Posted on 07/05/2011 3:59:07 AM PDT by Cronos
As an out Presbyterian preacher, I'd experienced prejudice before. But nothing like what I faced in North Carolina
I was reading "Home in Henderson" -- the unofficial city website for a small town in North Carolina where I had recently moved to preach -- when I came across the blog entry. It was posted under the pseudonym "Church Reporter."
"A friend that attends the First Presbyterian Church told me to do a Google search on their new minister Brett Webb-Mitchell," the entry began. "Having done so, I have only three comments to make on the pastor selection: 1. Who is responsible for this mess? 2. The old biblical saying (the Lord works in mysterious ways) must be true in this case. 3. Someone needs to appoint a new membership search committee, because I hear the church membership numbers are dropping."
I sat at my computer, stunned.
As a gay minister, I'd heard nasty slights about me secondhand before, but I had never encountered it so directly. How could someone who didn't even know me criticize me? How could someone who called himself or herself a Christian spew such vile rhetoric? I was sad and angry and incredulous at once. This was a cheap, hateful shot.
(Excerpt) Read more at salon.com ...
You wrote:
“I accept your statement, and will add that more and more individual Catholics will accept it too.”
True, but if the Church never accepts it than it won’t matter much in the end. The Church’s doctrine will stay pure. People never really do.
“Perhaps not ... but all it will take is one appearance of Mary declaring otherwise, one divine revelation to a pope, or one translation of a long lost apostolic father to change that.”
Nope. No such apparition of Mary will ever happen, nor will there be a papal declaration, nor a translation of a non-existant apostolic document. It’s never happened yet, and it can’t anyway.
Guadalupe
La Salette
Fatima
Lourdes
... etc. etc. etc.
Perhaps you haven't been involved in Romanism very long. Consult Dr. Google, you will probably find a dozen more.
“Every biblical reference to homosexuality indicates it is not an ‘alternate life style,’ but gross sin,” one church member wrote on a church survey near the end of my tenure, following his grievance with a long list of Old and New Testament references. I got to see how the average church members interpreted Scriptures. But these complaints also became personal. “Our interim minister being an open homosexual has damaged our church and our ministry in the community,” one respondent wrote.
I’d never encountered these sentiments before in the seven churches where I served — from Boston to Raleigh — and I grieved deeply upon reading the words. In previous positions, I’d only known adulation and triumph,...
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Homosexuals have their own "church" - The Metropolitan Community Church - dedicated to sodomy. (I remember a few years ago an ad for classes the MCC taught - one was how to use electricity safely when practicing "sex".) Too bad that so many people who think they are Christian tolerate and then gradually accept the homosexual agenda, which is clearly and obviously against the teachings in the Bible.
Nope, none of the epistles of Paul are. He was just a raving "homophobe" don't you know.
I'm always stunned by the way sodomites dismiss Paul and therefore dismiss about half of the New Testament.
Wow, 8 mi up the road from where I live and this is the first I have heard of this.
You wrote:
“Perhaps you haven’t been involved in Romanism very long. Consult Dr. Google, you will probably find a dozen more.”
There has never been - EVER - an apparition of the Virgin Mary which fits your claim: “but all it will take is one appearance of Mary declaring otherwise...to change that.”
There also never will be. It can’t happen. And faithful Catholics know this. I suggest you take a class in logic so you don’t make such simple errors in the future.
He explains "hateful" blog posts this way in the article:
"Another post by 'Bobbi' listed a long line of Scriptural references that have nothing to do with our modern understanding of sexuality... "
I don’t consider it a waste of shelf space. My private library is over 10,000 volumes and at the moment we are in the process of turning into a (private) town library. The best way to defeat the opposing arguments is to know their arguments which is why I still have most of my books on Mormonism.
As such, I do not have access to all of my books (80% are boxed from the move last month) but I will be glad to list some for you as I unpack them.
Opposition to contraception as an explicitly Catholic doctrine, is an issue for the protestant church.
- - - - - -
It is also an issue for the Catholics. “We” are Catholic priests and heirarchy as well as professors in seminary. And why do you assume my professor was a CINO (she wasn’t btw - very devout).
And we will have to disagree on that, because nothing in the Bible says Christ established a denomination. That is your Catholic outlook.
I am in no way considered to be an anti-Catholic (I’m even allowed on Catholic caucus threads here), but I do have problems with people like you who can’t see beyond their Catholicism and blame all the worlds problems on Protestants. “Church” in Greek means ‘assembly’ or ‘called out ones’, not a denomination or organization. The bride of Christ ia the body of all Christians regardless of where they go to church.
Good day. I’m done with you.
“Wow, 8 mi up the road from where I live and this is the first I have heard of this.”
Contrary to the way the article is written to lead one to believe the pastor was the scourge of the entire town.
We have friends in Henderson. Two of them are clergy, although Episcopalian. We used to know a lady on the Presbyterian session there, but she passed.
This is really the first I have heard, but I plan to ask my friends if they know anything.
So then what is this guy making a big fuss about? Could you find out more for us please? It would be good to hear the facts from the ground
I will check with our friends and let you know.
I asked my husband if he had heard anything about it and he said he had not.
Liberal “Christians” detest Paul.
I think had he moved over to Warrenton he’d not had as many problems.
Rev. Webb-Mitchel, being a drama queen will not endear you to your flock, and acting like a nellie limp-wrist at the slightest criticism of yourself and/or your mentally unstable perversion will not help you to guide your parishioners and those who need the guidance of a knowledgeable minister.
Butch up and act like a man.
Maybe he should have stayed in Chapel Hill. ;)
Left messages for a couple of friends, one who knows everything happening around here and another who attends a Presbyterian Church that might get anyone who left the church in Henderson.
Will try one of the clergy friends later tonight. He has been away.
“this “pastors” fetish is no different. He should stick to the ghetto that is all of san francisco.”
I never looked at it that way but you are right.
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