“If it’s real to you it’s money to us.” The UFO abduction counselor, Rabbi, Preacher, Priest and Mullah
First Presbyterian Church of Houston is 175 years old and one of the first churches in Houston. In fact Sam Houston himself once attended which is why this issue has become big news down here in Dumbutt, Texas.
For a few years the congregation has been battling within itself to split up, with the national church, the PCUSA, with 10,000 churches and 2 million members. On the split side is ECO which has 112 splinter churches and is growing.
1) Jesus-shaped Identity: We believe Jesus Christ must be at the center of our lives and making disciples of Jesus at the core of our ministry.
2) Biblical Integrity: We believe the Bible is the unique and authoritative Word of God, which teaches all that is necessary for faith and life.
In layman terms this is all about ECO refusing to accept gay marriage, gay ordination and evolution which the PCUSA has gradually been adopting. Pastor Jim Birchfield along with the entire First Presbyterian leadership and a strong majority of the membership side with ECO to split off. From what I have been reading about this is it’s more about hating homos than Darwin.
After months of hard campaigning and ugly rhetoric within the church, members voted Sunday NOT TO SPLIT. But there is a rub.
1085 votes to split.
504 votes to not split.
36 votes short of the super majority needed.
So, why the need for a Super Majority? Is that a hint as what this is really about? Another hint: My lead in quote.
Whoever wins gets the property which is valued at $100 million with a $18 million endowment.
The aftershocks are not yet in, but it would seem that half the membership is going to walk leaving the church with only ape faced Darwinians and Sunday Gay parades. One woman leaving the church after the vote was in uncontrollable tears that her church is now a bastion of homosexuality and social justice. ON NO NOT SOCIAL JUSTICE! How unChristian! You see? Even “justice” is socialism.
Houston Church Opts Not to Defect From Denomination