So they’re back. And sweeter than ever.

Gay choirs are back in the running for Verizon’s capitalistic cash cow How Sweet the Sound. How you ask?

Because HSTS is owned by a secular, pluralistic company whose bottom line is money, there can be no restrictions on who can participate. It can be the Black Temple Church of Satan Mass Choir or Black Temple Church of God in Christ Mass Choir. To Verizon Wireless, they’re all the same. Qualifications per Verizon:

The Choir must have a meaningful and consistent relationship with a church, temple, mosque or other similar religious organization (the “Religious Organization”). The Religious Organization must be a tax-exempt organization as described under sections 501(c)(3) and 170(c)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to time, and must have a tax-exempt ID number; (our italics).

Please also understand that a great majority of gospel music isn’t what it labels itself to be. Its like a jar labeled as jelly but inside its glue. However they need the name to deceive the shallow-minded. Its money driven.

Last year we reported to you that HSTS judge Dorinda Clark Cole advanced a St Louis based homosexual choir from the Metropolitan Community Church denomination to the competition’s semifinals.

This year, the same choir is back again.  With all the blasphemous vomit spewed out by this denomination time and time again, you would think that somebody with a slither of integrity would protest their inclusion. But not so. The lust for money and fame has attracted greedy, ignorant churches lined up once again to “praise the Lord”. And if its any consolation, we can’t single out any denomination. Churches from a smorgasboard of denominations have got on the grind to win the cash prizes and fame for their pastor.

No Light

There is absolutely no way light and darkness can co-exist physically or naturally. They are polar opposites of each other with nothing in common. The same can be said spiritually.

I  have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.  John 12:46

And the light shines in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. John 1:5

So what does Marvin Sapp, Hezekiah Walker, Dorinda Clark Cole, CeCe Winans and other celebrity gospel music industry workers not understand about that undeniable truth? To be blunt, satan’s kingdom is characterized by darkness and God’s kingdom is characterized by light. So Marv, Hez, DCC and CeCe are you saying its okay for the two to mix to sing gospel music? How can the blind sing of a glorious light they have never seen? How is it possible to praise a God whose sexual standards you reject? How can you approve and participate in such things knowing the judgment of God against them?

Don’t hold your breath waiting for an answer.

Joining the MCC choir is the “85% gay”  Tabernacle Baptist Church and the metaphysical, “new thought”, gay affirming church Hillside Chapel of Truth both in Atlanta.

You can see a list of all the churches involved here. Oh, how ironically sweet it is.

First, in Auburn, IN one Lutheran church has overwhelming decided they will no longer be subjected to the gay affirming aggression leaders in their denomination have embraced.

A Lutheran church in Auburn this week joined a growing number of congregations in voting to leave the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America over its recently broadened stance allowing homosexual ministers.

Members of St. Mark’s Lutheran Church, 211 E. Ninth St., voted 161-25 Sunday to withdraw from the ELCA, the Rev. Stephen Kummernuss, church pastor, said Friday.

A second vote must be taken in 90 days to confirm the action, he said.

“In August 2009, the ELCA changed its policy to allow same-gender persons in a committed relationship to be ordained, and we don’t agree with that,” Kummernuss said, adding the congregation is not against gays.

“No, absolutely not,” he said. “We believe that God made male and female for relationship with one another and not otherwise. We accept (homosexual) people but are not going to accept the act as part of God’s creation, and … not (among people) in ministry.”

The Journal-Gazette story also said the denomination previously allowed gays and lesbians in the clergy if they remained celibate. The policy change does not force any particular congregation to accept a non-celibate homosexual pastor.

But the move sparked an outcry in many ELCA churches, and many members of St. Mark’s felt it went too far, Kummernuss said. Some [members] began not attending church in protest, and giving dropped 50 percent, he said.

Nothing speaks louder to these apostate leaders than decreased money and members. If more churches would take action, they would no be so bold in installing homosexual leaders in authority. Part of the problem it seems is that many unsuspecting members are deceived with promises of more “dialogue” when in their inner circles they already have determined they will go against the Word of God.

Thankfully, for bible-adhering Lutherans there are options. Leaders have formed CORE, a “coalition of pastors, lay people, congregations and reforming groups. We seek to preserve within the Lutheran churches in North America the authority of the Word of God according to the Lutheran confessions.”

Meanwhile in the UK, a gay cleric was denied a key leadership position for the second time. The UK Guardian reported:

A gay but celibate clergyman has been blocked from becoming a bishop for the second time, following a row over his inclusion on the shortlist for the choice to run the Anglican diocese of Southwark.

Jeffrey John, the Dean of St Albans, was under consideration for the post and would have replaced the Right Rev Tom Butler, who retired earlier this year. In 2003 Dr John had been forced to stand down from his appointment as suffragan bishop of Reading.

When news of his second candidacy was leaked, the prospect of the first openly gay bishop in the Church of England immediately angered conservative evangelicals, who threatened to seek alternative leadership overseas and warned of a schism.

Of course per biblical standards, John shouldn’t be in any position of leadership in the first place, but the politics of religion have gotten him to where he is not biblical integrity.  Its interesting how  John is being marketed as a “gay but celibate clergyman”.  But further in the story says he is in a “civil partnership” but then again reasserts he is “celibate”. Sure, he is.  These agenda driven clerics will tell any lie they can to get into position.  So much for “honesty and integrity” they claim is the hallmark of being openly gay.

John reinvents the atonement  into a English tea party and in the end God and man decides to be friends. [source]. Where have we heard that type of lunatic religious heresy before?

The liberals in the church’s left wing are predictably outraged, because they want to seat these sexual apostates in power. We all know what they will do once in power. Look no further than the vindictive  Vickie Gene Robinson and its clear that keeping people like John out of power in the church is a fight worth engaging in.

Reports One News Now:

This week’s General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) will consider redefining marriage to include same-sex couples and allowing ministers to perform same-sex weddings.

Carmen Fowler, president of the Presbyterian Lay Committee, believes those sorts of initiatives are to blame for the denomination’s declining membership.

Her group supports upholding the church’s traditional definition of marriage.

The PCUSA’s newly-elected moderator, Cynthia Bolbach, supports gay marriage but told the assembly on Saturday that the denomination has become paralyzed.

Fowler says that’s what happens when a church body becomes disconnected from its head — Jesus Christ.

The PCUSA is currently running a PR campaign which has the gall to declare pride in being Presbyterian “because it is God centered”.

According to the Christian Post, the PCUSA has been “debating this issue since 1991. That’s a long time to debate the validity of something with such a clear condemnation in scripture. It shows how weak many US denominations are spiritually and how far many have strayed away from foundational truth. With the election of a pro-homosexual moderator for the PCUSA, the issue now appears to be moving in favor of those who want the PCUSA to become another gay affirming denomination.

The newly elected moderator wasted no time with the smooth words of hate for God’s word:

“Those in favor of the full inclusion of gays and lesbians in our life together – and I include myself in that group – believe that we fail to satisfy the Gospel imperative of inclusiveness as we continue to exclude gays and lesbians from leadership in our church,” she said. “But there are also many within our church who believe that homosexual behavior is a sin that violates Scripture’s mandates. I respect their beliefs, and I want to continue in conversation with them about this basic issue.”

Continue to have conversation? The truth is they have  already decided that the denomination will be prohomosexual. The “conversation” is just to win more converts. That’s why its dangerous to even enter into these traps. People like Cynthia Bolbach have no intention of honoring or adhering to the truth of scripture. They words are just like the poisonous bite of a viper.

John Sloop of Shenandoah Presbytery interestingly argued that the church is being left behind if it does not accept the homosexual lifestyle that the world has already accepted.

“Jesus called on us to be the light of the world. But he never meant for us to be the tail lights,” he said, according to The Presbyterian Outlook.

And it goes on and on. The insanity that has taken over some churches is nothing but rebellion against the rule of the Lord Jesus. Since they wont be honest, I will. They despise him, his rule and his law. But they need his name to continue the deception. That’s why if you are in this denomination and any other for that matter, you should treat it like sodom and gomorrah and flee without looking back.

If the statistics are true, some are doing just that.

The ongoing debate over homosexuality comes as membership continues to decline in the PC(USA) – the largest Presbyterian denomination in the country. According to a newly released report, membership dropped by 2.9 percent to just over 2 million in 2009. The number of churches has also decreased to 10,657. Eighty-eight churches were dissolved and 15 were dismissed to other denominations. There were 524 more adult baptisms in 2009 compared to the previous year, but the denomination saw 1,336 fewer children baptisms.

Leave these apostates and take your money with you. Let them fund their own voyage into hell.

Another must see and hear to believe it video courtesy of  homosexual christian clerics.

Have you been under the impression that gay christians love, revere, worship, honor, serve, obey and follow the Jesus of the Bible? If you have, you couldn’t have been more wrong.  In fact I would say that the “Jesus” they speak of is but an idol of their own imagination, crafted by the dark recesses of their minds. The Christ, who came expressly to die and deliver us from the penalty and curse of sin is mocked and demeaned by those who call themselves by his name.

After watching this video (a little over 10 minutes) of a gaggle of clergy from the Metropolitan Community Church (a homosexual christian denomination), it reminded me of Bill Clinton’s 1998 defense statement when he said “It depends on what the meaning of is, is.”

Listen to these gay christian “theologians” discuss what believing in Jesus means to them. Or rather what believing in Jesus doesn’t mean to them.

The panel sets the stage by defining their brand of religion as more akin to Jesus because everything is always in flux. There are no absolutes and there are no imaginative boundaries for followers of Christ. In their logic, man is smart enough —and has a high self worth— without the bible to determine what is right and good for us.

I pulled out a few of the more stunning statements for your review. Keep in mind these are people who are demanding to be accepted as equals (brothers and sisters in Christ).

The Rev. Durrell Watkins (the church’s senior pastor) refers to Jesus as some type of voodoo doll he has purchased.

“I as a progressive Christian have set my heart on Jesus so yes I believe in Jesus…and that means that Jesus for me is a symbol and a figure that I am constantly working with, exploring, playing with and so how that impacts me, how that influences my life is going to change over time. But because I have set my heart on Jesus Ive made Jesus a primary symbol to work with…”

A symbol to play with? Professing themselves wise, they have become fools.

Rev. Nikki Bailey sees Jesus dying for the sins of humanity is  something akin to a humorous fairy tale.

“I would say that belief in Jesus would be belief in all the questions and all of the seeking and all of the possibility that Jesus represents. I would agree with Durrell not necessarily believing about Jesus all of the things or I was taught in the tradition I was raised in, not necessarily that Jesus died for my sins., which is fine if that’s where you are… (all laugh) But for me it would be believing that all the things that Jesus represented through his life and all of the questions that arrive from that and all of the commitments that I need to make to justice and peace and loving my neighbor is a part of what that belief is.”

I was wrong. From there it gets progressively worse. The gay christian ministers go on to reject the significance of the death of Christ because they possess a “high anthropology”. Thus, they have no need for Jesus to save them although, as the man says, they do have high regard for Jesus.

I’ve said it before and it bears repeating. The theology of the homosexual christian movement is diametrically opposed to literally every fundamental teaching of our faith.  This is the very nature of satan who wraps himself in an angelic facade and presents himself as one who is focused on love and peace.

More on MCC ministers and their perverted view of Jesus:

• Thieves, robbers and perverts in the MCC
• MCC clerics demonize Jesus
• MCC minister imagines Jesus in love

David Kyle Foster wrote in his revealing  1998 article The Summer of our Discontent” that the intent of gay activists has always been to subvert biblical teaching in order to have access to positions of influence within the church.

“Gay activism has carried over into the churches. For years homosexual activists in many of the nation’s largest denominations have been insinuating themselves into doctrinal discussions and decision-making processes in order to overturn the idea that homosexual behavior is sinful. Gay activists have worked hard to redefine morality, values, love, the family, and the meaning of the biblical text itself.

When a denomination has failed to give them a voice, gay activists have raised up their own organizations (e.g., Reconciling Congregations, Dignity, Integrity, Affirmation, etc.), and have succeeded in portraying themselves as an “oppressed minority” or “deprived victim underclass” in order to win concessions. Often employed as a tactic of obfuscation, such posturing unfortunately has turned the debate away from the real issues of brokenness and morality. But how successful have they been in effecting a redefinition of biblical morality?”

Take a look what has happened since then. In this listing, the MCC, and the Family are included as wholly apostate Christian bodies. The majority of the links are to Religious Tolerance.org, a website which claims to list both the positive and negative aspects of religion.

You may be surprised at what some denominations believe about homosexuality and how close or far away they are from biblical truth.

Additionally, while the National Council of Churches has no specific statement affirming homosexuality, its leadership has affirmed the practice. Look here for a list of NCC members which include several African American denominations.

Anglican Church of Canada

Anglican Communion, worldwide

American Baptist Association

American Baptist Churches in the USA

Assemblies of God

Christian Reformed Church in North America

The Church of Christ

Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)

Church of England

Church of God in Christ (scroll down)

Church of Scotland

Cooperative Baptist Fellowship

Coptic Orthodox Church (centered in Egypt)

Episcopal Church, USA

Evangelical Christian Church (Christian Disciples)

Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

Evangelical Lutheran Church of Canada

Evangelical Lutheran Church in Denmark

The Family

Methodist Church in Britain

Metropolitan Community Church

Mennonites

Presbyterian Church (USA)

Presbyterian Church in America

Presbyterian Church in Canada

Reformed Church in America

Reformed Churches in the Netherlands (RCN)

Southern Baptist Convention

United Church of Christ

United Church of Canada

United Methodist Church

United Pentecostal Church International

World Council of Churches

Worldwide Church of God

International Church of the Foursquare Gospel (1993 Resolution)

The Biblical record shows that sexual union was established exclusively within the context of male-female relationship and formalized in the ordinance of marriage. In the New Testament, the oneness of male and female in marriage pictures the relationship between Christ and His Church. . . . The Scriptures identify the practice of homosexuality as a sin that, if persisted in, brings grave consequences in this life and excludes one from the Kingdom of God.

The Evangelical Free Church of America (1993 Resolution)

“Homosexuality,” which was adopted by the General Conference in 1978. The resolution is clear that neither ministers nor congregants who are involved in the practice of homosexuality will be allowed in the fellowship and that no one may “urge or concede that the state should give special protection or approval to this practice or promote it as a matter of personal taste, free choice or ‘sexual orientation’.”

Addendum: Predominately African American and Latino churches rarely have “official positions” on homosexuality per se. Most have some sort of non-official condemnation of gay marriage, but no official resolutions on homosexuality itself. Generally, various leaders make statements almost in passing about the issue but nothing voted or confirmed upon by the organizations episcopal/governing electorates.

A 2007 Pew Forum surveying African Americans Christians as a whole found that slightly less than half are opposed to homosexuality as a social issue.  But  as a biblical issue 73% in evangelical denominations were opposed to it. The survey did not segregate denominational groups.

According to Religion News Service, the church’s high priestess Katharine Jefferts Schori is highly upset.

The high-level dispute between the head of the Anglican Communion and Episcopal Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori continues, as Jefferts Schori accused Archbishop of Canterbury of getting Anglican polity wrong and jumping the gun by imposing sanctions on her church. Conservative activists in England say its “discourteous” of an Anglican cathedral to invite Jefferts Schori to preach, given the tension in the AC.

A Beliefnet story indicated that the head of the Anglican Communion considered the second consecration an act of seditious disobedience.

Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, the spiritual leader of the communion, proposed the removals last month after Episcopalians in Los Angeles consecrated an open lesbian as an assistant bishop. Bishop Mary Douglas Glasspool is the second openly gay bishop in the Episcopal Church, after Bishop V. Gene Robinson of New Hampshire, who was consecrated in 2003.After Robinson’s consecration, all 44 member churches in the Anglican Communion were asked to abide by three moratoria: no more gay bishops, no official blessings for same-sex unions, no interfering in each other’s provinces.

While most Episcopalians support ordaining gays and lesbians as bishops, many Anglicans in the 77-million-member communion view homosexuality as a sin, and have angrily confronted the Episcopal Church. Williams had warned Episcopalians that consecrating Glasspool would have “consequences” for their role in the communion.

Kearon said he wrote to Episcopalians on the affected committees last Thursday to inform them of the changes. The one Episcopalian on the “faith and order” committee, the Rev. Katherine Grieb of Virginia, can serve as a consultant, but not a member, Kearon said.

The homosexual religious movement has done nothing good for the unity of the church. Quite the contrary, it has seeded and fostered division and disobedience to God and his word time and time again. Its good to know some church leaders are growing a backbone and responding with influence killing sanctions. And that’s best course of action with people who are hell bent on spreading sexual immorality and false teachings. Restrict, restrain and if possible kill their influence.

WASHINGTON, DC — Tuesday Presiding Bishop Charles E. Blake, Sr. and senior women’s leader Mother Willie Mae Rivers of the Church of God in Christ accepted the National Organization for Marriage’s (NOM) 2010 Marriage Protector Award.

Bishop Blake is the worldwide leader of the Church Of God In Christ (COGIC), and Mother Rivers is the senior women’s leader. COGIC is one of the largest African-American denominations in the United States, and has a worldwide membership of 5 million people in 60 countries.

The award was given to acknowledge “the steadfast witness of the Church of God in Christ in defending marriage as the union of husband and wife.”

NOM Chairman Maggie Gallagher presented the award at the 60th Annual Womens International Convention/Crusade of the Church of God in Christ (COGIC) at the Los Angeles Convention Center. “We are blessed by your courage, your clarity, and your conviction,” Gallagher conveyed to COGIC.

“I am here to present an award, but the honor is really ours–to acknowledge with gratitude the contributions of COGIC in standing for the truth that to make a marriage you need a husband and wife. At a time when so many powerful voices argue that this idea is rooted only in hatred and bigotry, we are blessed by your witness to the truth, which is really God’s truth, about marriage,” Maggie Gallagher told the assembled 20,000 African-American women and COGIC bishops, and other church leaders.

Although the term “gay marriage” was not mentioned in the presentation, its clear that Gallagher was referring to in her remarks. Under the late GE Patterson the church issued a strongly worded  official proclamation upholding male-female marriage and calling same sex unions a “violation of religious and social norms and are aberrant and deviant behavior.” [These] “unions are sinful and in direct violation of the law of God in that they are a deviation from the natural use and purpose of the body.”

BET gospel writer Torrence Glenn who attended the event, gushed at the opportunity to praise Williams in his recap writeup:

So to hear that a more traditional and pentecostal church such as New Life, pastored by Bishop Eric Figueroa was inviting him to their church was a shock to me. Being the Tonex fan that I am, I decided that although it was short notice, I had to go! (Yeah, I don’t stop supporting people just because it’s not popular to. Not my style.) Once I arrived at the church on Monday night, I tweeted that I was there and MORE than a few people asked me to recap it, so here goes. (I originally intended just to go for myself, not necessarily to cover but I realized that more people than me were interested in seeing/hearing what Tonex had to say.)

After the offering was taken and a guest choir sang a song, it was time for Tonex (or Minister Anthony Williams as he prefers to be called as a minister) to preach. He was dressed in a full liturgical preacher’s attire. He had on a navy blue robe with a light blue panel. VERY traditional. Before beginning to preach he sang a piece of Karen Clark-Sheard’s worship song, “God Is Here.” And when I say he sang it, he SANG IT!

That’s about it and as expected from people who devalue sound doctrine, the message (whatever it was) is sidelined in favor of performance techniques. to With all the false teachings Anthony Williams has spewed out in the past, Glenn ignored that to obsess over something else.  The musicians weren’t falling over themselves to back up Tonex on the organ, etc.  Read it for yourself:

“This may be my personal observation/opinion but it seemed the musicians on duty weren’t very willing to help or follow as the sermon came to it’s climax. I understand that some preachers don’t like accompaniment when they preach and many  musicians will wait until the preacher instructs them to play for him/her instead of just flowing with it. Better safe then sorry I guess is their thought process. But this was a totally different thing. There were moments where Anthony had to tell them the chords to play and they hesitantly played the chord and then just stopped. (Imagine if someone told you to pick up a piece of paper and you did and just put it down instead of doing something with it.) It was as if they needed to be told every little thing to do. It was odd because they were seasoned musicians who “know church.” But I may be wrong, this is just my opinion, but it felt like they had to be forced to participate in the closing praise experience that followed Anthony’s message. So to all my musicians, if you feel some kind of way about who’s preaching, get off the instruments!”

If you’re not familiar with what Glenn is having a problem with, let me explain. In the black church, particularly pentecostal ones, when the preacher shifts into a certain sing-song cadence of speaking (heading towards the “climax” of his or her message), the musicians are expected to jump in and match them in intensity. Here’s an example here (listen to the music). One would think that with a self professed homosexual preaching, one would not be caught up about what musicians were or were not doing. But such is the shallowness of today’s church goer. The musicians may have not initially wanted to participate in another man’s sins, but they too probably got caught up in the pentecostal histrionics of Tonex.

Lay hands suddenly on no man, neither be partaker of other men’s sins: keep thyself pure. 1 Tim 5:22

Who’s Bishop Figueroa?

Let’s try to sort out all the connecting names so that no one is slighted.

Glenn admits all this is somewhat surprising since Figueroa’s church is known as “traditional”. According to Glenn, Figueroa’s daughter who sings background on Sunday Best show, tweeted the news out like it was Bishop Mason returning from the dead. Traditional?

Another source told GCM Watch Figueroa is mainly known in the New York area.

“When I lived in NY years back I’d see his name and his church’s name a lot in the main Christian newspaper which I used to receive monthly, taking out large ads advertising their various events convocations, etc. He might not be that well known nationally, but in NY black church circles he seemed to command a lot of respect from various other well known churches, leaders, bishops, etc.”

Figueroa’s Myspace site says he was consecrated a bishop in the Church of God in Christ International in 1998 and currently serves as bishop of the New York “jurisdiction” of said denomination.  This is not the COGIC Intl headquartered in Jonesboro, AR.  This particular strand of COGIC breakaways has its headquarters in New York and primarily sprang out of the famed Institutional COGIC headed by the grandfather of Monique Walker. Its now headed by Bishop JC White, a former member of the Institutional Church.   White has not made any public statements about the appearance of an openly homosexual minister in one of his churches.

So what do we make of all this? The same as we have been saying many times before. We are in the midst of a great falling away where the so called church is becoming a habitation of demons, unclean spirits and every unclean work. But guess what? They all “love the Lord” and gonna “get their praise on” no matter who says what.

And I heard another voice from heaven saying, ‘Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues. For her sins have reached to heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities’” (Revelation 18:4,5).

h/t:Paul

The state’s largest Baptist group officially broke ties today with Royal Lane Baptist Church in North Dallas, citing the church’s acceptance of openly gay deacons.

By a 63-4 vote, the executive board of the Baptist General Convention of Texas voted not to accept funds from Royal Lane. The same resolution asked the church to stop indicating in publications that it is a BGCT affiliate.

Randel Everett (left), executive director of the BGCT, called the decision “painful” but not difficult. Though BGCT churches should welcome homosexuals, he said, the group’s long-held view is that the Bible teaches homosexual behavior is sinful.

Royal Lane’s acknowledgement that it has ordained openly gay deacons meant that it was “clearly outside” BGCT beliefs, Everett added.

Doug Washington, a Royal Lane deacon and BGCT executive board member, spoke against the resolution. He said the church has two gay deacons, and he praised them as outstanding leaders.

Doug Washington, a Royal Lane deacon and BGCT executive board member, spoke against the resolution at the meeting in Northwest Dallas. He said the church has two gay deacons, and he praised them as outstanding leaders.

“To say something is wrong with them is to say God made a mistake,” Washington said. “I can’t buy into that.”

Compare that to the response of certain members of the church in 1 Corinthians 5 when a sexually immoral member was reported to the Apostle Paul.

It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that does not occur even among pagans: A man has his father’s wife. And you are proud! Shouldn’t you rather have been filled with grief and have put out of your fellowship the man who did this? (vss 1-3) NIV

Instead of being grieved and saddened that one of their own was engaging in sexual immorality, certain members and leaders of the church were angry, arrogant and proud of the man. They actually defended him and railed against the ones who reported the situation to Paul. Since the man and his supporters were unrepentant, Paul instructed them to do exactly what the BGCT did. Put them out of the fellowship.

It certainly doesn’t help that more and more “leaders” sell out continue to capitulate to antichrist elements within the church. The result will be total collapse of biblical morality and the ingress of full apostasy in Christian identified denominations. You heard it here first: acceptance and justification of homosexual clergy or members is the benchmark for incurable spiritual disease in the church.

In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes. Judges 21:25. Read the entire chapter for what was happening “in those days”.

The Minneapolis Star-Tribune notes that homosexual church activists are ratcheting up their push to overtake the Methodist Church.

The ELCA spent a decade arguing over the matter before it voted last summer to recognize gay and lesbian ministers who are involved in monogamous relationships. The United Methodists aren’t anywhere close to taking a similar vote; the best description of their situation is that they are thinking about thinking about it.

At its meeting next month, the Minnesota Annual Conference has agreed to accept eight petitions dealing with the church’s stance on homosexuality. But conference officials aren’t promising that the petitions will reach the floor. They will be debated “if there is time.”

The petitions address specific clauses in church law. They include lifting the ban on gay preachers, deleting the word “heterosexual” from the definition of marriage and removing the statement, “The practice of homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching.”

Regardless of how the petitions fare, nothing will happen soon. Church law cannot be changed on a state level, and the national conference, which meets every four years, doesn’t reconvene until 2012. In fact, if the petitions fail to make it to the floor, supporters can reintroduce them at next year’s state conference.

Its unclear if those who opposed homosexual ordination in fallen denominations pushed back aggressively enough. Perhaps they underestimated the resolve of those obsessed with turning the church gay. That’ seems to be what the article suggests in part (i.e. “nothing will happen soon”). Unfortunately, all it takes for these groups to succeed is time and the passive complicity of church leaders.

photo credit:  Paul Jeffrey