My Church

[HazelEyed]

(02-09-2011 09:36 PM)TruthSeeker Wrote:  Thanks Darrell,

"Should I approach my pastor with my disagreements step down from Sunday school and leave the church?

Seems like this is the most honest approach."


The only problem I have with this approach is that I know that any other church I would attend I would also have my differences. So if I approach my pastor about it why join another church where I may also have my disagreements.

If I leave my church I'm not sure if I ever be a church member again, I think I would just visit churches and not go through this again. For instance, where will I ever find a church that holds to a premillennial post trib rapture church. That's very rare in American Christianity.

My husband and I faced a similar situation about 6 months ago. Sunday School teacher, differing eschatology views, differing views on things like alcohol, Bible versions, etc. We weren't IFBs either, we discovered. We chose to tell the pastor our disagreements as nicely as possible and then we left the church. The biggest clincher for our decision to leave was 1) we didn't feel we could invite visitors, that's how much we disagreed with/were horribly embarrassed over certain attitudes and teachings and 2) we didn't want to raise our kids in that church, especially if they were getting such different teachings at home and church due to some of the doctrinal views. I especially had a lot of trouble with the views on Bible Versions and Calvinism.

Leaving was like a huge breath of fresh air.

I understand that you'll have disagreements everywhere, and there's no perfect church, but some churches will welcome questions and differing viewpoints on some things (like eschatology) and others won't. Find a church that isn't majoring on the minors and you'll probably find that you're free to believe what you want about the end times. That's what we found.

[TruthSeeker]

"Find a church that isn't majoring on the minors and you'll probably find that you're free to believe what you want about the end times. That's what we found."


Yes you are right about that, honestly my doesn't emphasize those controversial issues. Another thing i notice about many IFB churhes is that they don't do a whole lot of expositional preaching. My pastor does at times but lately he is doing more topical preaching than expositional.

I have thought of leaving the church without a word. By the way, my church is not extreme for being an IFB church. Yes they are still KJV only, believe tithing, pre-trib rapture, altar calls. Would any of you leave the church over these issues or would you keep silent and stay in the church?

[Tony R]

(02-16-2011 09:53 PM)TruthSeeker Wrote:  I have thought of leaving the church without a word. By the way, my church is not extreme for being an IFB church. Yes they are still KJV only, believe tithing, pre-trib rapture, altar calls. Would any of you leave the church over these issues or would you keep silent and stay in the church?

I would not leave for these reasons alone.

[Don]

(02-16-2011 09:53 PM)TruthSeeker Wrote:  "Find a church that isn't majoring on the minors and you'll probably find that you're free to believe what you want about the end times. That's what we found."


Yes you are right about that, honestly my doesn't emphasize those controversial issues. Another thing i notice about many IFB churhes is that they don't do a whole lot of expositional preaching. My pastor does at times but lately he is doing more topical preaching than expositional.

I have thought of leaving the church without a word. By the way, my church is not extreme for being an IFB church. Yes they are still KJV only, believe tithing, pre-trib rapture, altar calls. Would any of you leave the church over these issues or would you keep silent and stay in the church?

Yes I would! ...and I did, at least before the powers that be brought it all back in after it had been swept out the door.
As Darrell is fond of stating, "Your millage may vary." I got a taste of freedom and true expositional preaching w/out the manipulation of the altar call and no longer making McDonald-Darby-Scofield pre-trib/Pre-mil eschatology essential/primary doctrine (and a main point for separating with other believers.)
I would never go back to doing church that way, ever... even if it was the last congregation on earth.. but of course if it were, then they would have to rethink that whole emergency airlift to escape tribulation thingy.
I would still fellowship with my brothers and sisters in Christ... just not in that setting.

[Elijah Craig]

I could belong to a church that had an altar call, or taught a pre-trib rapture, or preached against drinking, or was flaming Arminian if my right to hold different convictions were respected.

To whomever asked where one might find a post-trib pre-mil church: it's called Classic Premillenialism and most churches with a seminary-trained pastor will respect one's right to hold such a view even if they don't teach it. It is not as rare a view as you might think.

[Tony R]

(02-17-2011 08:54 AM)Donb123 Wrote:  In my experience most presbyterian churches have presbyters who hold to a mix of all eschatological views - although dispensationalism would be an extreme minority and frowned upon.

LOL Ah religion, the blight of the church.

[Elijah Craig]

(02-17-2011 08:54 AM)Donb123 Wrote:  In my experience most presbyterian churches have presbyters who hold to a mix of all eschatological views - although dispensationalism would be an extreme minority and frowned upon.

I know of PCA churches that are dispensationalist. It is not quite an "extreme minority." Perhaps the OPC or other Presbyterian churches are different.

[Soli Deo Gloria]

(02-17-2011 01:22 AM)Elijah Craig Wrote:  I could belong to a church that had an altar call, or taught a pre-trib rapture, or preached against drinking, or was flaming Arminian if my right to hold different convictions were respected.

To whomever asked where one might find a post-trib pre-mil church: it's called Classic Premillenialism and most churches with a seminary-trained pastor will respect one's right to hold such a view even if they don't teach it. It is not as rare a view as you might think.

I totally agree with the live and let live approach to certain issues. Driscoll calls these open and closed-handed issues. Some things you hold tightly, like Jesus and the Gospel, while others like Eschatology you should hold a little more loosely.

[Tony R]

(02-18-2011 09:47 AM)Soli Deo Gloria Wrote:  I totally agree with the live and let live approach to certain issues. Driscoll calls these open and closed-handed issues. Some things you hold tightly, like Jesus and the Gospel, while others like Eschatology you should hold a little more loosely.

AMEN!