Comments on: Being A Pastor in a 5-4 World by Rev. Travis Garner

By: Michael W. Duvall

Michael W. Duvall — Thu, 17 Sep 2015 14:53:29 +0000

God gave us HIS Word that we might know what is true and how we should live. I don’t need the Methodist Discipline or their Social Principles to “clarify” the Word of God. We all have sins that we must confess and put under the blood of Jesus, but we should call sin what it is, and not turn a blind eye to it because we have a friend or family member who is gay. Emotion and compromise lead to rationalization, which usually leads to justification of the sins we don’t want to surrender to God. We all have the privilege to come to God the way we are, and then allow his Holy Spirit to work in our lives to make us what we need to be for the Kingdom of God. Jesus taught righteousness, not permissiveness. When we accept Christ as our Savior and Lord, we are crucified with him and become new creatures; we become Ambassadors for Christ, not Ambassadors for our culture. Countless Christians have died because they refused to submit to corrupt cultures. Will you stand with the Word of God and the Church of Christ, or will you stand with a corrupt culture? Your move!

By: Michael W. Duvall

Michael W. Duvall — Thu, 17 Sep 2015 14:27:14 +0000

As God designed it, yes, between a man and a woman yes – As Society has perverted it, NO! The Supreme Court can make it legal, but they can never make it holy. Even if the General Conference reverses what the Methodist Discipline says, Holy Scripture still has the final word. Perhaps the perversion of God’s Word by the church is why in spite of a $6 billion annual budget, we are still losing members. If the Discipline is changed, I for one will walk out the door and never come back and I know many more members who feel the same way.

By: Paul

Paul — Wed, 16 Sep 2015 18:34:54 +0000

I feel they should be welcomed in church and encouraged to follow the Bible’s teachings like everyone else. The church should NOT enable their sinful choices or way of life. If you help tie an animal down for someone else to beat it you are just as guilty of beating that animal. You helped to cause that pain and evil.

By: Paul

Paul — Wed, 16 Sep 2015 18:20:24 +0000

We ALL have to own up to our own sins. We ALL have to answer for our sins. What I have a problem with is pretending that a sin is OK and is now acceptable just to include more people into the congregation. Do we teach our children it is now acceptable to be LGB or T even though the bible speaks directly against it? Do we tell them we out voted GOD and changed the rules? Gee, What other sins can we out vote GOD on, have fun, do as we please, and bypass Jesus Christ and GOD’S law and still get into heaven? I think I’ll take the path less traveled!

By: Alan G Phillips Jr

Alan G Phillips Jr — Wed, 16 Sep 2015 16:04:13 +0000

At one level, many of us in the UMC may be uncomfortable with Adam Hamilton’s “three-buckets” approach to Scripture in his recent book Making Sense of the Bible (2014).

Perhaps, ideally, people want to somehow, systematically, reconcile all these different levels of tension in the Bible (the essentials, the non-essentials and the negotiables).

But….and I say this cautiously, I really think at the practical theological level of what we really do in the church today Adam Hamilton is correct.

We ARE selective with Scripture, whether or not we are “Mainline,” “Evangelical,” or “Fundamentalist.People cherry pick the “sins” that are/ are not relevant for attention, and unfortunate discrimination against groups is often the result.

There is definitely an ongoing need for healthy, loving, constructive dialogue in the UMC about what the church really does do before we examine what the church should do in light of Scripture. This is an honest approach.

By: Paul

Paul — Tue, 08 Sep 2015 12:40:46 +0000

Jesus DID say marriage was between a man and a woman. He made no direct ruling directly at LGT (Bi-Sexual -is adultry all the way around and is spoken against EVERYWHERE.) Jesus did speak through those he left behind instructions to BUILD HIS CHURCH and THEY spoke against LGBT directly. 1 John 3:6 and Galations 1:6-12, 5:19, 6:1-10.

By: Michael W. Duvall

Michael W. Duvall — Tue, 25 Aug 2015 23:55:32 +0000

The Supreme Court can make gay marriage legal, but they can never make it holy. Since when does the U.S. Constitution trump Scripture?

By: Alexi V

Alexi V — Tue, 30 Jun 2015 15:59:10 +0000

I think you misunderstood what Ekkeac was saying…. Why is reading comprehension (and compassion) so difficult for people like you? It makes me sad and fearful for the future of this country.

By: Church Mouse

Church Mouse — Tue, 30 Jun 2015 15:57:09 +0000

Unfortunately, the UMC is becoming as irrelevant as every other mainline denomination. The UMC used to be a moral leader in every small community in this country. No longer so. My next church will not be a UMC but a community church that maintains a biblical worldview. John Wesley never said we should not be a denomination without limits. The big tent theory with Open Hearts, Open Minds makes us sound like Burger King. At the UMC, you can have your religion, your way. This is not what is accorded to us in the Book of Discipline and certainly not in Scripture. If Scripture defines homosexuality as sin and the BOD states that it is not compatible with Christian teaching, should we not be tying to lead our brothers and sisters in Christ out of homosexual sin rather than stamping the seal of approval on it? Our bishops can’t even control their own, i.e. Melvin Talbert. The UMC’s death knell has already been sounded. The only question for the General Boards and the Council of Bishops is how wretched is the split going to be? I will pray for you in your ministry.

By: David

David — Tue, 30 Jun 2015 14:40:31 +0000

It is called capitulation which by definition compromises the Word. “All are welcomed in my church” the pastor says. Really? How about someone clearly intoxicated and disruptive, or would that person be escorted out? Drunkenness is a state of sin, 1 Cor 6, as are other identified states. This is all basic information and not over-complicated at all (thank God for clear scripture understandable by the average person). I agree: must not dilute or sugarcoat.