I believe that in so many cases there have been needless splits within Christianity. There are times though when one is required. If my church were to put a person in leadership who was an unrepentant adulterer, drunkard, liar or one of many other things I'd confront my church leadership. I would tell them that, according to the Bible (Romans 1, I Timothy 3) this person is not qualified for leadership. In the case of the U.S. Episcopal Church a line has been crossed. Either they take God's Word seriously or they don't. It looks like, in the cases of who they install as their leaders, they don't. I hope and pray that all Bible believing Episcopalians throughout the world will let it be known that God's Word is clear on the qualifications for leadership and that a split will occur if they don't go back to following God's Word.
There are many areas that appear to be gray areas, but it is clear that the elevation of a unrepentant homosexual to the position of leadership that these people do not take the full council of God seriously and have decided to pick and choose what to follow and what not to follow. If I were Episcopalian, I'd leave. This one is worth dividing over.
It's very sad that it has come to this, but obedience to God's Word really isn't something we can pick and choose. It is my prayer that the Episcopal church would decide to rely on God's Word for council and not the political feelings of tolerance as chosen by so many of the elite. I'd love to see them get back in the game in terms of leading people to Christ.
Posted by Tim at November 2, 2003 10:18 PM
