Category — denominations
The stench of death is on the Presbyterian Church USA
Excellent news via the Orlando Sentinel:
Members of First Presbyterian Church of Orlando voted overwhelmingly Sunday to break away from the Presbyterian Church (USA) to join the conservative Evangelical Presbyterian Church (EPC).
The 1,759 to 185 vote exceeded the two-thirds majority needed to seek dismissal from the PC (USA). The 3,600-member First Presbyterian is the largest Presbyterian church in Florida and fourth largest in the nation.
First Presbyterian has been losing membership in recent years and blamed some of that on PC (USA) doctrines that permitted the ordination of gay deacons, elders and clergy. Some also blamed the decline on doctrines that quest questioned the Bible as the literal word of God and Jesus Christ as the only salvation.
“The PC (USA) has turned its back on God and is a denomination dying in the wilderness,” said Cleat Simmons, a church elder, who favored leaving.
Any denomination that accepts and affirms homosexuality might as well prepay their burial costs. The stench of death is heavy on the Presbyterian Church USA and all those who believe God should exit before they are consumed with the walking dead. This, people of God, is what allowing the leaven of gay christian theology will do to your local church and any organization which permits this wickedness to have place. Congratulations to the leadership and membership of First Presbyterian Church of Orlando.
February 2, 2012 5 Comments
PAW’s Bishop Charles Ellis in gay church relationship?
**UPDATED/Scroll down
Bishop Charles Ellis, III is pastor of Detroit’s Greater Grace Temple and is the Presiding Bishop of the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World (PAW). Ellis has been lauded for many accomplishments, but could his facebook “friendship” with an Atlanta homosexual church be the bitter fruit of the false inclusion movement? Long regarded as one of the vanguards of oneness pentecostalism, the 104 year old PAW is doctrinally and biblically opposed to homosexuality. But sources tell GCM Watch that in the PAW, like most pentecostal denominations, church homosexuals are exerting behind the scenes influence which have significantly weakened biblical positions.
Its to be expected. Religious homosexual carry a deadly spiritual virus. Read about it here.
Thus, organizations like the PAW may not be aware that sin lies crouched at the door waiting to devour the ignorant. Sadly, in the contemporary church serial religious conferences of every kind, celebrity events, activities, and more hinder the shepherd’s ability to watch and warn.
We’ve reported on Atlanta’s homosexual Vision church and its pastor Oliver Clyde Owens III before. In fact, recently the Lexi show put Allen and his group of feel-good apostates on display for all to see what happens when God gives someone over to their rebellious desires.
Why then is Bishop Charles Ellis a “friend” to such an enemy of God?
Should the bishop come from among them and be separated? What signal does the leader of such a denomination send to its constituents when he is listed as if he is in support with the wicked? Its an issue that is becoming more and more serious as religious gays spread a deceptive —but inviting—table in front of church leaders. Aware saints should immediately raise the red flag when leaders began straying from God’s truth. The scriptures teach however that there is to be no association with individuals who self identify as “gay christians”.
I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people— 10 not at all meaning the sexually immoral of this world, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. 11 But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler—not even to eat with such a one. 12 For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? 13 God judges those outside. “Purge the evil person from among you.” 1 Cor 5:9-13 (our bold)
Perhaps Bishop Ellis has no idea that his picture and personal facebook page is one of the supporters of a homosexual church. GCM Watch contacted Bishop Ellis’ church for a response. This post will be updated if a response is issued.
Greater Grace Temple office: (313) 543-6000
Update 2/2/12 9:00am
Although he did not respond directly to GCM Watch, Bishop Charles Ellis told a third party source (who gave us permission to post this) that he has over “20,000″ people on his facebook page and most of them he does not know. Ellis told the third party, “I don’t know these folk and have never heard of the church. Someone in my office will find the attachment and delete it.”
Its still not clear why Ellis’ personal FB page (out of hundreds of apostolic bishops) was added to this church. This situation also underscores what we have been warning the church about for sometime. Homosexual churches like the “Vision Church” are in massive makeover mode. They know the average church-goer –as biblically illiterate as some are— would never be associated with a self identified homosexual church. So they intentionally delete any language that would alert someone to that fact. Instead they opt to use ambiguous sounding language like “church where all are welcome” or instead of gay or homosexual use nebulous replacement terms like “affectional orientation”.
That’s exactly how the devil operates. He conceals or disguises his true nature to gain access to you. He will appear even as an angel of light bearing “love” and benevolence in order to get closer to you without alarming you. His message is always inclusive of all without telling you of the poison hidden in between the layers of his message. Such are the makeover methods of the gay church.
Leaders like Bishop Charles Ellis should be aware of the tactics of the enemy and not only protect themselves but the millions of people who follow them. There is really in this day and age of instant, accessible information for any leader to use the “I dont know” excuse. If Ellis was added without his permission, isnt that cause for rebuke to whoever did it. If someone on his staff administrates his FB page and added him, how did they know to add him to a homosexual church? Its highly unlikely that this was a random incident and for that reason, we are sounding the alarm.
January 31, 2012 8 Comments
Episcopal Bishop’s Demonic Vision of a New World Religion
The Episcopal Church has a history of heading down the fast road of apostasy. Their acceptance of homosexuality, abortion, witchcraft, and its departure from biblical Christianity has led it into the ecumenical movement of interfaith and the one-world false religious system. Retired Bishop William Swing has a vision of forming a United Nation for Religion which would result in a one world religion.
Who is Bishop William Swing ?
Bishop William Swing is the retired Bishop of the Espicopal Diocese of California. He wasconsecrated as the VII Bishop of California at Grace Cathedral, San Francisco, on September 29, 1979. He was very active in helping people with HIV/AIDS and advocating for the elimination of homelessness in the city of San Francisco. Bishop Swing is best known for being the founder and president of the United Religions Initiative as a model to the United Nations for all religions. Back in 1996 he traveled to China, Japan, South Korea, India, the Middle East, and Europe seeking guidance and commitment from leaders of many of the worlds’ religions. The religous leaders he met with were the Dalai Lama, Mother Teresa, the Shankaracharya of Kanchipuram, Islam’s Grand Mufti of Egypt, and the Archbishop of Canterbury (source).
Swing is a supporter of homosexuality. His former diocese California has a ministry for LGBT’s called Oasis California. This ministry allows the LGBT community to be involved in the Episcopal ministry. In a letter Oasis California 2001 Convention, Bishop Swing states:
“Heterosexuals are a threat to marriage. Homosexual couples are a threat to the traditional institution of family. Homosexuals are kicked out of families and disowned. Then when they form their own families, they are abandoned by the Church. And when they raise their children, society treats them as being scandalously selfish. Nevertheless, we are all going to have to grow up and realize that the institution of family is changing before our eyes. Churches need to have family values — values for the big, emerging family that has redefined itself.”
He also holds a negative view on true Christian believers that uphold their faith. He believes that these Christians are a threat to world peace. Swing is under the influence of the spirit of anti-christ. He opposes the true church of Jesus Christ. Swing is against Judeo-Christian values and preaches and teach a false ecumenical gospel.
What is the United Religions Initiative?
The United Religions Initiative is an interfaith organization that is modeled like the United Nations for religion. It helps end religious - motivated religion and aid in the peace of Earth. In March of 2001, the URI became an official Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) affiliated with the United Nations. Swing’s original vision for the URI began in 1993, when he was invited by the UN to host an interfaith service honoring the 50th anniversary of the signing of the UN Charter (source).
The United Religions Initiative involves the following groups: Christians, Islam, Judaism, Buddhist, Hinduism, Taoism Shamanism, New Age, Mormonism, Wicca, and Witchcraft. All of these religions are united for the sole purpose of bringing a false peace and a false one – world religion.
Interesting enough, one of the key groups that was involved with the early stages of URI, was the Covenant of the Goddess , which is the world largest organization for witches. CoG members helped write the URI charter which states: “We the people of diverse religions, spiritual expressions, and indigenious traditiions throughout the world, hereby establish the United Religions Initiative to promote enduring, daily, interfaith cooperation, to create culture of peace, justice, an healing for the Earth for all living beings (source).” The URI has brought CoG (Neopagans) into the mainstream of the cultures and made it acceptable. Other Neo-Pagan groups that support the URI are as follows: Coven of the Stone and the Mirror, Goddess Holding the World Mural Project, Hippo Haven Wiccan Community, Pagan Educational Network, The Pagan Sanctuary Network, and the SerpentStone Coven in North Carolina(source).
The URI is also supported by Mikhail Gorbachev’s organization, The State of the World Forum, Bishop Desmond Tutu, and New Age Futurist Barbara Marx Hubbard . The URI is supported by a variety of religious and political groups that have the same demonic vision of a one-world religion to bring about false peace.
Bishop Swing Endorses the Occult
One of the top members of the URI global council is Donald Frew. He is the High Priest of Gardenerian coven in Berkley, California, and is the national interfaith representative for the Covenant of the Goddess. Frew discussed interfaith gathering with Bishop Swing in which he states:, “A highlight for me was being asked to perform a traditional Wiccan foundation blessing in closing ceremony…I specially invoke Hekate, and Hermes by name, and Hermes by name, and the [Episcopal] bishop was right there.. raising his arms in invocation with the rest of the Circle! We have come a long way (source).”
This shows that Swing has totally abandond the scriptures and he is embracing the Wiccan foundational blessing. It speaks loudly that he is an apostate and a son of Belial. This isn’t the first time an Episcopal Bishop has dabbled with the occult. Bishop James Pike, during the 1960s after his son James Pike Jr. committed suicide, participated in a live television occultic seance to have medium communicate with his dead son (source). Swing has carried on Pike’s apostate legacy. But Swing has traveled to another level of apostasy with his demonic vision for a one-world church, peace, and the rise of Anti-christ. Without a doubt, he is fulfilling Bible prophecy.
2 Thessalonians 2: 3 says, “Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed the son of perdition.”
1 Timothy 4:1 says, “Now The Spirit, speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrine of devils.”
January 18, 2012 8 Comments
Can womens ordination open door to gay ordinations?
The Christian Research and Apologetics Ministry (CARM) has an interesting chart on its website tracking the theological drifting of denominations who have ordained women.
The evolving chart lists such liberal denominations as the Episcopal Church, Evangelical Lutheran Church, Presbyterian Church USA and the United Methodist Church who have “progressed” from the ordination of women to sanctioning abortion and performing homosexual ordination.
Is there a connection? While CARM’s chart is certainly no open and shut case, its interesting to observe the theological trajectory of the mentioned denominations.
The United Church of Christ, arguably the most rabidly progay Christian denomination, was not listed as ordaining women, but they do. See here. In fact, the UCC says it has been ordaining women for the last 150 years. It began ordaining open homosexuals 38 years ago.
Charter Matt Slick said, “This chart is not yet fully completed. We released it to help demonstrate the trends of denominations who ordain women. Notice that after the chart are the links to document the positions.”
Diagnosis: CARM needs to get this chart finished.
See the chart’s listings so far here.
January 11, 2012 40 Comments
COGIC leader confesses to sex crimes against boy
Media outlets in Wilmington, NC reported that a 54 year old Church of God in Christ “superintendent” has confessed to multiple sexual crimes against a 14 year old boy. The crimes occurred in 1998 while the boy stayed in the pastor’s home.
According to several news outlets [see here, here and here] Superintendent Thomas A. Wiggins,Jr., pastor of the Faith Temple COGIC and Bolton COGIC was arrested and charged November 29th with five counts of first-degree sexual offense and five counts of indecent liberties with a minor.
The crimes are of a serious nature. North Carolina law defines the charges thusly:
§ 14‑27.7A. Statutory rape or sexual offense of person who is 13, 14, or 15 years old.
(a) A defendant is guilty of a Class B1 felony if the defendant engages in vaginal intercourse or a sexual act with another person who is 13, 14, or 15 years old and the defendant is at least six years older than the person, except when the defendant is lawfully married to the person.
§ 14‑202.1. Taking indecent liberties with children.
(a) A person is guilty of taking indecent liberties with children if, being 16 years of age or more and at least five years older than the child in question, he either:
(1) Willfully takes or attempts to take any immoral, improper, or indecent liberties with any child of either sex under the age of 16 years for the purpose of arousing or gratifying sexual desire; or
(2) Willfully commits or attempts to commit any lewd or lascivious act upon or with the body or any part or member of the body of any child of either sex under the age of 16 years.
(b) Taking indecent liberties with children is punishable as a Class F felony.
The unmarried Wiggins is an “adminstrative assistant” to Bishop CE Anderson in the denomination’s North Carolina 2nd Jurisdiction [source].
Despite numerous high profile sex crimes and cases of sexual immorality among members of its clergy, denominational leaders continue to deny that clergy sexual abuse is a significant problem. In November 2009, the denomination’s chief lawyer Enoch Perry told a church gathering
“Media coverage of any sexual oriented event and the church will have a negative slant. The pessimistic coverage will have a direct impact on the overall public perception of the church involved, its corporate body and its membership. Additionally, this negativity will directly affect new membership and outside donations.”
Report COGIC Abuse has been documenting the shocking examples of disregard for biblical admonitions and the church’s own seemingly selective application of its own constitution.
Despite a letterallegedy leaked by the church’s COO detailing legal failures and ethical violations by Perry, he was promoted to bishop in the 2011 convention in St Louis.
The case with Thomas raises the number of cases in 2011 to four and 47 total documented cases.
Cross posted at COGIC Abuse Watch blog
December 1, 2011 13 Comments
Progay Episcopal Bishop defended ordination of child molesting cleric
Virtue Online reported that progay bishop Katharine Schori has reached a new low by defending a man who confessed to sexual misconduct with a child. Further evidence that via Schori’s reign of error, the Episcopal Church USA has become become a dwelling place for demons, a haunt for every unclean spirit, a haunt for every unclean bird, a haunt for every unclean and detestable beast. Rev 18:2
The presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church is defending her decision to allow a former Roman Catholic monk to become an Episcopal priest even after he admitted to sexual misconduct with a minor.
The Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori has been under increasing pressure to answer charges that she did not properly investigate the Rev. Bede Parry’s past when she was bishop of Nevada in 2004.
She initially brushed off inquiries and then remained silent till this week when, under increasing pressure from VOL and canon law attorney A.S. Haley, she issued a statement arguing that she knew of only one incident when Parry, now 69, sought ordination as an Episcopal priest. She also said that Parry passed a background check and a psychological evaluation before he was ordained.
The condition of his ordination, said Jefferts Schori, was that Parry was to be supervised by another priest and not permitted to work alone with children.
“I made the decision to receive him believing that he demonstrated repentance and amendment of life and that his current state did not represent a bar to his reception,” she wrote in her official statement.
In a signed statement and newspaper interview this year, Parry admitted to several acts of sexual misconduct with young adults and teenagers while he was a Catholic monk in the 1970s and 1980s. “Frankly, those allegations, most of them are true,” Parry told the Kansas City Star in June.
Parry resigned from All Saints’ Episcopal Church in Las Vegas that month when a civil lawsuit was filed alleging that he abused a minor in 1987. At the time of the alleged abuse, Parry was a monk and choir director at Conception Abbey in Conception, Mo.
Current Nevada Bishop Dan Edwards said Thursday that Parry has not been accused of wrongdoing since his Episcopal ordination. “His voluntary resignation was for the good of the church.”
Parry has not functioned as a priest since his June resignation and will not be permitted to return to ministry, Edwards added. Bishop Edwards does not state that Parry has renounced his orders, but that he “resigned” from the diocese and that he will not function as a priest. We are not clear what “resigning” from a diocese is. Renunciation of orders requires a certification that the renunciation “was for causes which do not affect the person’s moral character.” Has Bishop Edwards given that certification? If he has not accepted a renunciation, has Parry’s ministry been restricted under Title IV? If neither has occurred, on what basis are we assured that Parry will not function as a priest in the future?
Before she agreed to ordain Parry, Jefferts Schori said she wrote to Catholic bishops in Las Vegas and Santa Fe, N.M., and received brief responses that “indicated no problematic behavior.”
Jefferts Schori also said she wrote to Conception Abbey “from whom I received only an acknowledgement that he had served there, been sent for treatment to a facility in New Mexico, and had been dismissed for this incident of misconduct.”
By his own admission, Parry’s statement contained an unequivocal declaration about what was communicated to the Presiding Bishop when she was the Bishop of Nevada: “Also in 2000, I considered joining the Prince of Peace monastery in Riverside, California. Prince of Peace had me undergo a series of psychological tests. After the testing, Prince of Peace’s Abbot Charles Wright informed me I was no longer a candidate. The psychological evaluation had determined that I had a proclivity to reoffend with minors. Abbot Wright called Conception Abbey’s Abbot Gregory Polan with this information.
Read the full story at Virtue Online. You can also read more GCM Watch reporting on the wicked reign of Bishop Katharine Jefferts-Schori.
November 25, 2011 7 Comments
