#baptist pastor

[unexpectedyarns]

Not a drag queen though

"Baptist youth pastor" What a surprise

[rabbits-of-negative-euphoria]

I just want to say, as a member of the PCA, Revoice is an utter ugly stain on my denomination and everyone involved in its inception should’ve been put under discipline a long time ago, and the leaders expelled from ministry. they are wolves in sheep’s clothing. “Spiritual Friendships” are a trap set by Satan.

[midnight-roses-candy]

What’s my love language? Glad you asked, my love language is biting. But it’s cool that yours is acts of quality affirmation or whatever from some book by a homophobic pastor.

[catholicdog]

jimmy mcgill as a pastor.... if u even care

[thegreatcallofgod]

JESUS IS NOT THE FOUNDER OF CHRISTIANITY : We should be called Children of God - 1 John 3:1

IF YOU FOLLOW CHRISTIANITY OR ANY DENOMINATION, THEN YOU ARE FOLLOWING A DIFFERENT WAY THAT 'PRETENDS' TO BE THE GOSPEL (Galatians 1:6).

So, do not be cheated anymore by preachers who twist God’s word / Truth, but STAY AWAY FROM RELIGIOUS LEADERS & THEIR PLACES OF WORSHIP (1 Tim 6:5, Col 2:8). God bless you & yours.

The Great Call of God (TGCG)

[A non-religious & non-denominational SPIRITUAL ministry]

https://www.facebook.com/TheGreatCallofGod

[not-so-superheroine]

how did you come to join rlds/coc?

Sorry it took me so long to get to this question. I just knew it was a long answer.

I think my testimony gives a good idea, and i'll include . Because I felt the presence of God calling me to go join them is the overarching answer, but I can also give points that drew me in.

But in a few some points: 

I fell in love with the modern RLDS version of zion (and some of the old one too. nothing to do with israel.)

I saw they strived to be an inclusive place.

The Community of Christ's Enduring Principles are things I want to strive to live my life by.

The community made me feel very welcome and I saw people conduct themselves in a Christ-like manner

The community is very tight knit. society needs more of that.

Like, there is a certain behavioral affect (? cultural distinction?) that many members have that i thought was strange at first but it’s lovely. It’s kind, loving, and welcoming, and you adjust to it very quickly imo. Even to the lingo, which was a fun process. 

Continuing Revelation. Saw evidence of fulfilled prophecy in the Doctrine and Covenants and the spiritual growth in the church over the years

Continuing Revelation in general. I like that my faith is alive like that. We have prophets, God could reveal new truths for new scripture tomorrow. We are encouraged to be prophetic ourselves and discern the future together, i like that.

Also, no new scripture allowed in the mainstream? why not? does God still not talk in this way? great points in my head.

The communal aspect to everything is good. Just like how any sect of mormonism should imo The people i reached out to while seeking (investigating) were very kind to me and open to my questions. They were also there for me spiritually, and became friends. 

I could email leadership with questions and get responses. At one point, one of the church Presidents reached out to me. 

It’s academically welcoming. I was able to accept the book of Mormon as scripture when taught from a 19th century point of view. This, in turn, made me much more comfortable with the Bible. Community of Christ has an official statement on how to read scripture and there is scripture on how to think about and use scripture too.

I can even acknowledge when the history and the religious text don’t match. Because scripture doesn’t need to be historically correct to be sacred and hold an important message from the Lord.

Not really a reason but it is there: Joseph Smith III rocked and was intended to be next. It shouldn’t matter. But what does matter is that he set the church on a good path imo. Emma too. Out of all the early schisms of mormonism I would have to go RLDS belief wise, because Nauvoo era theology isn’t something I believe in. I think Smith got caught up in his own head and desires for much of it. No offense meant to post Nauvoo mormon sects.

This does not mean I haven’t picked some things up from Brighamites. For example, Trinity doesn’t work for me. And I pray to Heavenly Mother. I believe in one Divine source with many expressions. But that doesn’t mean “anything goes” and I accept it, just knowing that God speaks to people of many cultures all over, as the good book (of mormon) says.

But yes. This is why Community of Christ. Not that there are all common Community of Christ beliefs, but I thrive here spiritually and am encouraged to grow all the same.  Older testimony under cut that gives detail

I encourage y'all to watch this on video rather than just the text edited version i put here. not to be like "watch my talk on it" but please, watch my talk on the subject. I also talk about unity of the saints and what i have learned from other christians including other groups of latter day saints. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8w2M6PEKfg

I start giving my testimony and talk at 26:36

____________

I am Wednesday. Here I share a portion of myself and my testimony. At the time of this writing, I have lived 26 years. I am a Black woman of Gullah/Geechee ethnicity. I was raised in the African Methodist Episcopal church, which I am extremely grateful for. My nascent spirituality was nurtured here. I learned the meaning of community and was immersed in my culture. I was taught to love and respect my Black self, in a society that would not be inclined to show me the respect and love any human deserves. I may have converted, but I was meant to be nurtured here. I am a Lesbian, and have experienced discrimination in faith communities due attitudes towards LGBTQ+ persons. I despaired over thoughts that God didn’t love me, and wondered if I would be condemned to Hell. In part because of this and being scolded for my questioning nature regarding God and church doctrines, I fell away from faith. I grew a lot in this away time, but didn’t really deconstruct my faith until 2021. My isolation in the pandemic gave me time for introspection. I would watch content from mainly atheist ex-christians who discussed their deconstruction journey. They were usually ex-evangelical or ex-mormon, and were really helpful to me for unpacking the mess that was my faith. Then something peculiar happened that changed the path of my life. Through the ex-mormons, I encountered the Restoration. There was something intriguing about it, and I wanted to learn more, so I did. I learned history, and the doctrine of different Latter Day Saint sects. I loved how innovative and “of the people” the early church was and how alive the faith seemed to be. I listened to members and ex-members, past and present, talk about their experiences within their faith communities and how they experienced the Divine. These were some of the worst years of my life, but there was something here that gave me hope. 

I came across an interview featuring John Hamer, in which he talked about Community of Christ as a home for those in faith transition. Many of the concerns I had about Christian faith communities were addressed. I craved such a spiritual home and became a seeker.

I asked many questions of missionaries, and my inquisitiveness was welcomed. I got myself an Inspired Version of the Bible, Doctrine and Covenants, and Book of Mormon. I was very impressed by the Doctrine and Covenants and found the contents to be Inspired and even prophetic, so I started attending Beyond the Walls services online.

One Sunday, the service was centered on the Worth of all Persons, Christian acceptance of LGBTQ+ persons, and the church in Tahiti. I listened to the members talk about their acceptance, their being guided by faith in Christ in the process, and how those things were compatible and complementary. The speakers affirmed God’s love and mercy for all. Their faith was strong, and they spoke with authority. Their Christ-like compassion was palpable. I felt what I now recognize as the Holy Spirit, come over me. After the message, the choir sang “Spirit of God like a fire is Burning” and I felt that fire burning in my chest and cried and praised the Lord for hours after.

My faith in God is stronger than ever. And my passion and belief in the Restoration bloomed.

[avonlady44]

Today, we are overcomers because Christ overcame. We are in Christ, and He is in us. Our identity is in Christ. It’s not about imitation, but rather incarnation. Christ lives His life through us. If we are in control, He isn’t in control.

Give your life to Him. You can overcome.

I Believe

We can do Better

1 JOHN 2:12–14

[visenyaism]

the thing about those billboards is like. YES the world is ending right now and we should all be worried about it. but not because black people have rights or because gay people exist!

iirc the “the world is literally ending tomorrow we have to repent” school of reactionary white evangelical politics (like. appalachian pentecostals) and the “slavery is an institution of heaven and the mission of church is to construct a temple to the god of white supremacy” school of reactionary white evangelical politics (southern baptists) used to be a bit more distinct from each other but have since amalgamated into this fascist death cult voting bloc we are all familiar with. i blame jerry falwell

[tmarshconnors]

"It will be a sad day for the church and the world when there is no distinction between the children of God and those of this world."

Charles Haddon Spurgeon was an English Particular Baptist preacher. Spurgeon remains highly influential among Christians of various denominations, to some of whom he is known as the "Prince of Preachers."

Born: 19 June 1834, Kelvedon Died: 31 January 1892 (age 57 years), Menton, France

Prolific Preacher: Charles Spurgeon was one of the most prolific preachers of the 19th century, delivering thousands of sermons. His powerful and eloquent preaching earned him the title "Prince of Preachers."

Metropolitan Tabernacle: Spurgeon became the pastor of the Metropolitan Tabernacle in London in 1861, where he preached to large congregations. The Tabernacle became one of the most famous churches in England under his leadership.

Published Works: He authored numerous books, including "The Treasury of David," a commentary on the Psalms, and "Morning and Evening," a popular daily devotional. His sermons were widely published and remain influential to this day.

Philanthropy: Spurgeon was also known for his philanthropic efforts. He founded several charitable organizations, including an orphanage and the Pastor's College (now Spurgeon’s College) to train future ministers.

Calvinist Theology: Spurgeon was a staunch Calvinist and held firmly to Reformed theology. His preaching and writings emphasized doctrines such as the sovereignty of God, salvation by grace, and the perseverance of the saints.

[isa-ah]

yall ever end up thinking back on periods of ur life and ur like. bro what

[ephiesoul]

a pastor is protestant and a priest is catholic :) that is the difference!

Wha really? I don’t know why I always just assumed it was a regional word difference instead of an actual difference in religion. Thank you for explaining 💜

[johnchiarello]

Sunday sermon

https://ccoutreach87.com/2025/01/05/sunday-sermon-text-253/

[solsthiems]

“IF YOU LIKE JIM DEFROQUE YOURE A BAD PERSON!!!1!!1!!1!”

[verathena14]

hey yall can we stop with the "homophobic (or otherwise bigoted) southern family" trope and have more "not-quite-knowledgeable-about-[minority group] but well-meaning southern family" representation? kthanks

signed, a queer arkansan who's fucking tired of cishet southerners being always painted as bigoted assholes and us queer southerners being perceived as "trapped" in our homes

[thegreatcallofgod]

BE A TRUE WORSHIPER OF GOD (John 4:19-24) and FELLOWSHIP with Him through Jesus Christ & the Holy Spirit AT ALL TIMES (1 John 1:3).

‼️MOST IMPORTANT: To become a true worshiper & TO HAVE A BLESSED LIFE, you must STAY AWAY from sin, idol worships, 'man-made' religion, its leaders/their churches/temples/fellowships/worship places, denominations & all ungodly traditions (1 Tim 6:5 KJV, Col 2:8, Matt 15:3).

ONLY THEN GOD WILL FILL YOUR LIFE WITH EVERLASTING JOY, HOPE & PEACE (Isa 51:11, 2 Thess 2:16, Phil 4:7).

God bless you & your loved ones.

THE GREAT CALL OF GOD

[A non-religious & non-denominational SPIRITUAL ministry]

https://www.facebook.com/TheGreatCallofGod