[thePilgrim]

Please click on the link to read the entire page.

[thePilgrim]

With that said, I reject my own Baptist ordination as invalid, and unlawful, and repent of having committed sin before God as previously exercising the rights and privileges of an ordained minister when I was not lawfully ordained, though I thought so at the time. ~ Dr. C. Matthew McMahon

[xzins]

Sounds like he's changed his theology.

I doubt that I'd call it sin, but it's his life.

[Lexinom]

Though Christians witness to a lost world, that is not the same as being lawfully set apart for preaching.

AMEN

[explodingspleen]

Personally, I'm just happy to encounter churches that do not advocate, tacitly approve, or internally suffer from sexually deviant practices.

And I welcome Dr. McMahon's zeal for acting in accordance with what his research and introspection leads him to believe to be true, even possibly to his own detriment.

But, that being said, I will say that I find the splintering of protestant churches into different sects to generally be based on rather trivial, inconsequential grounds. Inconsequential in the grander, Christian theme, at least.

Internal debate and dissent in such matters is clearly warranted, but I don't the implications of these theological differences really constitute enough to divide us into separate factions.

And I hope we can all see that there are enemies inside and outside he Church against whom we cannot afford to be distracted by our own bickerings. The battle rages.

[rwfromkansas]

The Presbyterian form of govt. is the American essentially.

[Corin Stormhands]

With that said, I reject my own Baptist ordination as invalid, and unlawful, and repent of having committed sin before God as previously exercising the rights and privileges of an ordained minister when I was not lawfully ordained, though I thought so at the time.

I skimmed the article. Sounds like this guy is carrying some ecclesiastical baggage.

But, if that's where he thinks he needs to be then Lord bless him.

[HarleyD]

With all due respects to Dr. McMahon, there is precious little in scripture which calls out church government. In fact, I noticed with a few exception scriptural references are not provided.

Personally, I think the independent form of government of the (Southern) Baptist church has been what has spared it from the corruption that many of the hierarchical form of churches are experiencing. However, the independent form of government has come at a price of poor doctrinal standards which is beginning to affect the SBC. Rather than reject the church government Dr. McMahon attention probably would serve best to correct the doctrinal meltdown taking place in the SBC.

[PetroniusMaximus]

"But when God, who from my mother's womb set me apart and called me by His grace, was pleased to reveal His Son in me, so that I could preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with anyone. I did not go up to Jerusalem to those who had become apostles before me; instead I went to Arabia and came back to Damascus."

Sounds rather dangerously "unlawful" and "independent" doesn't it!

[SSgtRast]

"I affirm the Presbyterian form of church government believing that system to be demonstrated in the Scriptures, both by the foundational Old Testament ideas held therein, the accounts of the Gospels, the early church in Acts, as well as the epistles."

 

Hmm... I don't recall anywhere in the OT, Gospels, Acts or epistles wherein the Church recognized homosexuality as an accepted lifestyle or ordained homosexual clergy. 

[sheltonmac]

Just wondering what you thought of this.

[jude24]

I agree with this guy's ecclesiology, but he is too extreme in how he's handling things.

He should leave quietly, and convert to Presbyterianism. A public screed calling the ecclesiology he just left "sin" is inappropriate.

[deaconjim]

I remember another person who publicly renounced his Baptist membership... Jimmy Carter. I was so relieved when he did that. Perhaps we could get Bill Clinton to join the ranks.

[RnMomof7]

With due deference to my Baptist brothers and sisters. I believe in church and pastoral accountability.
I love Baptists, actually I attended and loved a reform Baptist start up.. doctrinally I am closer to them than my church in many things. but that does not mean that we should make a blanket statement about all Baptist churches one way or the other. (I have 3 kids that are baptists BTW)
The problem is that variances in doctrine are not monitored or reproved. there is no method for that .


I have seen far too many independent churches that have serious error because they have no accountability .

I knew one man that left a Nazarene church ( which has accountability) to start his own "home church" he proudly announced there would be no book keepers or audits..
Then there is the doctrinal accountability . A church with no affiliation can change its churchs doctrine to meet the whim of the current pastor.

Many of the churches that come out of the restoration ( and other "independent churches) could fairly be called non Christian as they make no proclamation on things like the trinity or salvation. So you have people that are in a sense worshipping different gods standing next to each other hearing feel good messages every week.

[Siobhan]

As a Roman Catholic, I venture onto this thread carefully. I think the good Dr. makes a mistake in viewing the gift the Baptists gave him as "sin" and false ordination. Such a denunciation of one's former denomination is not a positive witness for the grace of God one has received to move forward. Would that he could view his previous experience as God's gift, thank those who were with them, explain the leading of the Holy Spirit in his life, and invite those who know his preaching of God's Word to now follow his lead into a Presbyterian understanding. God is working for good in all things all the time for those who love the Lord and are called according to his purpose, if I may paraphrase a bit, and one should never look at any part of one's life that has drawn a single soul to Jesus as anything but the marvelous work of the Holy Spirit and of the opertation of grace and God's love shed abroad in you, and around you, and through you, and with you.

My two cents on that subject.

Also, as a Roman Catholic, disinterested in the question of internal Protestant schisms, let me offer that John Wesley was among the greatest of God's preaching men in leading souls to Christ who otherwise would have failed to hear the Good News of salvation in Christ because of the sorry and sad state of the Church of England at that time, but because of him those souls did hear, and hearing they did believe, and believing, they were baptised -- and saving souls from the clutches of the devil is worth more than we can possibly even begin to imagine. And for that all should be awestruck and pray that in like way the Holy Ghost will endow us with every gift of grace to do likewise in our own day.