past 24 hours, 15,529 young people had signed a statement in support of unity.
The statement says young people are not all of the same mind about LGBTQ people.
“And yet through working together, sharing stories, and worshipping side by side, we have seen each other’s gifts and fruits for ministry! We have witnessed the incredible ways that God is working through each of us in our own unique contexts.”
Stearns said, “I read John 17 and it ruined me. I could not unhear the words of Jesus.”
Aislinn Deviney, Rio Texas, who described herself as a young evangelical delegate, said many young people “fiercely believe marriage is between one man and one woman.”
“We are here at the table because of our dedication, not because we demand a place because of our age,” she said. “We speak for ourselves. We all have family and friends who are LGBTQ that we love and value.”
The Rev. Cara Niklas, Oklahoma, in speaking against the One Church Plan, said people supporting the Traditional Plan have been called mean-spirited.
“That is a false narrative,” she said. She talked about the love she has for a niece who is a lesbian. “When gay persons become convinced I don’t love them because of their behavior, it causes damage with our relationships.”
Rey Hernandez, Philippines, said cultures are not the same around the world but the One Church Plan is “beautiful in our unity.”
“With the help of the gifts of Holy Spirit, I believe what we are trying to agree on is to spread the Gospel,” he said.
Before the vote, Berlin once again told delegates to follow the Golden Rule of Jesus.
“Be consistent, and modify the Book of Discipline to eliminate all the divorced, all those who cohabit before marriage and apply those standards to yourself first,” he said.
There are clergy and bishops who would have to surrender their credentials for violating those Scriptures, he added. “But I don’t think that’s the church you want.”
The Rev. Joe Harris, chair of the legislative committee, addressed the delegates.
“After all the passionate debate, all I can say is God is with us and God will be with us and the Holy Spirit will guide us. Continue to do what you said you wanted to do yesterday, reject One Church Plan and continue on Traditional Plan.”
Delegates and bishops left their seats and drew close together for a prayer.
Bishop Sharon Brown Christopher prayed, “Come, Holy Spirit, come. Come, Holy Spirit, come. Come, Holy Spirit, come.”
As they went back to their seats those gathered in the stadium were singing, “This Little Light of Mine.”
Nice to see a victory for Christians for once.
Therefore:
Lutheran (EL C S*A) Ping!
* as of August 19, AD 2009, a liberal protestant SECT, not part of the holy, catholic and apostolic CHURCH.
Be rooted in Christ!
NOTE: The August 19 date pertains to the adoption of gay agenda policies, NOT the UMC agreement!
The liberals used every device and lie to get hold of the Episcopal church, and then stole the by buildings and property of the conservatives that wanted to leave.
Unfortunately for them, they showed themselves just what they are, and the Methodists won’t fall for it.
The liberals used every device and lie to get hold of the Episcopal church, and then stole the by buildings and property of the conservatives that wanted to leave.
Unfortunately for them, they showed themselves just what they are, and the Methodists won’t fall for it.
She claims she’s a pastor and that John 17 means God likes teh Gayez so we should allow gay priests and marriages?
That’s not at all what it means.
I question the church allowing her to practice and applaud the church as it upholds God’s word - even in the face of growing strife and pressure.
God even warned the liberal Lutherans by sending a whirlwind which hit the convention hall right before the vote and took the steeple and cross off the adjacent Lutheran church.
Didn’t make any difference. ELCA sent themselves to Hell anyway.
Bkmrk.
The UMC “One Church” plan was basically copied from the 2009 ELCA decision to recognize four different teachings on same sex “marriage” and the Ordaining of non-celibate homosexuals as all being equally valid.
Ask the ELCA how well that worked out.
The UMC watched and learned.
They played the same game in the Episcopagan and PCusa churches. They said nobody would be forced to do anything. Look at how that turned out.
Lyndsey Stearns, West Ohio, a young person who described herself as a future pastor ...
Aislinn Deviney, Rio Texas, who described herself as a young evangelical delegate ...
The Rev. Cara Niklas, Oklahoma, in speaking against the One Church Plan ...
Bishop Sharon Brown Christopher prayed
It's just a matter of time for this denomination ...
Good memory!
The tornado happens on a Wednesday...during the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America's national convention in the Minneapolis Convention Center. The convention is using Central Lutheran across the street as its church. The church has set up tents around it’s building for this purpose.
According to the ELCA’s printed convention schedule, at 2 PM on Wednesday, August 19 (2009), the 5th session of the convention was to begin. The main item of the session: “Consideration: Proposed Social Statement on Human Sexuality.” The issue is whether practicing homosexuality is a behavior that should disqualify a person from the pastoral ministry.
The first buildings on the downtown side of I94 are the Minneapolis Convention Center and Central Lutheran. The tornado severely damages the convention center roof, shreds the tents, breaks off the steeple of Central Lutheran, splits what’s left of the steeple in two...and then lifts.
I’ve seen the process up close 3 times. I was born and raised in the Episcopal church and attended Congregationalist schools. I watched the UCC implode, I eventually left my Episcopal parish for the Presbyterians when it became “open and affirming” (and attendance dropped by about 80%), and then saw my Presbyterian Church walk away from PCUSA, paying a lot of ransom in the process.
In all three denominations, the “progressives” made identical arguments, almost like they were crafted by a single Author. Yeah, all of this is basically Satanic.
I now attend a small non-denominational church. I will never attend an American denominational church again. My new church is affiliated with an international ministry, started by Americans but now mostly in Asia and Africa. Breaking away from American “churches” and affiliating with international Christian groups helps protect us from the cancer.
“If the Traditional Plan is voted in, it will be a virus that will make the American church very sick,”
No. The church is already sick. This is good medicine.
Liberals won’t leave, they’ll stay and do gay marriage anyway, and dare to be punished, start lawsuits, and more.
Being given a chance to practice their own way isn’t enough. They will work to try to force conservatives to submit.
They’re plotting as we speak.
Yes!
Good bye liberals, hello Christians.
Do you have any factual stories or data on that? Because this is what I suspected would eventually happen had the Liberals won in this General Conference. And that would make Rev. Berlin (quoted above) a liar or a fool.
The timeline would be most clear in the Episcopal Church although I haven’t kept track of that closely. It started out with each diocese could choose whether to be pro-gay or not and nobody can be forced to eventually mandating acceptance of homosexual clergy and same-sex marriages.
Here’s one that only takes it through 2007:
https://www.virtueonline.org/walking-apart-path-episcopal-church
Here’s another more up to date:
https://www.virtueonline.org/liberation-theology-episcopal-church-usa-1970-2016
In the PCUSA I don’t have anything specific. One of the main threats was that in order to call a pastor to a PCUSA church, the candidate must be approved by PCUSA, and it was clear that pretty soon only those seminary graduates who embraced the homosexual agenda would be considered “suitable.”
As an ordained PCUSA elder, I got to go to presbytery meetings and see how the denomination really operated. It was pretty scary, heavy on political correctness and only lightly “Christian.” One of the low points was seeing a seminary candidate for ordination get ripped to shreds in oral examination by the presbytry because he believed in the authority of Scripture.
The final breaking point for me was when the PCUSA, to validate homosexual sex, did away with the requirement that pastors, elders and deacons had to be “faithful in marriage and chaste in singleness.” This meant that I, as an elder, could now go out and cheat on my wife and that would be ok with the denomination.
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