Pierpont’s session retained an attorney for representation if there was a legal challenge, an act they did not think went over well with the presbytery. They were advised that under Ohio law, there were no legal mandatory conditions they had to fulfill to leave the denomination. Also, they were advised that they would win a... Continue Reading

These days many churches are struggling to detect God’s direction. Many congregations are mired in debt, saddled with large mortgages as they lose longtime elderly members and scramble to woo young families that will place checks in collection plates. The recession took the most vulnerable. Nearly 350 churches have been sold in the last seven... Continue Reading

Calvin offered a few guesses as to why religious participation has remained steady in Black communities. First, using statistics on prayer, church attendance and the importance of church, Calvin concluded, “it seems blacks are more invested in the practices and rituals associated with church life.” Second, Calvin opined that “whites and blacks view the institution... Continue Reading

Kirk’s lack of clarity on marriage have contributed to the decisions of the latest ministers to join the Free Church. A Free Church spokesman said: “It is clear from last week’s census figures that many people go about their everyday lives without any thought of God or spiritual things. “The need for preaching and sharing... Continue Reading

It is striking to see folk in the RMN crowd (at least among themselves) pushing the logic of their movement’s rejection of biblical sexual boundaries to the extreme of embracing promiscuity and even prostitution. But this does challenge the naiveté of fooling ourselves into thinking that church embrace of the LGBT activist agenda involves no... Continue Reading

As Christians find themselves more and more on the margins in American society, people are beginning to count the cost. While it used to serve Americans well to carry the label “Christian” in most circumstances (think about running for public office, for instance), it can actually be polarizing or considered intolerant now. So for those... Continue Reading

One article argues that developments in science are going to make our current understanding of Adam and Eve, original sin, salvation and eschatology look like the old doctrines of purgatory, indulgences, Papal authority, and transubstantiation. In the second article, the author argues for a looser stance on premarital sex. “If I read Ecclesiastes and the... Continue Reading

Small churches may not have the budget to hire other staff, but you have people. Once you have identified true leaders, and once you’re clear on your mission vision and strategy, you need to release people to accomplish it. Try to do it all yourself and you will burn out, leave or simply be ineffective.... Continue Reading

“Our attempts to negotiate the return of our property from the (Evangelical Presbyterian Church) congregation have not been fruitful, therefore we are left with no other option,” Dunn said.   The Presbytery of Boise, the local administrative arm of Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), filed legal action Thursday afternoon in Canyon County to recover Boone Memorial Presbyterian... Continue Reading

“In response to our common belief that God’s grace and love is available to all persons, the Western Jurisdiction of the United Methodist Church states our belief that the United Methodist Church is in error on the subject of  ’homosexuality’s incompatibility with Christian teaching,’”   The United Methodist Judicial Council is set to decide on... Continue Reading