Free Republic

Nearly 100 congregations in Ohio have left the United Methodist Church amid the denomination's ongoing debate over homosexuality, joining thousands of other churches in the United States that have done the same.At a special session of the UMC West Ohio Conference held last weekend, 96 churches were granted their request to disaffiliate from the mainline Protestant denomination. The session was held at Ginghamsburg United Methodist Church in Tipp City, with around 800 clergy and laity in attendance. Bishop Gregory V. Palmer presided over the gathering. In addition to the 96 disaffiliations, the session also dealt with budgetary issues, recommending the...

Ukraine’s Orthodox Church split from its Russian counterpart in 2018. We explain why.In October 2018, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church officially split from its Russian counterpart, after more than 300 years. The decision, which was approved by the Patriarchate of Constantinople, the symbolic “first among equals” of the world’s Orthodox churches, triggered a major fallout within the Orthodox world, possibly the most serious in 1,000 years. The same month the declaration was made, the Russian Orthodox Church announced that it would break off relations with the Patriarchate. The process was ratified in a ceremony in Istanbul on Orthodox Christmas Eve, 2019,...

The overwhelming evidence present in the public domain today strongly suggests that the United States of America will separate into two countries in less than fifty years. Here is the scenario concept. The conservative and progressive sides of America today see each other as a lifeguard and a drowning victim. Neither side will keep the other from drowning when push comes to shove. The only option is for the lifeguard to let go of the drowning victim. This event is the physical separation. The conceptual separation has been playing out for about three decades. The topics of abortion, gun rights,...

With humility, hope and joy, a 17 member body of theologically conservative Methodist clergy and laity, known as the Transitional Leadership Council, is pleased to announce the Global Methodist Church will officially launch on May 1, 2022.

A con doesn’t work when the marks are on to it.It’s not an accident that corporate media are trying to pit former President Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis against each other. Among Republicans, the former president and current governor of Florida are popular for their policies and willingness to fight the media. That means they’re a threat to the establishment.But as clever as the media figures running the operation apparently thought they were, neither of the top Republicans took the bait, understanding that it only serves their political opponents’ interest to have them squabbling.Still, it was interesting to...

After months of preparation, a theologically conservative denomination has broken away from the Reformed Church in America, with 43 congregations joining the new body on New Year’s Day. Known as the Alliance of Reformed Churches, the new denomination was created as the RCA continues to deal with a debate over its official stance on LGBT issues. Dan Ackerman, director of Organizational Leadership at ARC, wrote in a blog post last June that there were “three primary convictions” that led to the formation of the new denomination. “The Bible as understood within Reformed theology — its understanding of God, sin and...

On New Year’s Day, 43 congregations of the Reformed Church in America split from the national denomination, one of the oldest Protestant bodies in the United States, in part over theological differences regarding same-sex marriage and the ordination of LGBTQ clergy.The departure of the theologically conservative congregations to the new group, the Alliance of Reformed Churches, leaves some who remain in the RCA concerned for the denomination’s survival. Before the split, the nearly 400-year-old denomination had fewer than 200,000 members and 1,000 churches.At least 125 churches from various denominations are in conversation with ARC leaders about joining.“Realistically, it’s a large...

General Electric, the storied American manufacturer that struggled under its own weight after growing to become a sprawling conglomerate, will divide itself into three public companies focused on aviation, healthcare and energy. It is the culmination of an arduous, yearslong reshaping of a symbol of American manufacturing might that could signal the end of conglomerates as a whole. “It’s over now," said Nick Heymann of William Blair, who has followed GE for years. "In a digital economy, there’s no real room for it.” The company has already rid itself of the products most Americans know including its appliances and last...

Two congregations in Georgia have left the United Methodist Church over the denomination’s opposition to homosexuality and merged into one church. Asbury Memorial Church and Wesley Oak Church, both based in Savannah, recently voted to disaffiliate from the UMC South Georgia Conference. Asbury, which averaged 387 attendees in weekly worship in 2019, finalized its process of disaffiliation last fall. Meanwhile, Wesley Oak, which averaged 29 attendees, finalized disaffiliation earlier this month. Asbury Memorial Pastor Rev. William Hester told The Christian Post on Monday that the decision to leave came soon after the 2019 special session of the UMC General Conference....

<p>Something is very rotten in the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), which represents America’s largest Protestant denomination, and it is only a matter of time before it goes the sad way of the mainline Methodists and Presbyterians.</p><p>The rot at the core of the SBC is illustrated in three men who ought to be stalwarts of the Gospel, but who are instead leading the convention into Woke Hell. This trio includes Matt Chandler, lead pastor at The Village Church; outgoing SBC President J.D. Greear; and his successor, Ed Litton of Redemption Church.</p>

In this historic 2020 presidential election, there is a strong case for former Vice President Joe Biden to attribute his victory to Jo Jorgensen, a professor of psychology at Clemson University and the presidential nominee of the Libertarian Party. Her vote total substantially exceeded Biden and President Trump's margin in Arizona, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Georgia. Libertarian Party candidates typically draw far more votes from conservative Republicans than liberal Democrats. And this year, especially, the major planks on her campaign web site were far more likely to win votes that otherwise would have gone to Trump rather than Biden. Consider Arizona....

Apple delivered another blockbuster quarterly earnings report Thursday and with the Apple stock price approaching $400 a share the company announced that it would have a stock split this year. The company behind the iPhone had Wall Street estimates for revenue at $52.2 billion, but the company flew by those numbers hitting $59.7 billion. That is an increase of 11 percent compared to the quarter a year ago. A four-for-one stock split will be offered “to make the stock more accessible to a broader base of investors,” according to the earnings release. At the close of the market on August...

United Methodism moved closer to formal schism with a new proposal released today negotiated with liberal and conservative groups, including bishops. The plan would divide the nearly 13 million member global denomination into separate conservative and liberal communions. The mediator for these negotiations was Kenneth Feinberg, the Washington, D.C. attorney best known as Special Master of the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund. Under this plan, conferences (Methodism’s version of dioceses or presbyteries) could vote by 2021 to join the conservative denomination by a 57% vote. Local churches by 2024 could vote by majority. The conservative denomination would get $25 million...

In a recent letter to The New York Times, Marquette theologian Daniel Maguire suggested that the Catholic Church was headed toward a three-way schism. Writing about Pope Francis’ reforms to the annulment process, Maguire predicted: Catholicism is going the way of its parent, Judaism. In Judaism there are Reform as well as Conservative and Orthodox communities. This arrangement is not yet formalized in Catholicism, but the outlines of a similar broadening are in place …. While conservative and orthodox Catholics welcome this annulment concession by the Vatican, reform Catholics don’t need it. Their consciences are their Vatican. Reform Catholics, whose...

In a key United Methodist General Conference vote setting voting priorities for the next three days, delegates preferred the Traditional Plan backed by global evangelicals over the liberalizing One Church Plan backed by most bishops. The Traditional Plan, which got nearly 56%, reaffirms current United Methodist teaching on marriage as male and female. One Church Plan, which got nearly 49%, would overturn that teaching and compel local congregations to choose their own definition of marriage. In one swoop, delegates were asked to vote their preference on dozens of legislative proposals and could vote yes to each one. The vote sets...

The proposal to split California into three separate states is gaining traction just months ahead of the 2018 midterms, with many voters agreeing that the Golden State is simply too diverse and large to properly govern. The movement -dubbed by many as Cal3- calls for the division of California into three smaller states; each anchored by a major metropolitan center serving as the territory’s capital. While the direct plan has yet to be revealed, many are calling for the creation of California with Los Angeles as the state capital, Northern California with San Francisco as the capital, and Southern California...

Californians likely will vote in November on a long-shot referendum to split their giant state into three – a measure that, while standing little chance of success, would represent a political gift to Democrats. Such a California breakup would upset the political balance in the Senate if it actually happened, and hurt the GOP. According to a Fox News analysis of county-level voting data, splitting California as outlined would create two solid blue states and one leaning blue state. That could very well mean four extra Senate seats for Democrats – plus four more electoral votes in presidential elections. So...

April 13 (UPI) -- A venture capitalist billionaire said he received enough signatures to get a measure on California's November ballot that asks voters if they want to split California into three states. Tim Draper, the chairman of Cal 3, the organization pushing the measure, said they've obtained more than 600,000 signatures -- nearly twice the number needed to get on a state ballot -- and will present them to the California Secretary of State for verification.

In contrast to the so-called Calexit movement, which aspires to secession, these proponents see California’s salvation in greater local autonomy within the union. A few years ago, a bid to create six states out of California drew wide media attention but ultimately fizzled. Now, the architect of that effort, a tech billionaire named Timothy C. Draper, is back with another idea: three Californias. He submitted paperwork that would put the question before voters in 2018.

For the first time in Maine history, voters are poised to split the state’s four Electoral College votes between the top two candidates running for the White House.