Posted on 04/20/2019 10:44:07 PM PDT by Olog-hai
There’s at least one area of agreement among conservative, centrist and liberal leaders in the United Methodist Church: America’s largest mainline Protestant denomination is on a path toward likely breakup over differences on same-sex marriage and ordination of LGBT pastors.
The differences have simmered for years, and came to a head in February at a conference in St. Louis where delegates voted 438-384 for a proposal called the Traditional Plan, which strengthens bans on LGBT-inclusive practices. A majority of U.S.-based delegates opposed that plan and favored LGBT-friendly options, but they were outvoted by U.S. conservatives teamed with most of the delegates from Methodist strongholds in Africa and the Philippines.
Many believe the vote will prompt an exodus from the church by liberal congregations that are already expressing their dissatisfaction over the move.
Some churches have raised rainbow flags in a show of LGBT solidarity. Some pastors have vowed to defy the strict rules and continue to allow gay weddings in Methodist churches. Churches are withholding dues payments to the main office in protest, and the UMC’s receipts were down 20 percent in March, according to financial reports posted online. …
(Excerpt) Read more at apnews.com ...
Female elders have been in the Methodist tradition for some time. I don’t remember anything from the Wesleys on it, so it had to develop after that. They were Anglican, and at that time, the Anglicans did not permit it.
For some time, we’ve had elders at all levels who are female.
I can’t find a legitimate biblical basis for it. I can find female deacons, and have a reasonable argument for it. But the biblical argument for female elders is tenuous.
Actually I am ARP* right now, not a good PCA option in the nearby area. But conservative Presbies, lay and leaders, often move around between the OPC, PCA and ARP. The last two teaching elders at my current church were PCA before being called to our church.
Those three are the most solid, though there are a couple of Presbyterian denominations that are even smaller than the ARP.
The PCA is the one that is most likely to fall into some sort of theological mischief, but in the end it all appears to be dealt with appropriately.
The EPC has some very solid churches, but does allow for the ordination of women, it is still rare for that to happen.
* Associate Reformed Presbyterian
The ARP, my current home, does allow for female deacons.
I find support for that in Scripture, and the question often bubbles up in the PCA, but thus far has not found support.
News to me. Although I was a trustee before leaving UMC. But I’m so much more comfortable in my present worship environment where all the elders, all the ushers and all those who serve the Lord’s Supper are men. There are female (as well as male) altar assistants to the Pastor during the Divine Service, and women lectors, teachers and deaconesses, as well as many female committee members and chairs of the various ministries; but the adult men’s role in our services and oversight is not diluted by pushy feminists. Love it!
Hope you had a wonderful Easter, xzins!
What is the ARP?
“Why must 99.99% of the world be turned on its head over these freaks?”
I’m not sure when it started, I think Karl Marx and his satanic minions, might have something to do with it but...
Notice that after just after WWII non-communist governments worldwide have been infiltrated and governing to suit the lowest common denominator. In just about all things!
Communism must be planning to step in and “make thing right” with a return to normalcy but... with communism replacing morality and God. Oh worship the great saviour Communism! Even socialism is too soft, there must be boots upon the neck and the crushing iron fist that only communism can bring to the table. For the good of the proletariat.
The male mind is an odd thing.
As a pastor, I would testify that I saw, “if the women will do it, then I don’t need to.”
That’s not a biblical argument against female ordination as elders. Those are already known.
There’s some old church research that says that if mothers attend church, 25% of children will continue to attend church later in life. But if both father and mother attend, it is something in the neighborhood of 75% who will attend. I’ve always been fascinated by those numbers.
Yes, I believe God wants fathers to be the spiritual head of the household and set the example. A person with a good father is an increasing rarity these days. It's becoming a luxury.
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