From the Christian Post.
Excerpt:
Hundreds of United Methodist clergy are expressing deep concerns over a pledge made by a large group of fellow ministers to marry same-sex couples. They argue that if the pledge is carried through, the future of the denomination is in jeopardy.
“We do not know how many, if any, marriages or ‘holy unions’ of same-sex couples will be performed by UM clergy in the near future,” reads a letter, currently signed by more than 400 pastors, to the Council of Bishops. “But we do know the destructive effects that will result in our local churches and throughout the denomination if such services are performed by UM pastors.”
The concerned clergy are referring to a pledge that some 900 ministers have endorsed in support of same-sex civil unions. By signing the pledge, they agreed to defy the denomination’s ban on blessing same-sex unions.
If you’re wondering whether you are in a liberal denomination, here’s a Touchstone Magazine article listing the ones that are soft on homosexuality and same-sex marriage.
Excerpt:
Debates over homosexuality within the Christian community are largely confined to the liberal-led mainline or oldline Protestant denominations: the Episcopal Church, the United Methodist Church, the Presbyterian Church (PCUSA), the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), the American Baptist Churches, the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), and the United Church of Christ.
To me, a liberal denomination is one where these disputes occur. Homosexuality and same-sex marriage should not even be up for discussion, in my view.
There are conservative Presbyterians (PCA), conservative baptists (SBA), and conservative Lutherans (LCMS) that are better on these issues. I don’t know of any conservative Episcopalians or Methodists in North America. Other ways to tell if a denomination is conservative is by looking at their position on abortion, on wealth redistribution, on war, and on the ordination of women.
WINTERY KNIGHT 
“Possible schism”? I think it’s been in place for some time now, judging by posts at EternityMatters.
LikeLike
Yeah, Neil is all over that issue.
LikeLike
The good that i hope comes of this is that it wakes up the conservative majority in Methodists churches. I am a United Methodist and this saddens me greatly. i dont want to leave my church. i wonder what it takes to become an Independant United Methodists Church. . .
LikeLike
The African denominations of the Anglican Church split, if I recall correctly.
LikeLike
The most conservative members of the Catholic Church belong to Opus Dei, so now you understand why the organization has been so vilified. Basically leftist Catholics were warned to stay away from conservative Catholics. Unfortunately today, Opus Dei has also been affected by the leftism.
I do think it is important to question the compatibility of leftism and Christianity. Leftism is a religion, it is a religion which worships poverty, relativism and anarchy and demonizes wealth, truth and authentic liberty. It holds that unequal distribution of wealth is a sin and inheritantly evil, that nature is therefore unjust, that natural laws are irrelevent, evil or must be altered and that creation is bad (and possibly a result of a series of random happenings). The logical progression of leftist thought and actions are what we see being acted out in our society and enacted in our legislature; multiculturalism, gay marriage, affirmative action, and pacifism.
Oh, but what affect does someone’s politics have on their salvation? Well let’s see. Is someone’s understanding of justice their politics or their faith? Can you be a Christian and an atheist? Logically, believing in Darwinistic evolution would make you one (theistic evolution is illogical). Can you be a Christian and Relativist? Christianity is incompatible with the belief that natural law is irrelevant and relativism is pagan and pluralistic. Can you be a Christian and a socialist? The socialist is working on creating a just society because the world is unfair and unjust, whereas Christianity understands that the earth was created and is held in existence by a just God and natural laws.
But if your saved by faith and you believe in Jesus isn’t that all that matters? Hmm lets see. Is it true that Jesus died on the cross for our sins. Is it a reality? Lets say you answer yes to all these questions. Is that all you have to determine to go to heaven? What if you were, um I don’t know, Satan. Don’t you think he accepts all these concepts as reality? He may not like it, but if he wasn’t aware that Jesus’ death actually had saving grace he wouldn’t be so interested in distracting us from it.
So in conclusion, you CANNOT be a Christian and a leftist. You either worship God or you worship poverty. You either serve god, or you serve man. You either do God’s will or you challenge it. The world is just, when He created it, He saw that it was good. Sin entered the world and you don’t get rid of sin at the polls or through government intervention. You can’t serve two masters, you will love the one and hate the other. Chose your side! If your church is leftist following those teachings is disobedience to God.
Romans 6:16 “Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness?”
LikeLike
The church probably has been infiltrated, the other day I read about ‘Peoples Temple’ (the jonestown masacre / kool aid). It’s interesting what is found in the founder’s diary:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peoples_Temple
“…as he himself described in a biographical recording,[1][2]
I decided, how can I demonstrate my Marxism? The thought was, infiltrate the church. So I consciously made a decision to look into that prospect.
“
LikeLike
Be careful of painting with too broad a brush. I know both individuals who are theologically conservative and proponents for the traditional and orthodox view of marriage within the above mentioned main-line denominations (each with a view, “if we all abandon them and lose our voice, what hope do they have?”). Additionally I personally know one congregation each of the UM and ELCA that have clearly taken stands for biblical doctrine.
As with any stereotype, it has its uses, but it also has its limits.
LikeLike
“I don’t know of any conservative Episcopalians or Methodists in North America.”
Conservative Episcopalians can be found in South Carolina and also in the newly formed ACNA. Conservative Methodists are found throughout the UMC but they are much more prevalent in the Free Methodist Church.
LikeLike