RE: ..a step toward a major split, which may be necessary if the Moore faction grows any larger...
One of the major criticisms the Roman Catholic apologists have of Protestants is this -— denominations and churches split and split and split over what ever differences they have major and minor, such that keeping track of how many denominations there are is almost impossible.
Whereas with the RC Church, as long as they have Rome and the Pope, they have ONE CATHOLIC CHURCH.
The problem is, Rome and the Pope have devolved to heresy and perversion.
“Whereas with the RC Church, as long as they have Rome and the Pope, they have ONE CATHOLIC CHURCH.”
Yes...one church with screwed up theology and a Marxist Pope.
The SBC is not exactly a denomination. It is 45,000 independent churches who work together on missions and seminaries. But each church it autonomous.
You make it sound like the problem is one of book-keeping.
The problem is that the church is the Body of Christ, and Christ doesn't have ten bodies, or ten thousand bodies, but only one. And the problem further is that Christ prayed in John 17:20-21 that the church would be one, and that James says (James 5:16) that the prayer of the righteous man availeth much. Jesus was at the very least a "righteous man," so his prayer can't just be discarded, it must "availeth much" or the Bible is meaningless.
All Christian denominations are plagued with the worst sort of heresies right now, and that heresy is espoused outright by their leaders. Walking away from that is like deserting in the heat of battle. Take up spiritual arms and oppose it instead.
Our Roman Catholic friends need to look in the mirror on the issue of division. I count at least three different groups of Roman Catholics on these forums.
The way the ecclesial structure is currently set up, you can believe dang near anything in the Catholic church, as long as you say the Pope is the head.
The local RCC in town has a priest that denies the Incarnation. The Bishop is aware, but does not want to cause “scandal” so is letting it slide while trying to make sure there is something left of the assets after paying out the legal judgments.
Back home in Nebraska, that priest would have been defrocked years ago.
Both are “Catholic”, but the difference between the two dioceses is bigger than between many Lutheran denominations where the leaders say “We can not be in altar fellowship.”