Re: [RR] Kickin' a big bee hive...

[Outtobein Effcieff]

I like much of what you have to say about this. Alot of  what happens at General Council is due to peer pressure. For example:   Last year at General Council, there were two resolutions dealing with divorced ministers and thier spouses. On Tuesday, resolution number 13 was introduced and voted upon with a PUBLIC show of hands. It proposed that we allow ministers who are married to a person who was previously married, but not previously married themselves, to hold credentials. It failed flat-footed.  On Wednesday, resolution number 14 was presented and voted upon in a SECRET ballot. This one proposed that if a minister who has been married previously and has remarried could present evidence that the divorce and remarriage occurred before the individual was saved, then credentials could be held.   It passed! Go figure! The second resolution was more liberal than the first, yet it passed and the first failed, plainly due to what? PEER PRESSURE!   Let's go back a little further in the annals. According to Edith Blumhopfer's book  Pentacostalism in America, the History of the Assemblies of God, Vol. 2, the following occurred at the 1959 General Council: The Church of God in Christ, COGIC, had expessed interest in joining with our fellowship. This was considered at the council. The whole civil rights movement was just getting going good, then, as many of you know. The decision of the General Council was to: "Wait and see what the social climate"... does. This was thier answer. For the time being, we would let them purchase our Radiant Life sunday school curriculum, but that would be the extent of our relationship with COGIC. Then, at the 1961 General Council, after the Martin Luther King deal and all, seeing that the civil rights movement was a go, the Council decided that they had made a mistake, and had to cover thier tracks. They could not allow the public to see the view that they had taken just two years prior, so they decided to expunge the statement of 1959 from thier records. I discussed this at short length with my old mentor, who was a founding District Commander for twenty years, and an A/G minister for twenty years prior to that. He tells me that if I had been there and been aware of some of the circumstances surrounding the matter that I would understand a little bit better.   But I wasn't there, and I don't understand.   ----- Original Message ----- From: Edward Christiansen Sent: Wednesday, June 12, 2002 8:37 PM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Cc: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: [RR] Kickin' a big bee hive...   Well... As I read my Bible only two instances of divorce are sanctioned such as they permit remarriage.  First we have Jesus' stating that divorced people commit adultery in new relationships unless the divorce was due to infidelity: Matthew 5:32. Second we have the Apostle Paul who states that a believer whose unbelieving spouse abandons them is free to remarry as they are no longer bound: 1 Corinthians 7:15 Another piece in this puzzle is that a person who divorces someone and marries another may not remarry the first either upon divorce from or death of the second partner.  This is specifically forbidden: Deuteronomy 24:1-4. Divorce exists so that an innocent party may terminate a marriage that has been subject to sacrilige.  I am personally disgusted with the way the church as a whole deals with it.  So many take a view that pretends to a greater holiness, yet deprives people of the grace that God provides in His Word.  Sometimes remarriage after a divorce is perfectly acceptable according to a very straightforward reading of the Bible.  Divorce is treated as the one sin that the Blood of Jesus does not cover as exemplified by the AG position, which I formally repudiate, that if you've been divorced, even before your salvation, you are not eligible for ordination.  The church shoots its innocent wounded, tramples them, relieves them of their ministry, and throws them away as useless. Thank God that Jesus is more Merciful than the AG Executive Council. Ed Christiansen I'm interested in Biblically (not emotionally) based opinions on the role of a Divorced / Remarried Commander.      I'm aware of the baby steps in policy change at General Council on the subject in regards to clergy, but I'm very      interested in seeing what you folks who have sound Bibilcal counsel on the subject as it relates to lay leaders such as a      Ranger Commander...      If you feel you'd like to back channel for fear of an all out flaming assault from others who see it, feel free.  There will be      no flames from me on the matter...      I'll be watching my inbox...      Blessings,      Parson. _______ Let the Golden Rule be your daily rule. Please pray for your list sponsor: http://eBible.org/mpj/ To unsubscribe, send "unsubscribe rangernet" to [EMAIL PROTECTED] or visit http://rangernet.org/subscribe.htm http://rangernet.org Get more from the Web. FREE MSN Explorer download : http://explorer.msn.com