LGBT's Serving in YOUR church?

[righteousdude2]

Well, actually, that should read, "LGBTs serving in HIS church!"

I heard from a friend in the ministry that there may be some big news breaking in the next few months as the ACLU and the LGBT group may be suing an evangelical church to force that church to let a gay person teach in the Sunday School program!

Apparently, they have tolerated gays in the pews, hoping and praying these folks would come to Jesus and shed their desire to be connected and viewed as gay!

Well, one of them saw the ad in the bulletin asking for a teacher of the young adults' class, and they applied. The board and pastor politely said, "No!" after interviewing him and seeing that he did not share the same views of the church about homo$exuality being a sin to repent from and turn away from. Once they found that he saw God's love differently in this matter, and declined to let him volunteer to serve as a teacher, they heard from an attorney.

Now the church is considering dropping their thriving Sunday School program to avoid having to be forced into letting him teach a class. Plus they are now rethinking their tolerance of letting practicing gays attend the church. They plan to do this by preaching the Word and as it applies to gay relations and marriage. They certainly know they can't remove people forcefully. But, they would cease from refraining from preaching the old views on homo$exuality.

So what would you do? BTW - this is not a Baptist church, but one of the few evangelicals that have not given into the gay movement!

 

[Salty]

When you say gay, are you referring to happy people or homo$exuals?

First, only members should be teaching SS.

Second, looks like a church should not grant membership to homo$exuals

 

[righteousdude2]

When you say gay, are you referring to happy people or homo$exuals?

First, only members should be teaching SS.

Second, looks like a church should not grant membership to homo$exuals

Trying to be Politically Correct and tolerant, they accepted him into the church on his testimony of being saved. This denomination believes that ones testimony of salvation makes them member ready.

I told my friend a year ago, this would blow up in his face, but he said it was the way to go, and that this guy had no desire to do anything but attend a church that accepted him!

Now they may be in for some law suits, even face losing tax exempt status.

It is there fault. They accepted him, took his offerings, and he made some donation of time on work days, and volunteered to clean the church after mid week services. He wormed his way in, and now they have an open can of "happy" worms! :laugh:

 

[Salty]

Looks like II Tim 3:16 becomes more important

 

[JamesL]

Trying to be Politically Correct and tolerant, they accepted him into the church on his testimony of being saved. This denomination believes that ones testimony of salvation makes them member ready.

I told my friend a year ago, this would blow up in his face, but he said it was the way to go, and that this guy had no desire to do anything but attend a church that accepted him!

Now they may be in for some law suits, even face losing tax exempt status.

It is there fault. They accepted him, took his offerings, and he made some donation of time on work days, and volunteered to clean the church after mid week services. He wormed his way in, and now they have an open can of "happy" worms! :laugh:

I think you got to the root of the issue when you mentioned losing their tax exempt status. The American church is so in love with money that it views loss of tax exemption as "forcing" us to cave.

Shame on you, your friend, and anyone here who thinks it's a real dilemma to have to choose between Christ and money

They can't be forced to let the guy teach. What if the leaders were fined, lose their tax exempt status, imprisoned, beaten, killed, or whatever....suffering with Christ costs everything sometimes

Matthew 10, sir. Tell your friend to read it.

 

[Revmitchell]

Churches cannot lose their tax exempt status.

 

[JamesL]

Churches cannot lose their tax exempt status.

Keep on throwing all your faith toward the government, and the true God will show that the god of government is no equal.

You trust them to keep saving you regarding money? Maybe the government can save your soul, too

 

[annsni]

This is why clearly written requirements for the job are vital.

Church membership would be a key for us at church. You cannot become a member if you are living in a lifestyle of sin as if it was not wrong.

 

[Yeshua1]

Well, actually, that should read, "LGBTs serving in HIS church!"

I heard from a friend in the ministry that there may be some big news breaking in the next few months as the ACLU and the LGBT group may be suing an evangelical church to force that church to let a gay person teach in the Sunday School program!

Apparently, they have tolerated gays in the pews, hoping and praying these folks would come to Jesus and shed their desire to be connected and viewed as gay!

Well, one of them saw the ad in the bulletin asking for a teacher of the young adults' class, and they applied. The board and pastor politely said, "No!" after interviewing him and seeing that he did not share the same views of the church about homo$exuality being a sin to repent from and turn away from. Once they found that he saw God's love differently in this matter, and declined to let him volunteer to serve as a teacher, they heard from an attorney.

Now the church is considering dropping their thriving Sunday School program to avoid having to be forced into letting him teach a class. Plus they are now rethinking their tolerance of letting practicing gays attend the church. They plan to do this by preaching the Word and as it applies to gay relations and marriage. They certainly know they can't remove people forcefully. But, they would cease from refraining from preaching the old views on homo$exuality.

So what would you do? BTW - this is not a Baptist church, but one of the few evangelicals that have not given into the gay movement!

Church should be open to allowing for Homosexual /lesbian people to attend and fear the sermons, but only if those same people will renounce their lifestyles and confess that it is a sin , and agree not to be practicing it anymore while attending that church, or better yet, be saved by God and taken out of that wicked way!

The church still needs to use Biblcal standards for teachers, as only those saved and obeying God from the scriptures can apply!

 

[righteousdude2]

Shame on you, your friend, and anyone here who thinks it's a real dilemma to have to choose between Christ and money

Excuse me James, but I am not the one worried about losing my tax status. The truth is I run my ministry without a tax exempt, because I do not want to be associated with the government rules.

My friend is worried, so you can shame him till the cows come home, but you owe me an apology for not reading clearly and assuming one's concerns were all!

 

[righteousdude2]

Thanks Yeshua ....

only if those same people will renounce their lifestyles and confess that it is a sin , and agree not to be practicing it anymore while attending that church, or better yet, be saved by God and taken out of that wicked way!

I agree with this 100%. thanks for sharing. That is the only way a gay could sit in my pews as a member. 1) Born-again, 2) no longer call themself gay or homosexual, 3) renounce that lifestyle and refer to self a a born-again believer.

And then I'd still require a wait and see period, before trusting them in any role.

 

[Zaac]

Church should be open to allowing for Homosexual /lesbian people to attend and fear the sermons, but only if those same people will renounce their lifestyles and confess that it is a sin , and agree not to be practicing it anymore while attending that church, or better yet, be saved by God and taken out of that wicked way!

Ask the same thing of EVERYONE and you won't have any issues. Is it a regular practice of churches today to tell their youth to stop fornicating with their girlfriends/boyfriends and confess that your lifestyle is a sin, and agree not to practice it anymore or else your parents can't bring you to church anymore?

This is simple. And churches can save themselves a lot of trouble by doing a little due diligence before they accept people's letter. But since they have accepted his letter, go through the proper BIBLICAL process of removing him from the body if necessary. If he's not a member, he cannot teach.

The church still needs to use Biblical standards for teachers, as only those saved and obeying God from the scriptures can apply!

I hope this isn't one of those situations where this guy has dug up a lot of dirt on other teachers and is ready to play his hand and show why it's hypocritical of them to not let him teach if they let others doing XYZ to teach.

 

[Zaac]

I agree with this 100%. thanks for sharing. That is the only way a gay could sit in my pews as a member. 1) Born-again, 2) no longer call themself gay or homosexual, 3) renounce that lifestyle and refer to self a a born-again believer.

Extra Biblical and not a requirement of God. I caution anyone to make such a requirement. Let folks get to that point in their own time through their relationship with Christ and understanding from Him. Otherwise, it comes across as attempting to bully folks into doing what YOU want and not what God says.

 

[righteousdude2]

The Great One Has Spoken!

Extra Biblical and not a requirement of God. I caution anyone to make such a requirement. Let folks get to that point in their own time through their relationship with Christ and understanding from Him. Otherwise, it comes across as attempting to bully folks into doing what YOU want and not what God says.

​

 

[annsni]

Ask the same thing of EVERYONE and you won't have any issues. Is it a regular practice of churches today to tell their youth to stop fornicating with their girlfriends/boyfriends and confess that your lifestyle is a sin, and agree not to practice it anymore or else your parents can't bring you to church anymore?

No, but you will not be able to do any ministry in the church. We have asked young people to stop teaching Sunday school or assisting with youth group when a lifestyle not consistent with Biblical teachings has been revealed. It is only after a meeting with them and inquiring about what is going on but if they say "Yeah, I'm living with my girlfriend, so what?", they will no longer be allowed to work with the church. They are welcome to attend, however.

This is simple. And churches can save themselves a lot of trouble by doing a little due diligence before they accept people's letter. But since they have accepted his letter, go through the proper BIBLICAL process of removing him from the body if necessary. If he's not a member, he cannot teach.

And even if they are a member, if they are not qualified, they cannot teach or be in minsitry.

 

[annsni]

Extra Biblical and not a requirement of God. I caution anyone to make such a requirement. Let folks get to that point in their own time through their relationship with Christ and understanding from Him. Otherwise, it comes across as attempting to bully folks into doing what YOU want and not what God says.

So a member of your church can be a practicing homosexual athiest?

 

[righteousdude2]

His answers seem

So a member of your church can be a practicing homosexual athiest?

To support your question/premise. They call this universalism...

 

[JamesL]

Excuse me James, but I am not the one worried about losing my tax status. The truth is I run my ministry without a tax exempt, because I do not want to be associated with the government rules.

My friend is worried, so you can shame him till the cows come home, but you owe me an apology for not reading clearly and assuming one's concerns were all!

I never said that you're worried about losing tax exempt status for "your" ministry.

But you seem to believe that your buddy is in a real dilemma...."even face losing tax exempt status"

And what I said is shame on you, your friend, and anyone here who thinks that's a real dilemma

No apology from me, sir. If you don't think he has a dilemma on his hands, my comment didn't apply to you. If you think he's got a tough choice, then shame on you.

It's that simple

 

[Zaac]

So a member of your church can be a practicing homosexual athiest?

Again, there is a Biblical process for dealing with someone making such a confession.

You've just given testimony in your previous post that your church doesn't have a problem with a guy living with his girlfriend still attending the church. Are you un-membering them too, for clarification?

 

[Zaac]

I never said that you're worried about losing tax exempt status for "your" ministry.

But you seem to believe that your buddy is in a real dilemma...."even face losing tax exempt status"

And what I said is shame on you, your friend, and anyone here who thinks that's a real dilemma

No apology from me, sir. If you don't think he has a dilemma on his hands, my comment didn't apply to you. If you think he's got a tough choice, then shame on you.

It's that simple

AMEN! That ain't no dilemma. God isn't gonna lose any sleep over tax exempt status.

Churches have fallen into this trap of waffling on convictions for fear of losing their tax exempt status.

Bump tax exempt status and be pleasing to Christ.