In GBCS article, UM elder argues against celibacy for single clergy

Methodist Thinker ^ | 6/30/10 | Methodist Thinker

[ZGuy]

When I left the Methodist Church, the pastor asked my why I was leaving. I said, "Because I became a Christian." His surprising response was, "Well, OK, I can understand that then."

[Retired COB]

Somehow I missed the Chapter and Verse reference for her recommendation from the Bible.....oh, that’s right, they’re Methodist.

[circlecity]

"[The] demand for celibacy [on the part of] an unmarried clergyperson leaves little room for the heart’s search to find a home in our human world."

Has this person even READ the Bible? Scripture makes it clear we could never satisfy the "heat's search to find a home in our human world" because the "human world" is not and never has been our "home". As Christians we are in the world but not of the world. Heaven and a pure relationship with God is our home and what the heart is really looking for. Our home is where we will spend eternity. We won't find that in "our human world", not through unbridled indulgence in our lusts or anything else other than accepting Jesus as our savior and being indwelt with the desire of the Holy Spirit to follow his commandments.

[Lysandru]

The GBCS is what will likely eventually drive me from the UMC. They are one day going to cross a line that I can't tolerate.

I love the UMC for many reasons, but the left wing of the church is destroying it.

[married21]

I can’t imagine why they would want to run the risk of pastors or their partners conceiving children out of wedlock. (Oh, sorry kid, my, um, ‘heart’ was on a “search”.)

The Biblical admonition against fornication is there because fornication hurts children, breaks hearts, exposes people to disease, and undermines character. God isn’t just making stuff up because He likes ordering people around.

The naivete of “sexual freedom” is appalling.

[a fool in paradise]

Why stop there? Have swingers parties (with keys in a bowl) at the next “singles mixer”. Why not?

[a fool in paradise]

Abortion means pretending you never got pregnant in the first place.

[wagglebee]

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[sthguard]

Is the United Methodist Book of Discipline binding on Methodist churches in the same way that the Catechism of the Catholic Church is on RCC congregations? At least around here, the UMC is extremely, and vocally, pro-homosexual.

[RnMomof7]

sexual relationships outside the covenant of marriage are not necessarily improper.

1Cr 6:9 — Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,

That pastor was right,they are not Christians.. Poor John Wesley is turning over in his grave

[xzins]

The Book of Discipline is binding, but the process of having it enforced is so lengthy, and the probability of any question being sent to the Judicial Council first, which will take more time and be subject to extreme word parsing, is so certain that most attempts at enforcement get lost over the years.

The UMC is on the precipice, in my opinion, and I’m an elder in the denomination.

[wagglebee]

It’s amazing what people will blatantly disregard just to satisfy their own desire to sin.

I’m sure the media will somehow try to compare this to those who think Catholic priests should be allowed to marry and try to say that celibacy is somehow impractical, but this is VERY different because Methodist ministers are free to marry.

[xzins]

I’m a UM elder, wagglebee, and there is no way that this is similar to the situation in the Catholic Church.

We have our own here arguing in favor of perversion being the official policy of the church.

[wagglebee]

I assume that a widowed Methodist minister can remarry, can one who is divorced remarry while their spouse is still alive?

[xzins]

Yes to both.

The nature of any divorce could lose an elder his/her license and/or eligibility to pastor a church.

[wagglebee]

Okay, so a pastor who gets divorced because he is having affairs would not necessarily be allowed to remain a pastor?

[sthguard]

Thanks for the info. Precipice sounds about right, unfortunately.

[xzins]

There is the possibility he could “keep” his ordination, but it’s also possible the bishop would not permit him to lead a church.

All will be required to enter a long period of counseling and reflection outside of leadership of a church, AND, they would never be reassigned to the same church in which their problems overflowed. (That as a courtesy to that particular church, not as an attempt to hide anything.)

After that period, the bishop has discretion based on progress/change in the counseling/reflection time.

[xzins]

Precipice is correct. The healthy places are the overseas areas other than Europe, and in a few places in the US: Georgia, for example.

[John O]

so the UMC is now Episcopalian lite? Another anti-Christian “Christian” denomination.