Two interesting church-related stories were reported this past week.
Here in North Carolina, a Charlotte TV station reports about churches closing and church buildings being sold. The pandemic is blamed, at least in part. That is a sad story.
On the national level, we learned at Disntr that Rick Warren’s Saddleback Church, from which he had recently retired, has been “disfellowshipped” from the Southern Baptist Convention because it decided to call female pastors. Four other churches were also removed for similar reasons. This is a positive step. One wonders if it would have happened had the Conservative Baptist Network not pressed this issue.
These five churches can find other Baptist denominations to join that are less faithful to scripture, since this is their inclination.
We don’t want to see church buildings close or be forced to sell off their facilities. But on the other hand, we don’t want to see churches abandon faithfulness to scripture. Those churches that maintain such faithfulness– and continue to thrive– have found a “sweet spot” that other churches perhaps need to emulate.
And yes, that is achievable.
This is a situation which has been happening for longer that we may imagine. My wife happily grew up in the conservative Third Lutheran Church of Louisville. Over the years the elders have passed away and there was no youth base so they lost the Gothic Building which was home and now are a very progressive congregation with a female pastor ,meeting at another church.
I recall eating at a fine restaurant in Atlanta ( 1985 ) , The Abbey, which had been converted from a beautiful church building :
https://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WMWQHG_St_Pauls_Presbyterian_Church_Atlanta_GA
From what you say TC, the world of Christianity is changing and not so much for the good. Yes it is sad.
To the extent that the handling of the pandemic contributed to these church closings and selling off of facilities, it appears that might have been the intention on the part of those who engineered the pandemic response. They cannot feign ignorance, and claim they did not know this would happen.
Of COURSE it would happen.