Posted on 06/10/2010 7:22:48 PM PDT by xzins
LAKESIDE, Ohio – In a close vote, delegates at the West Ohio Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church approved the nomination of a gay man as chief financial officer.
The nomination of Bill Brownson has been a contentious subject within the regional conference, which includes Columbus, for three months. Affirmative votes exceeded those against by a narrow margin of 28, with 948 votes cast in favor of the appointment and 920 against.
Brownson, who is in a long-term, committed relationship, was given the opportunity to address the conference briefly after the vote.
“I know this is not about me,” he said. “It’s about the church.”
Although many of those speaking on behalf of Brownson’s appointment grew emotional as they spoke, Brownson remained calm.
He noted that many people had asked him: How could he be so at peace with the debate?
“I’ve been telling people I’m doing just fine,” he said. Then he referenced Romans 14:8, saying that his peace came from knowing, “whether we live or we die, we belong to the Lord.”
Brownson thanked the speakers who argued for and against his appointment, saying they were most respectful.
Brownson is a longtime gay activist and former CEO of the Log Cabin Republicans when they began their fight to overturn “don’t ask don’t tell” and when they refused to support GWBush’s 2nd term for the presidency.
As part of the deal it will be proposed that if they simply set aside any restrictions on having homosexuals in other leadership positions, they can SAVE EVEN MORE MONEY FOR THE DENOMINATION.
The argument will be accompanied by detailed charts and analyses that prove that having homosexuals in your management structure is financially astute.
He is a former financial guru for JP Morgan, I believe.
Another nail in the Methodist coffin.....they just don’t get it.....People walk...
At least the UMC coffin; the Free Methodists, Wesleyans, Evangelical Congregational, etc., are still places where the light of Jesus shines.
Heard a wonderful sermon at Indiana Wesleyan recently.
ping
Hey, he’ll be demonstrating that not only does the new plan (with no restrictions against homosexuals in every church leadership position, plus as scoutmasters of troops sponsored by Methodist Men) save money, it can earn so much they can dispense with the weekly collections!
that would be an incentive for the bureaucrats.
:>)
Glad to hear it. John Wesley still lives somewhere..I walked away from the UMC when I figured out the leadership was far left. The local congregations are often just fine.
They don't care that people walk. They're left with the church all to themselves.
Exactly. Your experience with our variety of denomination shows you to understand how they work.
The question always remains for me: has the ability to be a light been removed. Especially, has the ability to be a light for our own children been removed.
I'm close, DrE. Very close
Church is a numbers game though. They are always trying to poke the numbers up. But they really don’t count the number of people who leave.
It only takes a single candle to extinguish the darkness. You need to take the pulpit by the horns (while you still have one) and preach against this apostasy with all the fervor of John the Baptist. Just keep preaching it until the light overtakes the darkness or the darkness comes in and yanks that pulpit out from under you.
I would suggest you form a caucus of local Methodist preachers who still believe in the principles of the Church laid down by Wesley and that way you can have the support of a denomination within your denomination.
Hold fast:
(Job 27:6) My righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go: my heart shall not reproach me so long as I live.
(1Th 5:21) Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.
(2Ti 1:13) Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.
(Heb 3:6) But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.
(Heb 4:14) Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.
(Heb 10:23) Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)
(Rev 2:25) But that which ye have already hold fast till I come.
(Rev 3:3) Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.
I have always been amazed at the willingness to spend countless amounts of money to go overseas to preach the Gospel while our own churches hear none.
“Then he referenced Romans 14:8, saying that his peace came from knowing, “whether we live or we die, we belong to the Lord.”
He should have referenced Romans 1.
Rom 1:21-24, “Because that, when they knew God, they glorified [him] not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:”
Two Old Testament prophecies come to mind:
Eze 33:30-32, “Also, thou son of man, the children of thy people still are talking against thee by the walls and in the doors of the houses, and speak one to another, every one to his brother, saying, Come, I pray you, and hear what is the word that cometh forth from the LORD. And they come unto thee as the people cometh, and they sit before thee [as] my people, and they hear thy words, but they will not do them: for with their mouth they shew much love, [but] their heart goeth after their covetousness. And, lo, thou [art] unto them as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice, and can play well on an instrument: for they hear thy words, but they do them not.”
Jer 5:30-31, “A wonderful and horrible thing is committed in the land; the prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means; and my people love [to have it] so: and what will ye do in the end thereof?”
His “peace” may be short lived:
http://www.jesus-is-lord.com/sinners.htm
SINNERS IN THE HANDS OF AN ANGRY GOD
by Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758)
—Their foot shall slide in due time—
Deut. xxxii. 35
“O sinner! Consider the fearful danger you are in: it is a great furnace of wrath, a wide and bottomless pit, full of the fire of wrath, that you are held over in the hand of that God, whose wrath is provoked and incensed as much against you, as against many of the damned in hell. You hang by a slender thread, with the flames of divine wrath flashing about it, and ready every moment to singe it, and burn it asunder; and you have no interest in any Mediator, and nothing to lay hold of to save yourself, nothing to keep off the flames of wrath, nothing of your own, nothing that you ever have done, nothing that you can do, to induce God to spare you one moment.”
But for you mon ami:
1Cor. 4:2, “Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.” (2 Cor. 4:8-10), “We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.” (2Cor. 5:9-11), “Wherefore we labor, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men;”
You are probably right. They do tend to destroy everything they touch.
Amen.
"Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep." -- John 21:17
well, you know - as a former pastor in the FMC I'd disagree with the sentiment -
It's turned into a middle white class theater, accepting most everything BT Roberts shunned in worship, process, doctrine and polity
Inner city ministries are left to rot, the poor are forgotten and the suburban churches instead spend their monies on gymnasiums and landscaping......domestically speaking of course -
Thankfully, the overseas ministry is incredibly powerful and spirit filled.
http://appleslather.wordpress.com/2008/08/14/so-why-did-you-leave-the-ministry-ron/
There will always be just as much light as God ordains to shine forth. No more; no less. The important thing is to be part of that light. The rest is up to Him. Trust in the Lord.
I'm close, DrE. Very close
8~)
Since "we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose," we can reason that even these trying times are meant for our welfare...somehow.
It's a snap to be a free-willer when times are good. No problem. The living is easy.
But when life fills our minds and hearts with tension and anxiety and uncertainty, that's when we relearn what it means to trust in Christ alone.
"Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it." -- 1 Thess. 5:24
Standing up and defying the powers that be is never comfortable. But nowhere are we told to commit suicide. God intends us to be both strong and smart. "Wise as serpents and harmless as doves." So walk carefully among the wolves, Steve, knowing the Holy Spirit will guide your words and actions.
"While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage." -- 2 Peter 2:19
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