New Around Here

[janine]

If the opportunity/desire were to come up, never say never.  Surely there are congregations and church-related ministries which would benefit from your wide view. :)

[susieface]

Welcome, Old dad!!  A lot has changed, I would say,  more enlightenment!  Would love to hear more of your testimony.
Just wanted to welcome you and say hi.
Susie

[OldDad]

[!--QuoteBegin--][/span][table border=\"0\" align=\"center\" width=\"95%\" cellpadding=\"3\" cellspacing=\"1\"][tr][td]Quote [/td][/tr][tr][td id=\"QUOTE\"][!--QuoteEBegin--]Tell us more about "theological mutts." What keeps you all together? The Holy Spirit I trust as well as your appreciation for God's gracious Word.[/quote]
The Holy Spirit is definitely what has brought and held our "mutts" together.  Founding pastor has a Southern Baptist background, yours truly out of the RM, worship leader was a Presbyterian, youth pastor was American Baptist.  Congregation is full of refugees from among baptist, pentecostal, methodists, and other churches.  We have a formerly Mormon family and baptized a former Jehovah's Witness couple a few months ago.  Hitching up with us lately is a group of charismatic catholics who attend early Mass at St. Williams at 8:00 AM, and our church at 10:30!  One of our ladies tells folks she is a "mere Christian", but if that doesn't satisfy them they can call her a "Christamethobapticostalterian."

We also have bound ourselves together as a leadership team with several commitments:

*The Holy Scripture will always have the last word.

*Anything not adressed in Scripture remains firmly in the realm of opinion.

*We refuse to divide over opinion.

*Our calling is to teach truth, while offering grace to the legalist, and fullness to the traditionalist.

Been together in one form or another for almost 7 years.  

OD

[nerdneh]

Old Dad, fascinating. Be careful or you will out restoration the Restoration Movement.

[OldDad]

[!--QuoteBegin--][/span][table border=\"0\" align=\"center\" width=\"95%\" cellpadding=\"3\" cellspacing=\"1\"][tr][td]Quote [/td][/tr][tr][td id=\"QUOTE\"][!--QuoteEBegin--]Old Dad welcome you are....May you right hand always be stretched out in friendship and never in want.
[/quote]

Blessings Booty,

And thanks so much for the warm welcome.  I don't feel as if I have gotten home yet, but the awesome folks here on the GCM board have made me more at ease with my heritage.

I have found your posts to be fascinating, and look forward to fresh word from you.

Your brother,

OD

[OldDad]

If only this site had existed 10 years ago...

Former independent Christian Church preacher boy, with roots and relatives in all three of the RM streams. Late 1980's: Bible was opened up and became a living book to me.  Began to re-evaluate my thinking on many issues: spiritual gifts, role of women, meaning of grace.  Problems arose when I began to preach and teach about my journey.  Suddenly I was "out of step", "no longer one of us..."  Wouldn't I be "happier ministering among the (insert denominational name here)?"  Decided to find out.

Currently member of the pastoral (in all senses of the word) team of a trans-denominational (read "theological mutts") congregation.  Believe I'm called of God to proclaim the grace message in this second half of life.  Love and enjoy my ministry more than ever, but also miss my old RM friends.  Seems when I "left the loop", they left me.

Found my way here via the ministry of Edward Fudge, whom I believe to be the Francis Schaeffer of our times. (That's intended as a compliment).  Looks like a lot has changed and is changing in the RM.  Sad I missed it, maybe I could have helped lead the charge.  Feel like my ministry "creds" are shot with the RM, at least in the circles I moved in.  Persona non grata and all.

Won't post much.  Just enjoying drinking at the stream of renewal flowing from my almost forgotten heritage.

Blessings to all.

[nerdneh]

Welcome Old Dad. Since I am older and a Dad, I guess I fit in with you pretty well. I appreciate you being so honest about your journey. I am convinced the discovery of grace is the discovery of the Gospel. What a beautiful and joyous discovery it is! Tell us more about "theological mutts." What keeps you all together? The Holy Spirit I trust as well as your appreciation for God's gracious Word.

[david johnson]

old dad:

www.alvincyork.org
-the man
-bios

dj

Welcome to GCM discussion board.

[janine]

When Booty gets back here, he and Old Dad oughta hit it off. ;)

[Booty]

[!--QuoteBegin--][/span][table border=\"0\" align=\"center\" width=\"95%\" cellpadding=\"3\" cellspacing=\"1\"][tr][td]Quote (janine @ May 31 2002,07:13)[/td][/tr][tr][td id=\"QUOTE\"][!--QuoteEBegin--]When Booty gets back here, he and Old Dad oughta hit it off. ;)[/quote]
And wouldn't that be the truth of it!!

Old Dad, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may I offer you the kiss of Christian Fellowship? Welcome, Welcome, Welcome   What took you so long to arrive home?

You know it would appear you also are too busy baptising to worry about all the legalisms you might be breaking!

Old Dad welcome you are....May you right hand always be stretched out in friendship and never in want.

[Booty]

Your Brother it is indeed.

I look forward to talking with you as well. I had not really considered it but perhaps it is that there is a reformation movement within the reformation movement. Your council will prove invalueable as we evolve.

Interesting though, after much thought and prayer I have realized that one cannot "Leave the Church" as long as one remains in Christ. I do believe what actually occurs becomes a matter of names and labels. And in my opinion, there currently is a denomination attempting to lay exclusive claim to " Church of Christ".

Now wouldn't the thunder commence to roll and the lightning flash!!