Posted on 07/05/2005 12:07:04 PM PDT by Lorianne
It's almost beyond satire: A resolution affirming that Christ is Lord put forward in the United Church of Christ is not expected to pass. "It is highly detrimental to the health and growth of UCC churches and extremely embarrassing for UCC pastors and members to be viewed as non-Christians," the resolution notes, adding that the denomination has long been viewed as being a magnet for "Unitarians Considering Christ."
The Rev. Albert W. Kovacs, who supports the resolution, says that the denomination now has "significant numbers of clergy who don’t believe in God."
The story added:
"A Haworth pastor said the conservatives have a point, though he added that the resolution is unenforceable and a waste of time.
"'If you don't offer a risen Christ, you're not offering hope,' said the Rev. David Boda-Mercer of First Congregational Church of Haworth. 'If people are looking for answers, and they come to us and get a vague non-answer, but great food and musical programs, then I don't think we're helping them.'"
A belief in the totality of the gospel was as much a stumbling block in the early era of Christianity as it is for many today. But at least then the Christian Church stood for the whole truth. Guess the UCC is finally catching up with the Unitarians.
They did pass a version of this, after clarifing that pastors are not actually required to believe or teach that Christ is Lord.
Okay, my husband and I are members of the United Church of Christ. My grandparents and their parents were members of the Evangelical and Reform Church, which has been in existence since 1868 in our small town.
I would daresay that a large marjority of our 502 members voted for President Bush in the last election and probably vote a straight Republican ticket.
We are as upset as anyone about the antics of the national synod. My husband is a member of the consistory and he already has been approached by members who ask if the local church will have a vote on some of the controversial resolutions. Our minister has assured us we are not bound by the dictates of the national organization. The General Synod speaks to and not for the local churches.
Don't assume members of the United Church of Christ are all wild-eyed liberals. There are many of us that disapprove of the national leadership, but do not want to leave the church our families have attended for generations.
Would that make you UCCINO's?
What you write: Welcome to the club. Most all major denominations have been "absorbed" into the National Council of Churches. There's the traditional wings; and the liberal wings. Sorry to hear your faith is succumbing from topside to "global one world religionists" such as the NCC. Growing up, my own family left a faith -- both sides dating back to the Reformation in England -- due the new "top-down" secularism.
2. The United Church of Christ The United Church of Christ home page is a growing library of ecumenical resources for Bible, liturgy, lectionary preaching, church music, spirituality, ... www.ucc.org/ [Found on Google]
3. United Church of Christ: Links File National Council of Churches File World Alliance of Reformed Churches ... If you represent a local congregation of the United Church of Christ, ... www.ucc.org/links/ [Found on Google]
4. United Church of Christ News and Information - UCCTruths.com A Community of the United Church of Christ that encourages honest, ... The National Council of Churches has released a statement on the war in Iraq calling ... www.ucctruths.com/ [Found on Google]
Sadly many people go to church as a feel-good social gathering. They are damaging the name Christian every day.
I live out in the country in PA. Around here there are two beautiful historic churches, both UCC. I often wonder what their deceased founding members would think about what has happened to their church.
I left the PCUSA and became a Wesleyan, a very conservative denomination.
A belief in the totality of the gospel was as much a stumbling block in the early era of Christianity as it is for many today. But at least then the Christian Church stood for the whole truth."
I Corinthians 1:18:
For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
True then.
True now.
I left the PCUSA because they're pro-choice, as is the UCC. Does your money support the UCC national leadership, as it does in the PCUSA?
My wife and I are former members of a UCC church. Her parents are still members. The new pastor at their church just divorced his wife and is going out with a single lady of the congregation. If the synod and the seminaries producing the pastors don't hold the Bible close and hold Jesus Christ as the Savior then lives will be ruined. It isn't just dogma. It is life-affecting worldview issues.
>but do not want to leave the church our families have attended for generations. <
Pharoh wanted to keep his frogs one more night and look what it got him.
These guys need to quit pretending and just get a Rotary Club charter or something. But then I guess if they did that their "clergy" wouldn't be able to draw their fraudulant salaries.
"I often wonder what their deceased founding members would think about what has happened to their church."
They are rolling in their graves, I imagine.
My sister-in-law is active in a UCC church, and it had to merge with another one for financial reasons. Attendance is very bad.
IMO, all the pro-choice denominations are losing members and money. They deserve to go down, and eventually they will because they're led by Democrats at the highest levels.
I think it should be called the United Church of Chicken. Pity there is no new logo and a banner that could be hung from the local UCC.
Our church did that a number of years ago. But the leftist UCC pastor drove away many of the conservatives and there is no one who would want to leave.
Thanks to all of you for your replies to me, apparently the only UCC member who reads Free Republic. I actually laughed out loud at the UCCINO comment. Yes, I am sure our church dutifully sends money to the national organization. We receive the lovely propaganda covers for our weekly service bulletin and our Jimmy Carter book of prayers. (How do the souhern Baptists explain him?)
I have a feeling there will be many people reexamining their membership in a church with these views. I am one of them.
He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. -- Matt. 10:37
ping for later tearful meditatoin.
The problem is, they call themselves the "Church of Christ". So when they concoct some weird dogma, the press writes an article saying, "Christian denomination doesn't believe in Easter" or some such garbage.
Evangelicals and other true Christians are not fooled. But those out in the world are. And it is a millstone around their neck when we tell them the good news.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.