Christian Pipe Smokers

jruegg wrote: ↑07 Mar 2023, 12:18

jruegg wrote: ↑01 Mar 2023, 10:44 I just did some fairly significant things that I can't fully discuss for another couple days. But know it is a fact. It's probably useless. And I doubt many if anyone will care about it.

In case you cared, which you probably don't, here's the fairly significant things I did that I can now fully discuss. As of June I will be leaving the United Methodist Church and joining the Global Methodist Church. The church I currently serve will also be disaffiliating from the UMC. We feel this is significant and difficult but necessary.

FredS wrote: ↑07 Mar 2023, 15:48

jruegg wrote: ↑07 Mar 2023, 12:18

jruegg wrote: ↑01 Mar 2023, 10:44 I just did some fairly significant things that I can't fully discuss for another couple days. But know it is a fact. It's probably useless. And I doubt many if anyone will care about it.

In case you cared, which you probably don't, here's the fairly significant things I did that I can now fully discuss. As of June I will be leaving the United Methodist Church and joining the Global Methodist Church. The church I currently serve will also be disaffiliating from the UMC. We feel this is significant and difficult but necessary.

Oh dear. I care. Don't know how open you care to be, but I hope your building/grounds and your retirement accounts are not tied to the UMC. I went through a similar transition in the Episcopal Church 10 or 12 years ago. Probably over the same main issue. The old "Can you change it from the inside or do you finally just have to go?" debate is painful for those who were born and raised in that tradition. The "I didn't leave my church, my church left me" mantra is hard on the older folks. I'm sure you guys have prayed your guts out. My prayers are added to yours.

jruegg wrote: ↑08 Mar 2023, 13:45...When all is said and done this year, I believe the UMC will be in trouble.

jruegg wrote: ↑08 Mar 2023, 13:45

FredS wrote: ↑07 Mar 2023, 15:48

jruegg wrote: ↑07 Mar 2023, 12:18
In case you cared, which you probably don't, here's the fairly significant things I did that I can now fully discuss. As of June I will be leaving the United Methodist Church and joining the Global Methodist Church. The church I currently serve will also be disaffiliating from the UMC. We feel this is significant and difficult but necessary.

Oh dear. I care. Don't know how open you care to be, but I hope your building/grounds and your retirement accounts are not tied to the UMC. I went through a similar transition in the Episcopal Church 10 or 12 years ago. Probably over the same main issue. The old "Can you change it from the inside or do you finally just have to go?" debate is painful for those who were born and raised in that tradition. The "I didn't leave my church, my church left me" mantra is hard on the older folks. I'm sure you guys have prayed your guts out. My prayers are added to yours.

The congregation will be able to keep the building/grounds. They do have to pay a year's worth of apportionments and pension liabilities, but that's cheap compared to buying the building. I get to keep a majority of my retirement but will lose some. If that's the cost of obedience, so be it. When all is said and done this year, I believe the UMC will be in trouble.

Questions about the biblical view of marriage or gender reassignment were only the “presenting” issues which garnered quite a bit of attention. However, the struggle with the United Methodist hierarchy has always been about the authority of scripture, the parameters of historic faith, and Christology. Those who cannot accept the historic Christian teachings about Christ and the clear language of the Discipline should be the ones exiting the denomination. Instead, conservative churches are being forced (in the face of such widespread defiance of Scripture) to discuss and debate disaffiliation

Del wrote: ↑09 Mar 2023, 16:42

jruegg wrote: ↑08 Mar 2023, 13:45

FredS wrote: ↑07 Mar 2023, 15:48
Oh dear. I care. Don't know how open you care to be, but I hope your building/grounds and your retirement accounts are not tied to the UMC. I went through a similar transition in the Episcopal Church 10 or 12 years ago. Probably over the same main issue. The old "Can you change it from the inside or do you finally just have to go?" debate is painful for those who were born and raised in that tradition. The "I didn't leave my church, my church left me" mantra is hard on the older folks. I'm sure you guys have prayed your guts out. My prayers are added to yours.

The congregation will be able to keep the building/grounds. They do have to pay a year's worth of apportionments and pension liabilities, but that's cheap compared to buying the building. I get to keep a majority of my retirement but will lose some. If that's the cost of obedience, so be it. When all is said and done this year, I believe the UMC will be in trouble.

I inadvertently found myself caring about this. I did some searching on the web.

This guy has some gently-put insights into this discussion:

https://timothytennent.com/umc-churches ... filiation/

Questions about the biblical view of marriage or gender reassignment were only the “presenting” issues which garnered quite a bit of attention. However, the struggle with the United Methodist hierarchy has always been about the authority of scripture, the parameters of historic faith, and Christology. Those who cannot accept the historic Christian teachings about Christ and the clear language of the Discipline should be the ones exiting the denomination. Instead, conservative churches are being forced (in the face of such widespread defiance of Scripture) to discuss and debate disaffiliation

jruegg wrote: ↑12 Mar 2023, 03:43 Amazing! "This guy," Timothy Tennent is the president of my alma mater. He's an amazing Spiritual leader, IMHO.

JimVH wrote: ↑16 Mar 2023, 13:31 There's a couple dozen cattle outside my office casually milling around eating grass while heavy rain pours down on them, seemingly without a care in the world.

Fat, dumb, and happy seems to be a perfect formula for contentment. I'm two-thirds the way there.

Bloodhound wrote: ↑20 Mar 2023, 08:19 In the 90s' Penny and I got tickets to see John Tesh in concert in Denver. We drove over from the Western Slope checked into our motel room, went and got an early dinner and then drove to the venue, and outdoor theater near the Denver downtown area. When we got to the parking area about an hour before the start time, there were only a few cars. The parking attendant said we were really early, that the even at the then Pepsi Center didn't start for 2 more hours. I told him we were there for the Tesh concert at the Pavilion...he responded, "Oh...that was cancelled"
We went to a movie, and 220 miles home the next day.

Well John Tesh was in concert in our small performing arts theater this weekend and we got tickets months ago...he made it to town this weekend and we enjoyed his music and wit and the great band he had with him, for more than 3 hours. Not that you care...