LTRP Note: The following news story is posted for informational and research purposes.
By Rich McKay
Reuters
The United Methodist Church plans to split into two later this year, church officials said on Friday, a schism that follows years of contention over whether the church should end its ban on same-sex marriage and gay clergy.
The plan, if approved at the church’s worldwide conference in Minneapolis in May, would divide the third-largest U.S. Christian denomination into two branches: A traditionalist side opposed to gay marriage and the ordination of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender clergy, and a progressive wing that will allow same-sex marriage and LGBT clergy. Click here to continue reading.
(photos from bigstockphoto.com; used with permission. United Methodist logo superimposed with LGBT emblem)
When churches, now closed, reopen; there may be people who no longer trusted God to protect them, who may never return to church. Others may change churches. The LGBT split, pending in the Methodist denomination, will likely begin anew and proceed to its conclusion. Some, like myself, will use this time, at home, to search the Scriptures, pray, make up our minds whether to leave being a Methodist and go elsewhere (or not anywhere), or stay Methodist and hope for the best.
I personally know people, Bible-believing Christians, who left a UMC (which had the reputation of being an unusually Biblically-grounded church) because the pastor and leaders would not take a strong Godly stand on this issue years ago when it first began to rear its ugly head in this area.
I’m reminded of the Lord’s command in 2 Corinthians 6 to “Come out from among them and be ye separate…”. The Lord says that if people do this, He calls them His sons and daughters. What’s the alternative? Too scary for me to contemplate.
May God bless you.
I Believe what the bible says it is wrong.
A loud AMEN to both comments from Pratha and Tommie!!
God bless you Pratha. Clearly, you believe that: Jesus is the head of his church; the church should be governed by the Bible — the inspired word of God— and not tossed and driven by the whims of fallen man. Rendering God’s word void and replacing it with the “wisdom” of finite, fallen man constitutes an arrogant “dethroning” of the omnipotent, omniscient Creator.
What about what God has to say? What does His Word say? Not what people are saying — but what God says. Isn’t that what Christians are SUPPOSED to go by? Aren’t they supposed to go by His Word? The Bible is very clear what homosexuality is — SIN! No ifs ,no ands and no buts. The Bible is also clear that people who only give God ‘lip service’ and don’t actually DO what God’s Word says to do,do not really belong to God{they are ‘Christians’ in NAME only}! Many of these people are going by what they want — not what God wants!