Posted on 07/18/2018 8:23:51 AM PDT by bkopto
Barclay, a transgender person who identifies as neither male nor female and thus uses the pronoun they, was commissioned on Sunday as the first non-binary member of the clergy in the United Methodist Church.
The United Methodist Church is one of the largest denominations in America, falling behind only the Catholic Church and the Southern Baptist Convention. The mainline Protestant denomination has been bitterly divided over sexuality and gender identity: Its official rules say clergy must either be celibate or in heterosexual marriages, and can perform only such marriages, but American bishops have ordained gay and transgender clergy before, and clergy have conducted same-sex marriages.
In the Northern Illinois Conference, where Barclay was commissioned Sunday [June 4, 2017], Bishop Sally Dyck said in a statement, While Ms journey over the last few years has included gender identity, all of those who were commissioned or ordained on Sunday have been on some kind of journey that has brought them to new places of faith, life and relationships. Likewise, I hope the church will find itself at a new place in the near future when it comes to full inclusion.
(Excerpt) Read more at theaquilareport.com ...
The UMC:
- Pro-gay
- Pro-abortion
- anti-Israel
- anti-gun
- anti-white male
Youd think that Im talking about the modern Democrat Party.
You are.
The UMC is now an arm of the democrat party
Ditto the PCUSA
Definitely the leadership and a lot of the people
Overall the people are conservative due to Africa, but the radical liberals own the hierarchy, and the process to change is so slow that it is irrelevant
Well, as a former SBC pastor who now pastors a network of independent house churches, I advise you to pay closer attention to the leadership. Yes, the churches themselves at the grassroots level is still solid. However, the leadership is starting to rot. The ERLC (Russell Moore) is a liberal who is in bed with the Gospel Coalition, who post such articles as "I'd rather have dead babies than support Trump." The leadership of the SBC is decidedly anti-Trump because they are trying to heal racial tensions and they feel the way to do this is not through the preaching of the Gospel...but through liberation theology.
There are numerous tweets out there by the leadership: Al Mohler; Moore, Ed Stetzer and others, that will set your hair on fire. In fact, the ERLC (the SBC's political action wing) actually worked somewhat in support of a free speech action to help a mosque get built in New Jersey.
Al Mohler (Southern Seminary president) has come out and repented about saying being gay was a choice...that they are born that way. It's on tape...and I've heard it.
The "revoice conference" (google: "revoice conference southern baptist"...read the first few articles...) that is being put on is being put on by a former SBTS student AND professor...and Mohler protege...Dr Nate Collins.
I've been repeatedly appalled by Russell Moore and, less frequently, by Al Mohler's comments. I think a very significant capitulation was the agreed meeting by the SBC president several years ago with a group of radical homosexual activists during the convention in Arizona. Although there was no purported capitulation on doctrine, there was a very softened tone of conciliation to the discussion, and the fact that the meeting happened at all, knowing that the sodomites wouldn't budge, was deemed a very great victory for the homosexual side. They "won" a place at the table, and that was their only goal.
It was not uncommon among pagans in Biblical times and places to have a eunuch priesthood.
It is hardly possible to hyperbolize how wicked this movement and worldview is. As bad as it is, they work overtime to wear a nice "face" and use the orthodox wording to hide their hideous goals. Most people, even good people, are even mildly conned by it.
The fact they elected JD Greear by 68%, who in one of his latest books gave some props to Rob Bell (Love wins, no hell), and that he was pretty much hand picked by these guys shows that most pastors are asleep at the wheel...and the conservative resurgence is flailing.
And of course, I know Andy Stanly isn't technically pastoring an SBC church, but he is the son of one of the most famous SBC pastors...and he wants to unhitch us from the Old Testament and doesn't care if someone discounts the creation story or the flood. And of course, as you listen to the entire sermon series, Aftermath, you realize where he is headed: Normalization of homosexuality.
It's all very tragic. I grew up in the SBC...and was SBC for 35 years...was an SBC pastor for 22. I tried to reform from within for 22 years. I almost bled out too many times...and that's why we left. :-(
A recent trend is to jettison not only the "Southern" brand, but the "Baptist" as well, as many member churches have excised that moniker out of their titles. The church across the street from me is a prime example, jettisoning the "Baptist" brand for a more "hip" amorphous identity. I visited once and was completely turned off by the coffee-house "performance stage" style service, untucked grunge look to the officiants, and self-absorbed attention grabbing style. Not saying that this can't be church, but it sure can be worldliness masquerading as "church."
If you recall, a proposal to change the convention name came up in the past year or so by getting rid of the "southern" part. I'm certain that this will gain traction in the next few years as member retention becomes the prime mission of the group.
Spot on. The second to the last church where I was ministering, Sagemont (22,000 members)...you’ll see it in my testimony link on the freepmail...jettisoned the name “baptist” a while back. The went from Sagemonth Baptist Church to just “Sagemont Church” on all the letterheads and billboards...the public stuff. But all the legal stuff still had baptist on it.
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