National Gatherings Highlight Differences in Denominations
Today’s Christian denominations come in manifold sizes, structures and theological beliefs, and those differences are highlighted each summer when the groups conduct their business at nationwide gatherings.
Today’s Christian denominations come in manifold sizes, structures and theological beliefs, and those differences are highlighted each summer when the groups conduct their business at nationwide gatherings.
In August, for example, two multi-million-member denominations will be holding their biennial gatherings – and they couldn’t be more different.
The Assemblies of God, the nation’s largest Pentecostal church with 3 million members, is a loose fellowship of churches that are headed by a General Superintendent. Their gathering will be about business – they have exactly 15 dockets prepared – but more so about fellowship, friendship and family rest.
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“Let me encourage you to do several things: Be pleasant. Be courteous. Be watchful for the opportunity to testify to the unsaved. Be generous with those who serve us. Smile,” a statement from the A/G Superintendent, Thomas Trask, reads.
Of the proposed dockets, the most controversial is the first one, which considers whether divorced or remarried persons are fit to serve as clergy.
“Scripture clearly states that ministers of the gospel are to be above reproach in all matters of life and conduct and that our theology should shape our culture instead of our theology being shaped by our culture,” the resolution reads. “Scripture teaches that ministers should be the husband or wife of but one living spouse.”
It resolves that the church disapproves “of any married person holding ministerial credentials with the Assemblies of God or district councils granting credentials to such, if either marriage partner has a former spouse living, unless the divorce occurred prior to his or her conversion except as hereinafter provided.”
In other words, to protect the natural family structure, ministers should not divorce their spouse after coming into the denomination unless the spouse is dead.
The five-million-member Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, meanwhile, is considering several resolutions that stand at the other end of the theological pole.
The most controversial is a set of three resolutions on homosexuality that would essentially leave the issue of ordaining sexually active homosexuals up to individual bishops and priest.
The resolutions on homosexuality were developed as part of a years-long project called the “ELCA Studies on Sexuality.” The third and most controversial proposal would “create a process for the sake of outreach” that would allow gay or lesbians living in a monogamous relationship to be ordained in the church. The second resolution is also likely to stir debate since it tackles the issue of blessing same-sex unions by leaving that up to the discretion of individual bishops.
The A/G General Council begins today in Denver, Colo., while the ELCA Churchwide Assembly starts on August 8 in Orlando, Fla.
