A NEW EXODUS? AMERICANS ARE EXITING LIBERAL CHRUCHES:

"We have figured out your problem. You're the only one here who believes in God." That statement, addressed to a young seminarian, introduces Dave Shiflett's new book, Exodus: Why Americans are Fleeing Liberal Churches for Conservative Christianity. The book is an important contribution, and Shiflett offers compelling evidence that liberal Christianity is fast imploding upon itself.

"Americans are vacating progressive pews and flocking to churches that offer more traditional versions of Christianity," Shiflett asserts. This author is not subtle, and he gets right to the point: "Most people go to church to get something they cannot get elsewhere. This consuming public--people who already believe, or who are attempting to believe, who want their children to believe--go to church to learn about the mysterious Truth on which the Christian religion is built. They want the Good News, not the minister's political views or intellectual coaching. The latter creates sprawling vacancies in the pews. Indeed, those empty pews can be considered the earthly reward for abandoning heaven, traditionally understood."

Taken alone, the statistics tell much of the story. Shiflett takes his reader through some of the most salient statistical trends and wonders aloud why liberal churches and denominations seem steadfastly determined to follow a path that will lead to their own destruction. Shiflett also has a unique eye for comparative statistics, indicating, for example, that "there may now be twice as many lesbians in the United States as Episcopalians."

Citing a study published in 2000 by the Glenmary Research Center, Shiflett reports that the Presbyterian Church USA declined by 11.6 percent over the previous decade, while the United Methodist Church lost "only" 6.7 percent and the Episcopal Church lost 5.3 percent. The United Church of Christ was abandoned by 14.8 percent of its members, while the American Baptist Churches USA were reduced by 5.7 percent.

On the other side of the theological divide, most conservative denominations are growing. The conservative Presbyterian Church in America [PCA] grew 42.4 percent in the same decade that the more liberal Presbyterian denomination lost 11.6 percent of its members. Other conservative denominations experiencing significant growth included the Christian Missionary Alliance (21.8 percent), the Evangelical Free Church (57.2 percent), the Assemblies of God (18.5 percent), and the Southern Baptist Convention (five percent).

As quoted in Exodus, Glenmary director Ken Sanchagrin told the New York Times that he was "astounded to see that by and large the growing churches are those that we ordinarily call conservative. And when I looked at those that were declining, most were moderate or liberal churches. And the more liberal the denomination, by most people's definition, the more they were losing."

Any informed observer of American religious life would know that these trends are not new--not by a long shot. The more liberal Protestant denominations have been losing members by the thousands since the 1960s, with the Episcopal Church USA having lost fully one half of its members over the period.

In a sense, the travail of the Episcopal Church USA is the leading focus of Shiflett's book. Indeed, Shiflett states his intention to begin "with the train wreck known as the Episcopal Church USA." As he tells it, "One Tuesday in latter-day Christendom, the sun rose in the east, the sky became a pleasant blue, and the Episcopal Church USA elected a gay man as bishop for a small New Hampshire diocese." How could this happen? The ordination of a non-celibate homosexual man as a bishop of the Episcopal Church flew directly in the face of the clear teachings of Scripture and the official doctrinal positions of the church. No matter--the Episcopal Church USA was determined to normalize homosexuality, even as they have normalized divorce and remarriage. As Shiflett explains, "It is commonly understood that the election of the Reverend Gene Robinson, an openly gay priest, to be bishop of the diocese of New Hampshire was undertaken in clear opposition to traditional church teaching and Scripture. What is often left unsaid is that this is hardly the first time tradition has been trounced. The Reverend Gene Robinson's sexual life was an issue and was accommodated, just as the Episcopal Church earlier found a way to embrace bishops who believe that Jesus is no more divine, at least in a supernatural sense, than Bette Midler."

One of Shiflett's interviewees was the Reverend Bruce Gray, Rector of St. John's Episcopal Church in Richmond, Virginia. In an interesting comment, Shiflett recalls that this was the very church where Patrick Henry gave his famous speech in 1775--the speech in which Henry cried: "Give me liberty, or give me death!" As Shiflett notes, "The Episcopal Church, by freeing itself from many of its traditional beliefs, sometimes appears to be well on its way to achieving both." Revered Gray supports the election of Gene Robinson as Bishop of New Hampshire, and he told Shiflett that the biblical condemnations of homosexuality had been considered by thoughtful people who had decided that the texts do not mean what they appear to mean. He cited his own bishop, who had issued an episcopal letter arguing, "Many people believe any homosexual activity is purely prohibited by Scripture . . . . But other Christians who take Scripture seriously believe that the Biblical writers were not addressing the realities of people with a permanent homosexual orientation living in faithful, monogamous relationships, and that the relevant scriptural support for those relationships is similar to the expectations of faithfulness Scripture places on marriage." That is patent nonsense, of course, but this is what passes for theological argument among those pushing the homosexual agenda.

In order to understand why so many Episcopalians are leaving, Shiflett visited Hugo Blankenship, Jr., son of the Reverend Hugo Blankenship, who had served as the church's Bishop of Cuba. Blankenship is a traditionalist, who explained that his father must be "spinning in his grave" in light of developments in his beloved Episcopal Church. As Shiflett sees it, the church that Bishop Hugo Blankenship had served and loved is gone. In its place is a church that preaches a message Shiflett summarizes as this: "God is love, God's love is inclusive, God acts in justice to see that everyone is included, we therefore ought to be co-actors and co-creators with God to make the world over in the way he wishes."

Shiflett also surveys the growing list of "celebrity heretics" whose accepted presence in liberal denominations serves as proof positive of the fact that these groups will tolerate virtually anything in terms of belief. Shiflett discusses the infamous (and now retired) Episcopal Bishop of Newark, New Jersey, John Shelby Spong. "When placed in a wider context, Spong is simply another character from what might be called America's religious freak show." Yet, the most important insight to draw from Spong's heresies is the fact that he has been accepted without censure by his church. As Shiflett explains, Spong's views, "while harshly criticized in some quarters as being far beyond the pale, are present not only throughout the mainline but throughout Protestantism, even in churches that are assumed to maintain traditional theological rigor."

In Shiflett's turn of a phrase, these liberal theologians believe in a "Wee deity," a vapid and ineffectual god who is not much of a threat and is largely up for individual interpretation.

Shiflett's opening story about the seminarian who was confronted by his peers underlines the importance of theological seminaries as agents for either the perpetuation or the destruction of the faith.

My wife and I have been attending the First Evangelical Presbyterian Church for two years now. Their roots are Presbyterian, but they have broken away from the mainstream Presbyterians because of the liberalism that was invading the church doctrine. We have been very happy with the Church, and are very comfortable with the conservative congregation that attends. side-note: When The mainstream Presbyterians blessed the idea of Gay Pastors, the pews in the EPC were filled new members who left the mainstream churches. If you have one in your area, give it a try.

TEH HISTORY OF THE EPC
The EPC began in the fall of 1980 and spring of 1981 when a group of pastors and elders held meetings in St. Louis, Missouri for planning and prayer. They came from mainline Presbyterian denominations like the United Presbyterian (northern churches) and the Presbyterian Church in the United States (southern churches). These leaders had become increasingly distressed by liberalism within their denominations. They wanted to form a church that took seriously the words of Scripture, the theology of the historic confessions of the faith, and the evangelical fervor of Presbyterian founders. They envisioned a denomination that was truly evangelical and truly Presbyterian; hence the name.

I must apologize for my previous rudeness. It takes time to overcome past indoctrinations. You, my friend, are attempting to build a life raft from a single straw. Perhaps the meaning of the story had little to with the concept of being born again but actually more about the fear and distrust about those who are recognized to walk with God.

They fall back on words and incantations and the familiar when their convictions and beliefs are shaken. It also relates to the comparison of the coin, rendering unto Caesar what is Caesar's and unto the Lord, what it is.

The coin represents man. His two sides, his life in the flesh and his life of the spirit. Those two sides often come into conflict and it is how the man reacts that set the balance for judgment. Not every single decision is worth becoming a martyr. When we stand before God, He will know our true worth and our intentions.

An example would be that of the eruv. For those who may not be aware, an eruv is a string that is connected from pole to pole which extends the boundaries of ones home, thereby extending the places where one is able to labor on the Sabbath. Those who labor under the eruv are under the impression they have somehow found a loophole under His law. There are mistaken.

Here is what the Bible says about promoting your lifestyle.

Romans chapter 1

Romans 1 Greeting Paul's Ministry of the Gospel of Christ 1 Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God 2which He promised before through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures, 3concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh, 4and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead. 5Through Him we have received grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith among all nations for His name, 6among whom you also are the called of Jesus Christ; 7To all who are in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Desire to Visit Rome 8First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world. 9For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of His Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers, 10making request if, by some means, now at last I may find a way in the will of God to come to you. 11For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift, so that you may be established-- 12that is, that I may be encouraged together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me. 13Now I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that I often planned to come to you (but was hindered until now), that I might have some fruit among you also, just as among the other Gentiles. 14I am a debtor both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to wise and to unwise. 15So, as much as is in me, I am ready to preach the gospel to you who are in Rome also. The Just Live by Faith 16For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ,[a] for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. 17For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "The just shall live by faith."[b] God's Wrath on Unrighteousness 18For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. 20For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, 21because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22Professing to be wise, they became fools, 23and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man--and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things. 24Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, 25who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. 26For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. 27Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due. 28And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; 29being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality,[c] wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, 30backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 31undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving,[d] unmerciful; 32who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.

Leviticus chapter 18 verse 22
22You shall not lie with a male as with a woman. It is an abomination.

I Corinthians chapter 6 verse 9-10

9Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals,[a] nor sodomites, 10nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.

I Timothy chapter 1 verse 9-10

9knowing this: that the law is not made for a righteous person, but for the lawless and insubordinate, for the ungodly and for sinners, for the unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, 10for fornicators, for sodomites, for kidnappers, for liars, for perjurers, and if there is any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine, Deuteronomy chapter 22 verse 5

5"A woman shall not wear anything that pertains to a man, nor shall a man put on a woman's garment, for all who do so are an abomination to the LORD your God.

Deuteronomy chapter 23 verse 17

17"There shall be no whore of the daughters of Israel, nor a sodomite of the sons of Israel.

Genesis chapter 13 verse 13

13But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the LORD exceedingly. ( this is directly contrary to what you believe that we are ALL children of GOD ).

Isaiah chapter 3 verses 3 - 11

9The show of their countenance doth witness against them, and they declare their sin as Sodom; they hide it not. Woe unto their soul! For they have rewarded evil unto themselves. 10Say ye to the righteous that it shall be well with them, for they shall eat the fruits of their doings. 11Woe unto the wicked! It shall be ill with him, for the reward of his hands shall be given him.

So many churches claim to believe in the bible, but they seem not to mind lying. How may of them even believe in the ten commandments?

Good point. Maybe the problem is that they think that they have REPLACED the people that those very commandments were given to. They certainly act like it. Here are some of their errors:

1. The 'church' replaces the 'congregation' of Israel that heard those commandments as no humans every have since: by the very Voice of the Almighty.

2. Sunday replaces the Sabbath of the L-RD. Traditions of the men of Council of Laodicea replaces Scripture.

3. Easter replaces the Passover and Feast of First Fruits. Traditions of the men of the Council of Nicea replaces Scripture.

4. An exclusive claim to the 'New Covenant' from Jer 31, whereas the recipients of that promise are clearly "Judah and Israel". The traditions and faulty hermaneutics of Plantonists like Origen and Augustine replace the clear promises of G-d.

These are some of the traditions that CONSERVATIVE 'Christian churches' take - which means that there demise is not far behind the liberals. If G-d's people who trust in Messiah would identify with and join themselves to Israel instead of theological replacement - then maybe they can discover the true faith of those followers of Yeshua in the First Century.

He answered and said to them, "Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: 'This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men,' For laying aside the commandment of G-d, you hold the tradition of men..."
Mark 7:6-8

BTW, there is a very subtle but powerful proof that many in 'Christendom' do not in fact honor the commandments - it is what is the first commandment. In Judaim, and Messianic Judaism, the first commandment is "I AM THE L-RD". You must start with understanding that He is HaShem - or it is only a list of suggestions, which was your point.

They left out the Orthodox and Roman Catholic churches from the list of conservative churches!! And they left out the ELCA's own "celebrity heretics", notably the lesbian, feminazi industrial-strength heretic Barbara Lundblad.

It is mighty strange that "progressives" in the ELCA, ECUSA, etc., should focus so much on the gaysbians. Contrary to what they gaysbians and their "progressive" enablers think, they are really a very small minority, and are quite unimportant in every way. In our churches, the "gays" are the tail that wags the dog!!!! The "gay" subject should really only come up in pastoral counselling and private confession, not in nearly everything that our churches do!!!!

Not only do the ELCA mis-leaders focus nealy all their attention on the gaysbians, but they also have total disdain for the majority of ELCA laity and parish pastors who oppose the "progressive" agenda of "gay" rights, feminazi liturgies and liberal-Protestant hymns, and "full communion" with heterodox clubs posing as "churches". In fact, rumor has it that they want to first enact their agenda, and then have many of the majority laypeople and pastors leave. They just don't give a damn about us!!!!

Majority laypeople should realize this, and revolt in every way possible. Don't give to the ELCA AT ALL, not even to World Hunger. (Find altenative Christian charities to give to). Don't buy the new hymnal, or anything else from Augsburg-Fortress. Do everything you can to pressure your synodical "voting members" to just keep voting NO on EVERYTHING at Orlando. Form pressure groups to get heterodox, un-apostolic "bishops" to resign--that includes the presiding "bishop". Think of all sorts of creative ways to REVOLT!!! Then, after the CWA, look for new Lutheran organizations that may spring up from the ELCA's confessing movements, and support them. Or, if God calls you to do so, become Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Missouri Synod, etc. etc.

Also remember that June is Serbian-American heritage month, NOT "gay pride (???)" month!!!! Find ways to learn about and celebrate everything Serbian, especially Vidovdan (the day to comemorate the battle of Kosovo) later this month.

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